Dramatic birth stories? Raising a child with special needs or a life-threatening condition? We've got real-life stories by real parents, to inspire you.
If you have a personal experience you'd like to share, write to us at Editorial@smartparents.sg
“My pregnancy itch was caused by a liver problem”
A Singaporean mum details her rare pregnancy liver condition. Find out how she managed to deliver her baby safely. Details here…
“I check my son’s body for blisters daily”
A father recounts his emotional journey caring for a toddler son who is a “butterfly” child. Read more here…
“‘False labour” for 3 days… then a water birth!”
First-time mum Lim Qing Ru shares her unusual drug-free labour and water-birth experience. Read more here.
“I couldn't walk because pregnancy pelvic pain crippled me”
Extreme pain in her lower region left a pregnant Sienna Cheng virtually unable to move. Find out more about her condition here...
“Cord blood helped my son's cerebral palsy”
A father details the improvements he has seen in his son’s movement, motor skill and muscle tone disorder after a cord blood infusion. Read more here…
“Going to school helped my child with autism”
Raising a child with special needs isn’t easy ― Mohammad Zulkarnean shares how his son’s educational journey is helping. Read more here.
“How I've helped my son manage ADHD”
Tina Tan opens up about the struggles of raising a child with ADHD, and how she helped him manage the condition. Read more here.
"I had endometriosis - but I got pregnant!"
Some women with endometriosis find it tough to have a baby, so Francesca De Luna’s pregnancy was a welcome surprise… Read more here.
“My baby was born with a hole in her heart”
Pearlyn Tham was hoping the hole in her newborn’s heart would close by itself, but it ended up needing surgery. Read more of her story here…
“I kept my special needs baby"
Mary Heng, 40, opens about how she felt when she found out her baby girl had Down Syndrome. Read more here…
“Both my baby and I survived cancer”
After battling ovarian cancer, Jamie Koh was devastated to learn that her baby girl had the dreaded disease, too… Read more here...
“I’ve terminal cancer but I’m not giving up!”
Dyanne Søraas has never smoked a cigarette. Yet, months after having a baby, she found out she has terminal lung cancer and was given six months to live. Read more here…
“My 3-year-old beat lymphoma”
When a big tumour invaded her body, this brave little girl fought it valiantly, backed by a strong support system. Read more here...
"My daughter's brain tumour made my family stronger"
The devastating news of her daughter's brain tumour cost them several friends, but it made Jackie Chang's family close ranks. Read more here…
“My toddler woke up one day and couldn’t walk”
Her son has a rare degenerative muscle disease, but Shermeen is determined that he lives life to the fullest… Read more here…
“I thought my baby had slid out of me”
Priscilla Chua fought to keep her baby inside of her, even through several bouts of severe bleeding. Read more here…
“My son’s 40 deg fever lasted 6 days”
Mycoplasma, a bacterial infection, may seem like the flu, but can do so much more damage to your munchkin’s health… Read more here.
"My son’s autism breakthrough”
Suzanne Goh, mother of an autistic child, shares the techniques that have enabled her once-silent son to speak in sentences. Read more here.
“My little girl has a rare brain tumour”
Karen Lai’s dreams for her daughter were dashed by a rare brain tumour. Read more here.
“My baby’s infections left him fighting to breathe!”
Bad enough that Long Li Yann’s children had been swapping infections for weeks, then one night, her baby barely responded… Read more here.
“My 9-year-old daughter drools, so classmates stay away”
Though her daughter has a very rare disorder, Sally Kwek believes she can achieve great things, just like other kids… Read more here.
"My son was pinned down by 5 adults"
Lawrence Ng recounts the emotional rollercoaster of parenting Kai, his autistic son. Read more here.
“Two of my sons have autism”
Selina Gomez quit her job to become the caretaker of her young son, Ivan, when he was diagnosed with autism. Today, Ivan is 16. “Autism is what our son has, not who our son is,” says Gomez. Read more here.
"We took in a special needs child"
Kathryn Ortiz details her very rewarding experience being a substitute parent to a special-needs child. Read more here.
“My little girl can’t swallow”
Jasmine Lee’s world came crashing down when her baby was born with several serious health issues, including problems swallowing. Read more here.
“Diet and constant exercise helps me control PCOS”
How Doreen Seah deals with polycystic ovary syndrome, which affects the fertility of almost 1 in 10 Singaporean women. Read more here.
“I conceived using donor eggs!"
Andrea (not her real name) couldn’t get pregnant, so she and her husband took a drastic step… Read more here.
“My baby was growing outside my womb”
Holly Jean Aroozoo-Clarke lost her baby and nearly her life, too ― she opens up about her ectopic pregnancy. Read more here.
"My ex strangled me when I was pregnant!”
Elaine Lai’s two-year marriage came to an end when her ex-husband abused her – both physically and emotionally. Read more here.
“I nearly bled to death in a public toilet!”
Vanessa Tay was bleeding so profusely from placenta praevia, she was warned she might not survive labour… Read more here.
“Sleep-breathing trouble turned my tot into a zombie!”
When her little boy kept waking all grumpy after a night’s sleep, Chloe Ong knew something was wrong. Read more here.
"My little girl's birthmark covers half her face!”
Phoebe Sung is teaching her daughter, who has a port-wine stain on her face, to face life confidently. Read more here.
"My baby girl nearly drowned!"
A year after a scary near-drowning incident in a pool, Joyce Oh’s toddler daughter is still grappling with nightmares… Read more here.
“My 8-month-old baby had a liver transplant”
When doctors diagnosed her infant with a life-threatening condition, Grace Park pulled together every resource to save her tiny daughter. Read more here.
“My baby was born with a cleft palate!”
New mum Shereena Sajeed longed to breastfeed but faced the challenge of raising an infant with a cleft lip and palate. Read more here.
“My son has dyslexia”
It’s a daunting task, but Lilys Amirah Gomes is determined to help her son battle his learning disorder. Read more here.
“My baby’s blood vessels swelled suddenly!”
Nathalie Yan’s maternal instincts saved her 4-month-old girl from lifelong heart problems. Read more here.
“My baby was born with a twisted neck”
As if life as a new mum wasn’t challenging enough, Vanese Lau’s baby was born with a congenital neck disorder… Read more here.
"My baby turned blue-black suddenly!”
Lim Ting’s baby turned blue-black before her horrified eyes because of his UTI… Read more here.
“My little girl can’t swallow”
Jasmine Lee’s world came crashing down when her baby was born with several serious health issues, including problems swallowing. Read more here.