• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Join our Mailing List

Expat Living Singapore HomepageExpat Living Singapore

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • East Coast featureGuide to Telok Kurau on the East Coast
        • speciality movers moving companiesMoving special items from home to home?
        • AIS IBWant to ace the IB exam? Here’s how one girl did
        • White LodgeWhite Lodge’s newest centre is open!
      • View all
    Close
  • What’s On
    • Things To Do
    • EL Events
    • Family
    • Concerts & Shows
    • Wine, Dine & Party
    • Network & Shop
    • Sports & Wellness
    • Exhibitions & Workshops
    • Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • Swim School Singapore10 exciting enrichment activities for kids
        • Pacific Prime babymoon travel insurance woman in poolPlanning a babymoon?
        • AIS IBWant to ace the IB exam? Here’s how one girl did
        • White LodgeWhite Lodge’s newest centre is open!
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Accessories
      • Decorating Ideas
      • Homes Outdoor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Shopping For Home
        • Justinas siglap homeInside a colourful 1950s Siglap home
        • Courts Sofa10 sofa styles to suit you and your space
        • Buy cushions and fabric singaporeWhere to buy cushions, curtains & upholstery
        • image-2019-01-316 online stores for furniture & homewares
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia And New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • Travel News
      • Travel Tips
        • Central Harbourfont Hong KongThings to Do with Kids in Hong Kong
        • Pacific Prime babymoon travel insurance woman in poolPlanning a babymoon?
        • Europe trip MelindaMelinda’s adventure in Italy and Germany
        • Pacific Prime travel insurance family beach holiday9 FAQs on travel insurance
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Banana cake recipeTea time recipe: Banana cake
        • welsh lamb premium meat delivery onlineWelsh lamb: Where to find and how to cook it
        • Authors of Table TalesAuthor spotlight: Table Tales
        • Gluten free Firni Custard close upGluten-free Firni Custard Recipe
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Horoscopes
        • BTL Vanquish Me slimming treatment cutis fire and iceHow to target specific problem areas
        • composite facelift dr wong w aesthetic plastic surgeryHow to get a natural looking facelift
        • MAH Collection Resort wearLooking for stylish resort wear?
        • engagement rings singapore gioia fine jewelleryWhere to buy or customise engagement rings
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • composite facelift dr wong w aesthetic plastic surgeryHow to get a natural looking facelift
        • UP fitnessThe benefits of getting in shape with your partner
        • Pacific Prime babymoon travel insurance woman in poolPlanning a babymoon?
        • benefits of drinking water natural springs water deliveryThe natural remedy everyone needs
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close
Home » Kids » Mums & Babies » Being an expat mum in Singapore: Caroline’s story, plus her tips

Being an expat mum in Singapore: Caroline’s story, plus her tips

Updated on 29th September 2016 by Catherine Willingham |

Shortly after Caroline Moore was born in Cairo, her British parents moved the family to Singapore. Here she talks about life as an expat child and now as a mother to 11-month-old Charles.

Caroline and Charles 

How did Singapore become your home?
Both my parents left the UK for Australia in their late teens, and they met and married in Sydney. My dad was working for Jones Lang Wootton (now Jones Lang LaSalle) and my parents moved to Cairo in 1975; I was born there in 1977. Then an opportunity to move to Singapore became available, so we relocated in 1978.

We moved into a lovely little black-and-white bungalow on Coronation Road, our home for 27 years, and my brother was born in Gleneagles Hospital 18 months later. The house was bare and basic but with a lovely garden, and we soon put a pool in. I have happy memories of riding my bike to buy ice-lollies from the local shop, which was a family-run kampong hut with live chickens and wild dogs. My brother and I used to play in the huge storm drains catching fish, until the day we saw a snake and never returned!

Where else have you lived?
I went to boarding school in the UK for the year of my GCSEs. Going from Tanglin Trust School and United World College to an all-girls Catholic convent in Surrey was a huge culture shock.

My husband Paul and I met in Barbados on holiday and have been together for 12 years now. I lived and worked in London in fashion PR, and then as an executive assistant in the media and television industry before I told Paul that I really wanted to go back to Asia. We looked at Sydney, Hong Kong and Mumbai; but coincidentally, Paul’s company in London was making Singapore its main APAC hub, and he was offered a job here.

You had your first child, Charles, on 2 April last year. How was the pregnancy?
I suffer from endometriosis, and we had been trying for a number of years to get pregnant. We were about to start going down the IUI route, but managed to conceive naturally. I had weekly progesterone injections to help me keep the baby, and the rest of my pregnancy went pretty smoothly until the 38th week, when Charlie turned breech. I waited a few days and tried “moxibustion”, a traditional Chinese medicine method of trying to turn the baby; it’s linked to acupuncture pressure points stimulating blood-flow to the uterus. After three days he had turned, but four days later he turned back again. I opted for an elective C-section at NUH a week before my due date, which ultimately I was happy with as the whole experience was very calm and peaceful.

Do you enjoy being a full-time working mum?
There was never any question of me not going back to work. I had four months’ maternity leave and then went back full-time to Diageo; it’s a really great place to work, though being in the office can be hard. Charlie and I  started swimming lessons together and we’re looking at preschools for when he’s 18 months old, so at least I know that while I’m working he’ll be having fun with other children.

Our favourite things

  • Charlie adores our dogs, boxer Cooper and retriever Nala; he squeals in delight when he seems them.
  • We love Koh Sushi Bar and Grill in Food Republic at Wisma Atria – the Koh Maki is a standout.
  • We love to travel; any chance we get, we steal a weekend away. Most recently we went to Hanoi and loved it.
  • We enjoy spending time with my family at the weekends by the pool at The Tanglin Club.

 

Categories: Kids Mums & Babies Tags: Singapore Giving Birth Singapore Tanglin

About Catherine Willingham

You May Also Like

School trips offered by international schools in Singapore

gems

International schools in Singapore: HUGE GUIDE

School trips: Students recount their amazing excursions in Singapore and abroad

Like what you've seen?

Enter your email address to stay in touch!

By subscribing, you'll receive our monthly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

Primary Sidebar

Editor's Picks

Best short breaks from Singapore

Where to live in Singapore expat guide

The expat’s guide to where to live in Singapore

my cozy room

Best Facials Singapore: We review 7 facial treatments!

Journey East Element Sofa

Best furniture shops in Singapore

35 Cool & Fun Things To Do In Singapore

best champagne brunches in Singapore - hilton

Best Brunch Places In Singapore: Champagne Sunday Brunches

What's On

Image of stamp collection at You've Got Mail Exhibition

You’ve Got Mail! Exhibition

The Little Prince_Behind The Exhibition (1). Image courtesy of Singapore Philatelic Museum

The Little Prince: Behind the Story Exhibition

Selling Dreams: Early Advertising in Singapore

Lim Cheng Hoe: Painting Singapore (Singapore River)

Lim Cheng Hoe: Painting Singapore

Five Oxen Wu Guanzhong

Wu Guanzhong: Expressions of Pen & Palette

Passion@KampongGlam

Passion@KampongGlam

Follow us @expatlivingsg

Head online to read our new round up on online stores for furniture like this one from @soulandtables! We're loving this contemporary piece!
Retail therapy that gives back?! We’re on board! We chatted to Leah Lambert in our February issue about @glamorousgiving. Pencil it in for the 20-21st of February. More details online ✨
Celebrate Valentine's with an exquisite five course meal for two at Café Melba for just $88++ PER COUPLE!
That fresh 🍓 tart (and everything else) looks YUM!
#ValentinesDaySG #CelebrateLove #CafeMelbaSingapore #expatliving #expatlivingsg
Wow! I love the look of this underwater restaurant in the Maldives. Lindsay Yap checked it out for us on page 130 of our Feb issue 🌊
Have you made plans for Valentine’s Day? If not don’t sweat it! We have plenty of ideas online or in our February issue 🥰❤️
Drinks tonight? Try Jigger and Pony’s signature creation, Donkey Kong - a banana-infused Monkey Shoulder Scotch!
We're giving away FREE copies of our latest Home & Property Guide for a limited time only! Grab your copy here: expatliving.sg/HPG_IG
Want to look professional and put-together, yet stylish at the same time? @rougesingapore has some of the most comfortable and flattering officewear that'll take you from day to night, office to bar. Digging the fun colours I wore in this mini shoot for our January workwear fashion spread 💃 - Anthia // #expatlivingsg #expatlivingsingapore #expatliving
Discover romantic bars and restaurants, Japan journeys and kid-friendly holidays in our latest issue! Grab your copy here: expatliving.sg/el-shop/
Have you ever been to Japan? Our editor headed to Kyushu and loved it! Her full story online now 🇯🇵
Where’s your favourite spot on the East Coast? This month we chatted to Rachel House and Sam Chapman about the ins and outs of living on Telok Kurau. See page 64 🍃
Gorgeous diamonds don't always have to be crazy expensive - @diamantipertutti is a designed-in-Belgium jewellery label offering modern and well-priced designs that incorporate ethically sourced diamonds 💍 They've just opened their first Singapore store in Raffles City! - Anthia
I’m sure by now you have all seen our cover, but where is this stunning view?! It’s in Italy 🇮🇹 In an area called Puglia which is located in the heel of Italy. More details on page 139 @borgoegnazia
We are loving The Monarchy’s new Quintessentially British Cocktail bar and Ultra lounge, open from 5pm till late Tuesday’s to Saturday’s check them out on the trendy Tras Street #expatlivingsg #themonarchysg #cocktailbar #ultralounge #singapore #hermajesty #trasstreet #peakyblinders #kevinseah
It’s my favourite round up of the year *drumroll* It’s our vegetarian and vegan round up!! Check out the 30 restaurants we chose in our January issue or online 🥰- Michaela
Brilliant weekend at the @SingOpenGolf! Well done @jazzjanegolf on becoming the third Thai champion to conquer the green!
We had a peak inside a Siglap 1950s home this January. We love the colours! 🥰
Early morning prayers. Piercings. Pots of milk. A long procession. To those who aren’t familiar with the Hindu ritual of Thaipusam, it may all seem a strange combination. Learn more about this festival in our things to do section online and head down to see it on Monday (21st Jan)
Throwback to our Christmas fashion shoot for the December issue! We had such a blast at @thesummerhousesg and @wildseedsg 💃
Recently went to South Africa for the holidays and loved it! If you guys haven’t gone you need to. Table Mountain is incredible. Would also recommend a game drive, we loved @amakhala - Michaela
Results are out! Check out some of the best in business based on your votes 👉 expatliving.sg/readerschoice
Get a glimpse into some of the most remarkable interiors of colonial buildings in this new book! To get yours 👉 expatliving.sg/colonialstyle
From all of us at Expat Living - here's to a wonderful year ahead! 🎉
Found this old photo of us in 1999 and was trying to work out where we were standing. Any ideas?  City skyline’s a bit different now.. - Rebecca
  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2019 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.

Near me
40 km