My birth experience in Bahrain was quite different to my first experience in Melbourne, I mean in terms of medical and hospital care (although both times, babies arrived slightly early by way of emergency ceasarian). In Melbourne, I had my own obstetrician and went through the private system - but the private system in Bahrain is really something else.
48-hours post ceasarian at the Bahrain Specialist Hospital (BSH), I was advised not to attempt any physical acitivty and had a midwife dedicated only to my care (stark contrast to my first experience, where I was expected to get moving the very night I was operated on). At the maternity ward of the BSH, I also had nursery staff to help care for my baby during the entire duration of my stay (in the private hospital I delivered at in Melbourne, the nursery was virtually non-existent and was opened only to help care for special needs babies - fair enough, but we thought we were paying for that service when we booked).
The post natal approach in Australia and in the west generally is that the mother should bond with the baby from day one. I agree with this approach and my expectation was to get to know my baby from day one. And this expectation was met - the baby and I did get our one on one time and I nursed the baby from the start, but, something must be said for giving mothers adequate time to recover and feel physically confident and mentally prepared before leaving hospital with their new bundle.
Don't get me wrong, some of the midwives who were with me during my first delivery in Melbourne were generally helpful. But, for them, the focus seemed to be on getting me confident with the baby rather than confident with my mental and physical health. That's just my observation - but I'm sure lots of other people would have had lots of different experiences. I guess I only have one experience to compare my Bahrain delivery to
Also, even though I choose to breastfeed, my view is that not enough focus is put on 'choice' in Australian hospitals. Back home, a couple of mums I knew who chose not to nurse or could not do so for health reasons said that their midwives made them feel guilty about their choice or pressured them to continue trying when they chose to stop. Everyone knows breast is best, but what a parent chooses, after considering what suits their lifestyle, is surely up to them? In Bahrain, there was no push for breastfeeding - and there was no push not to breastfeed. I was spared any lectures and the question was simply put to me - what would I prefer to do? I told the midwives and they helped me establish my feeding.
So at the end of the day, although we did miss our extended family, the delivery experience in Bahrain was a satisfactory one. I enjoyed my sea view room, ordering a la carte meals and watching satellitle TV... wasI there to deliver a baby or on a five star vacation? I forget which?
Most of all I was happy with the end result...bless:
