St Kilda Esplanade...with a squint

Just returned from our trip to Melbourne where our new baby girl made her debut. Great seeing family and friends and spending an extended period of time at my parents place with the girls. Nothing compares to quality time with loved ones.

It was hard coming back, the first day I was a bit teary, but then I took some inspiration from H. She just picked up where she left off, excited about sleeping in her own room, starting back at kindergarten, playing with her OWN toys in her OWN house... a few weeks of SHARING someone else's toys is like being subjected to extreme torture and punishment for a four year old. I asked her yesterday if she wanted to go back to Melbourne, "No" she replied with more certainty in her voice than I've ever heard..."I don't NEED Melbourne right now" - well I guess that answers that!!

It made me think about what a four year old needs. I always feel bad about depriving H (and now A) of her (their) extended family (especially grandparents and cousins) and depriving her of all that Australia has to offer (all year round) and Bahrain does not - acres of green grass, trees to climb, a million varieties of flowers to plant and pick, the zoo, farms, beaches, picnics and BBQs in Summer/Winter. That's what I want her to be enjoying in her free time, not staying indoors to watch Dora the Explorer because it's too hot to play outside in 50 degrees centigrade.

But when I have all of that in mind for H, all she want for herself is her mum, dad, sister and her home. Bahrain is H's home. This is the only 'real' home she knows, since she was only twenty months old when we moved here. So I remind myself that she is happy and more than satisfied with what she has and that is the MOST important thing (maybe that's because she doesn't know any better - oblivion does play a role in creating happiness and keeping one happy).

So when I went off to the beach with A for a walk this morning (a private one that we pay an exorbitant amount of money to enjoy because there is no decent 'public' beach... ok, not going there...that's not important...especially as the point that this ungrateful wretch is trying to make is that one should count one's blessings) I thought about how lovely it was to be in Bahrain at this time of year, enjoying the superb weather (December to March is perfect - currently a gorgeous 22oC outside) time with family and the company of friends...all in all, life's not so bad.

And, if  I pretend or maybe squint (as V pointed out:)), I can imagine I am in Melbourne... Maybe... is that the St Kilda Esplanade I see?

Thanks for the inspiration V.

Bahrain elections 2010

Last weekend was election weekend in Bahrain. This was the third election ever to be held in Bahrain's recent history. The first election held in Bahrain post-1975 was in 2002 and that was when women first gained the right to vote and stand for election. Those elections came about as a result of democratic reforms introduced by the current King, King Hamad. It's nice to know that there is an inclination for the rulers and people of Bahrain towards embracing democratic values.

Being slightly lazy these days with my writing.. For now, I will let this article explain how election day went:

Bahrain elections

Bahrain baby

I have a good excuse for being MIA... I was having a baby. We are now proud parents to another gorgeous little girl.

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: