Novice16737 | ExpatWoman.com
 

Novice16737

Novice16737
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Latest post on 21 June 2011 - 11:41
Only read the responses now. I went to bed late that night with a couple of painful ant bites and very worried. The next morning there were no flying ants to be seen. Googled it and flying ants do indeed exist but only live for a day or 2 during a certain life stage of the colony. I believe there is an ant colony inside my kitchen wall, there seems to be several ant "entrances" on both sides of the wall, sometimes mounds of dust appear at these holes as if they are digging a maze of tunnels inside. Washed the floors with vinegar yesterday, which apparently they hate, and that seems to have restricted their movement, have only seen a couple of lone rangers out and about today, but I hate to think that they're still inside biding their time and planning to take over the world!!! Any advice on how to get rid of an ant colony in my house without accidentally poisoning my very inquisitive 1 year old??? I think I will just keep at it with the salt & vinegar for now, baby and I will be going away for a couple of weeks later in the summer, perhaps my husband can bring out the poison while we are away, I am just worried that it will linger around for weeks, not too keen to bring toxins into our home at all??
Novice16737
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Latest post on 21 June 2011 - 11:21
My little guy is 14 months and has been throwing food for months but there has definitely been an improvement lately. Still, very annoying!! He has the habit of taking a bite of something, chewing / tasting it, putting his whole hand in his mouth to retrieve it, inspecting it.... then either putting it back in his mouth or throwing it on the ground. But lately he has started to sometimes put teh rejected items back in his plate / bowl rather than throw it down so I am hoping this is a sign of things to come. Also, when faced with two choices he often throws the "loser" on the ground before eating the "winner". So in our case it doesn't mean that he is finished and I can't just end the meal when he starts throwing. I try to hover as closely as possible to improve my odds of intercepting any missiles and do my best not to react when he throws something, with limited success, other than that I have no wisdom and am just happy to hear that other little guys throw food as well!
Novice16737
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Latest post on 20 June 2011 - 16:13
Your / your husband's employer can get you a permanent exit permit which is valid for a year, then you/he don't need to apply for exit visas every time you want to leave the country. And baffled is right, only people sponsored by their employers need exit permits at all, if you and your children are sponsored by your husband you do not need an exit permit, only he does. I must say I found the concept of an exit permit really frightening when I first heard of it but it doesn't feature in our life at all, my husband has a permanent exit visa and me & my baby don't need one. You can check with your prospective employer if they will be providing a permanent exit permit, I must say I would have hated to ask for permission every time I want to go away for the weekend!!!
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Latest post on 19 June 2011 - 14:00
I would not even use tap water for my own tea here so would definitely not give it to my baby! I boiled bottled water for the first 6 months and then started using the bottled water unboiled, straight from the water cooler, as boiling does increase the mineral content of the bottled water which isn't really desirabe either. Whether you use boiled tap water / boiled bottled water / unboiled bottled water for formula - none of the options available here are ideal, in the absence of official guidance all you can really do is follow your gut!
Novice16737
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Latest post on 19 June 2011 - 13:51
You said in another recent thread that she had been ill recently and wasn't eating any solids. Sounds like she is just off her game at the moment and perhaps it's all related - the sleeping, feeding, tantrums.. Teeth can hurt for many weeks before they push through so this could all still be due to teething even though they're nowhere to be seen yet. What happens when she wakes up at night? Is she hungry / thirsty / in need of a cuddle? Go back to sleep quickly or is it an extended process? Is your DD on a routine with fixed mealtimes, naptimes, bedtime etc? If not that may help her get back on to of her eating & sleeping habits again, which may help with the tantrums & nighttime sleeping as well? And if she is already on a routine perhaps it is time to experiment with some changes? Haha I am no expert, just fumbling along myself, my DS used to be a terrible sleeper, waking up every hour at night, and now he is a great sleeper, but refuses to eat ANYTHING other than apples and tomatoes. It seems that for us mums the next challenge is never far away ;) I seem to remember that our babies were due around the same time so am stunned that you even own a potty already, I am just struggling to get my DS to allow me to change his nappy. Oh and my little guy definitely doesn't listen to me 90% or even 60% of the time so in my eyes you and your DD are doing VERY well!
Novice16737
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Latest post on 19 June 2011 - 13:17
and it's not just a Dubai thing - I used to know someone at home in UK a few years ago - she was very 'high maintenence' herself and very slim - every time I saw her she'd say "you're looking good - you've lost weight" Well, if I'd lost weight EVERY time she saw me, I'd have been a skeleton!! Wow, it has really never occured to me that anyone could be offended if I told them they had lost weight. In my mind it is a big compliment. If I see someone looking slimmer, which normally means they are looking GOOD, I make a point of telling them. Is this seriously offensive to some??? Telling someone they're fat - YES I consider that offensive. But in a society that strives towards slimness, I am really shocked that so many of you find a compliment offensive, I LOVE it when others tell me I've lost weight. Just shows you how everyone is different. I will keep any compliments to myself from now on then. What about other compliments, is it okay to tell someone you like their new hairstyle???! I have 2 "favourite" stories about insulting FAT-comments in Dubai. 1)Visited a nail salon regularly during my pregnancy. Baby was born, after weeks of sleepless nights and being housebound my husband agreed to watch the sleeping baby for an hour so that I could treat myself to a pedi - really needing a boost - I walk into the salon and the receptionist greets me with - "Oh, you've had the baby but now you're FAT"!!! 2)Desperately searching for a dress to wear to a function, I tried one on in the changing room of Hobbs in Festival City. The saleswoman came to check up on me in the changing room. I was in a friendly, chit chatty mood and told her I was struggling to find a dress that flattered my pear shaped figure. When I left the changing room I was ambushed by a THREE Filipina salesladies who were clearly busy gossipping about me, as I walked out they told me in front of all the customers, "It is not our fault if you are FAT and look fat in all the dresses". It sounds silly now, but on that day, the comment really crushed me and I felt soooo humiliated. Will never again, as long as I live, enter a branch of that store, never even liked it in the first place ;)
Novice16737
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Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 17:43
We took our baby, who has been sleeping in his own room since he was 3 months old, on holiday when he was 11 months old. We all stayed in the same hotel room (in fact, 4 different hotels during the trip!) and I was worried about how this would work out. The first night, he basically stood in his cot and cried all night, hysterical, confused and completely unable to fall asleep. We were horrified and wondered how any of us would get any sleep during the trip. Then I realised that it was actually impossible for him to fall asleep while we were in the room as we normally leave him alone in his room at sleep times, and he has learned to relax on his own and go into his quiet sleeptime head space alone. When there were other people in the room he was too aware of us and unable to switch off and go to sleep. So for the rest of the trip, we put him down for naps and at bedtime, then left the room for a few minutes to give him his space, and returned once he had fallen asleep. He only needs about 5 minutes for that so it wasn't too inconvenient - I would go to the bathroom while DH read his book on the balcony outside for a few minutes, or whatever, when all was quiet we could go back... At night when it was dark it didn't bother him having us in the room as he couldn't see us. He was still waking up once or twice every night then and had no trouble falling back asleep after being attended to in the normal way. Once we started leaving him alone to fall asleep, we didn't have any sleeping problems again during the trip or when we arrived back home. All we needed to do was stick to the normal bedtime / naptime routine. Looking back I think it was actually silly of us to expect him to fall asleep while we were in the room, after training him up to fall asleep on his own! Every child and every family is different, what I have learnt is that you need to really think about your bedtime routine and try to keep as many constants as possible. We also take along as many physical constants as possible, his sleeping bag, blankets, a few toys, his bath towel. I try to set up every new cot exactly like his cot at home as soon as we arrive. Little things like that can make a big difference - or it does for us! I personally wouldn't pay for an own hotel room for a baby but that's just me! Also, there is a risk that being in a strange room all by himself could freak him out just as much as sharing a room with his parents?! But then again we've never tried it. Good luck.
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Latest post on 06 June 2011 - 10:34
Oh, great GREAT news, thanks Irish Molly. Do you or anyone know which documents I need to take along to register? Also can anyone tell me where exactly to go as the complex seems so huge? Much appreciated.
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Latest post on 04 June 2011 - 16:22
Yay - he is finally practicing his walking at home. Don't know when I will learn to stop worrying about these milestones prematurely. Thanks for the input ladies!
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Latest post on 04 June 2011 - 16:18
Don't worry. My 13 month old has survived only on finger food and refusing the spoon since he was 8 months old. And he is pretty fussy about what he eats as well. Wouldn't touch steamed plain veggies (may I ask which veggies yours likes as the only veggie my guy knowingly touches is carrots so I'm always looking for ideas). But he is a fresh fruit junkie so not too worried. He also doesn't like handling squishy, saucy or slimey food... but doesn't mind crunch or spices. I wouldn't worry too much about your baby being fussy, it seems to me that most of them are to some extent! Some 1 year olds we know still refuse lumps and eat only purees so I have been kind of relieved that DS at least wants to self feed! I make double batches of finger food recipes (all the usual balls & nuggets), freeze it, then defrost a selection of fingerfood goodies every day - lazy mum! Sometimes he hates a new food but I just freeze it & defrost a sample every now and then - eventually he changes his mind and everything gets eaten sooner or later! This site is great for finger food ideas: http://blog.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/tag/finger-foods/ In any recipe where you coat the food in breadcrumbs you can just use flour instead if he doesn't like crunch? Some quick & easy finger foods that DS usually eats: Fruit pieces (his absolute favourite) like peach, pear, apple, strawberry, quartered grapes, kiwi, orange & pineapple (now that he is over 12 months), boiled dried apricots. Halved cherry tomatoes. Cheese cubes or slices. Plain overcooked pasta.. he likes the multicoloured (Mickey Mouse brand) pasta wheels from Carrefour. Or I coat the pasta in a thick white sauce with cheese and serve it cold, so that the pieces clump together and easy for him to pick up with his fingers, not too slimy. You can also add pureed veggies to the white sauce (well not necessary for you since your baby likes veggies) Rice cakes. French toast. Fried eggs, cubed (after 12 months). Flour tortillas heated in pan and cubed, with various fillings e.g. apple & cheddar... or fruity tuna concoction... Miniature muffins. Overcooked chickpeas (peeled when he was younger). Sweet potato cubes. And of course he eats whetever we eat, if its appropriate. He does like the AK meatballs & nuggets now that he's a bit older. And is now starting to also eat normal wholewheat toast sometimes with cream cheese or butter & a smear of Marmite..... The first protein finger food my DS liked was these chicken sausages as they're smooth, soft, small, sweet & easy to eat: http://www.babywhispererforums.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=25a7d9a2a6711405acf2216b185ccbb9&topic=102407.0 I pureed everything before rolling the sausages to ensure no lumps, made them super tiny, rolled in flour & oven baked. A real(!!!) pain to make but a double batch lasted a looong time in the freezer and he ate them. Or try something like the lentil & sweet potato nuggets on the Homemade baby food blog, rolling in flour then baking. Remember it won't last forever, my DS is getting more interested in holding spoons & forks now so I think my days of making everything into nuggets are finally counted ;)
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Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 17:00
Any chance you already have a US visit visa? Neither my DH nor myself are US citizens and we got married in New York... we needed NO documents other than our passports. You only need to be there 24 hours before you get married to register. I cannot imagine that it could be easier anywhere else in the world. We did this as we would have needed to wait a LONG time to get married in our home countries due to documentation requirements. And we had a lovely experience - you can get married in the park, on Brooklyn bridge, any restaurant or hotel - you just need to find a registered officiant which is easy online. I highly recommend it. Then you just need to arrange to get the marriage certificate attested which can take a while because it needs to get stamped in Washington amongst other places! There are companies that could do this for you and FedEx you the attested certificate. If I were you I would get a family member to babysit the kids, go away for a few days, dont tell anyone about your plans, and come back married with the documents to prove it.
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Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 00:14
Can't believe she couldn't give you a date!! Well, thanks for saving me a trip to Aspire! Ladies if you hear anything PLEASE let the rest of us know.... I have been hoping to register for the past year but it seems near impossible. Thanks :)
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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 22:16
I dealt with labour pains by swearing at my husband. If my mother had been in the room, I would have felt the need to be polite and needed drugs instead. Maybe your relationship with your mum is different - only you really know! And I will never forget the moment my husband saw his baby's head appearing and got tears in his eyes - that's when I realised we were really having a real baby - and also how much I loved him. And I am pretty sure with another family member present that intimate moment would have been lost and I would only remember people talking around me! Seriously, I agree with others who have said, you will probably just wish everyone would go away and leave you alone! You will not feel like talking, or listening. You will just want to get on with business, not engage in Oprah! You may even find the extra support to be a burden rather than help! ... Or not!!! Like Dan Lou said, every person is different and only you know yourself and your husband and mother. We are all just sharing our own perspectives....
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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 21:54
I am all for being selfish about dinner, a holiday, a car or a trip to the cinema, but the number of children you have will affect the course of the rest of his life, not just yours. You can try to convince him and see if he changes his mind but knowingly taking any one-sided action would be unfair - and unforgivable! - in my opinion. Sure, you have always envisioned 3 - but what about what he wants? You could win another child but end up with an empty and resentful relationship. Personally I think you'd be better off skipping the debating, begging & arm twisting - and making peace with having 2... for now!
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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 16:18
Would he perhaps agree on a doula as birth partner instead? The doula has experienced plenty of live births and is a professional doing her job, maintaining a bit more distance and perhaps easier to tolerate at the big event than his mother in law! I did not have the option of having my mother at the birth of my DS, had a doula there instead (and my DH of course). To be honest even if I could have had my mother there I would still choose the doula instead. I do see your husband's point, the birth of a first child is so special, one of the biggest events of both of your lives so far. It is the day you will become a family not just a couple and there is something to be said for keeping it between the two of you. Even if my DH was the one giving birth instead of me, I would definitely not have wanted my MIL there! But would have let him have his way if he absolutely insisted ;) Good luck, I hope you manage to convince him or reach a compromise!
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 23:38
Could you perhaps put her in her old cot in her room and save the big girl bed (with all its freedoms) for later when she is settled in her room? That would solve at least one of your problems! Or is there a reason why her cot was packed away so early?
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 01:48
Does your baby drink expressed breast milk from a bottle or cup? That way you can know if it is really the taste of the milk he doesn't like, or the bottle / cup? If he drinks expressed BM you could start mixing it with cows milk etc etc rather than introducing formula at this late stage... no other wisdom from me I'm afraid :)
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 01:20
Thanks for the reassurance ladies. I have an update: Yesterday I took my DS to his regular playgroup where a bit of a walking epidemic is going on, several babies have taken their first steps during the past 2 weeks and they were showing off, with everyone clapping and cheering for the new walkers. My DS watched from the sideline then after about an hour he suddenly got up and power walked across the room. I was stunned, have never seen him go that far!! A few minutes later he did it a second time, walked 3 or 4 metres back to the other side while everyone clapped. Yay! :) Then ....we came home. It is a day and a half later and I haven't seen him take one step again, NOT ONE! He doesn't even take 1 step to reach the coffee table from the sofa. He sits down, crawls the 1 step and pulls himself up again on the other side. Considering his performance yesterday I feel confused. It is almost as if he really doesn't WANT to walk. The other little ones seem (to me, an outsider) to be so excited by their new skill, driven to practice and perfect it, whereas my DS seems to be in complete denial! Is this normal? Anyone been there done that? Should I just carry on waiting? Be extra encouraging if he tries again, or pretend not to notice anything unusual (so as not to pile on the pressure)? I always see mums holding out their arms for their babies to practice walking into but when I hold out my arms for him he either ignores me or sits down and crawls to me - more than a month after his first independent steps :) <em>edited by Novice on 01/06/2011</em>
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 00:06
Thanks :)
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 00:05
Thanks zookpeer and marykatherine. Got my hair cut at J&J near Landmark for QR100 and happy with the results. I have seen the London salon before, will seriously consider going there next time as a mani, pedi and haircut for QR140 sounds GREAT!!!
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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 23:28
I resigned before going on maternity leave - took maternity leave as part of my notice period. My notice period was 3 months and maternity benefit only the 45 days so I resigned a month before going on maternity leave, then took maternity leave PLUS 2 weeks remaining annual leave as part of the notice period. I had a confidential meeting with an HR representative before I resigned to clarify where I stood, handed my letter of resignation in only when I received confirmation that I could still take paid maternity leave etc. Is there someone you could talk to in your company? The maternity leave benefit here is so poor, I personally don't think it's worth it going back to work for a month after having your baby, just so you can get paid for taking a month and a half off. Unless you desperately need the medical insurance cover or something (it did came in handy for me).... My understanding (and the understanding of my former employer - which always did things by the book) is that according to labour law you still qualify for maternity leave even if you have resigned. But I can imagine that some employers ellect to interpret it differently.... good luck.
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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 10:36
You will probably find that the thought of birth becomes less terrifying the closer it gets. Read some positive birth stories (e.g. "Stand and Deliver") or download video (e.g. the TV series "one born every minute") that include all kinds of birth scenarios - natural, epidural, c-sections... it really set my mind at ease and stopped my imagination going wild all the time picturing worst case scenarios. Consider taking ante natal classes and/or get yourself a doula if you can do with the extra support. And then, thoroughly prepared for all eventualities, just take it as it comes!! I was also scared of an epidural so managed without any pain relief - and you know what, it wasn't as bad as it seems on the movies - and I'm sure an epidural would have turned out fine as well if I had one. The minute the baby is in your arms the birth and pain is forgotten anyway!
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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 10:14
No.. I haven't found a QR90 ladies haircut - that was for my husband!!!! Men's haircuts are cheaper. Do you ALL go to pricey places like Glow for posh haircuts? Feeling very unglamourous now....
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Latest post on 29 May 2011 - 23:17
Definitely Yellow Cab for me...
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Latest post on 29 May 2011 - 16:57
Have you looked on Qatarliving.com for second hand stuff?
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Latest post on 29 May 2011 - 13:53
I would go to another doctor and get a second opinion about the weight loss for your own peace of mind. I am sure that if it was a matter of not getting enough milk or food, your baby would let you know - by being a very cranky little miss!! And I'm sure she wouldn't be sleeping through the night if she was malnourished! I cannot help with breastfeeding advice as I didn't last nearly as long as you. I don't think anyone would advise you to move onto 100% formula - it is kind of a taboo these days! But many mums in your situation would certainly consider this and I think you can congratulate yourself for making it to the 6 month mark while working full time! Don't think I have anything new to add to what the other ladies have already said... e.g. early weaning foods like veggies have fewer calories than BM or formula so if she is loving her solids, try to give her a milk feed before solid meals to ensure she isn't filling her whole tummy with low calorie carrots and apples! My baby was also a skinny guy with a short attention span at that age (and he still is!) so I think I introduced higher calorie, protein rich foods, e.g. lamb stew... and started cooking for him with butter & olive oil... at around 7 months. You cannot forcefeed your baby I don't think there is much more you can do, other than make sure that any medical issues are ruled out. I hope you turn a corner soon with your little one, try not to worry too much x
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Latest post on 29 May 2011 - 12:11
I wouldn't pierce my baby's ears but to be honest I am always taken aback by how judgemental some people are about it and the hysterical overreactions. I have even seen threads on another forum calling it child abuse and to be honest, I think, oh please! I remember having my ears pierced aged 8 (after begging my mother for months, and was so proud of my big girl earrings afterwards!) and yes it did hurt, but so does a vaccination, and we have all seen how well our babies take those. My little guy has forgotten all about his injection by the time we leave the clinic. If my mum had pierced my ears when I was a baby or toddler I wouldn't have held it against her or felt abused. When I see little babies with earrings I see that it is something that is normal within a certain culture / social circle, much like shaving babies heads or kohl eyeliner in some cultures. It doesn't look normal or nice to me, but I feel happy for those babies that they have the priviledge of belonging to a family and community and parents that care enough about them to take them through what they regard as being rites of passage. In fact I feel much the same about ear piercings as about parents dressing their babies in stiff uncomfortable dresses or jeans with non-elasticated waistbands or little patent leather shoes or woollen sweaters in the middle of summer.... I think it must be very uncomfortable for the baby but the parents mean well and since it is not causing any long term harm it is none of my business!!!! PS unlike not using a car seat, oh don't get me started on that, just the thought sends my blood pressure shooting through the roof - it seems to be 60% of the cars with children I see, including some Westerners who would never take that risk in their own countries!!!!! Now that I don't understand...
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Latest post on 29 May 2011 - 11:44
Dubaicat - your DS sounds EXACTLY like mine! I am actually about to sell my high chair and just buy a booster seat for each table in the house as that seems to help a bit.... well, just a TEENSY TINY bit to be honest! Let me know if you find a solution that works! My little guy only eats a few bites in his chair, then he wants OUT and starts throwing food. If I allow him to eat while playing he eats well. Every now and then I decide to stop this and only allow him to eat when he is in his chair, and he always wins... seems to prefer an empty tummy to being captive in his boring chair. I am just not comfortable with the small amounts he eats on my terms and am always worried that I am starving him! And to be honest some days I just cannot bear the thought of the highchair drama and mess on the floor so just let him do what he wants. I figure there will be plenty of time ahead to teach proper table manners, at the moment my first priority is to get healthy food into his little tummy? Am hoping to break the habit when visiting my parents for a month during the summer as they have always been super strict about food belonging at the table etc!!!! Let us know how it goes :)
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Latest post on 20 May 2011 - 17:12
Presam, I want to share my experience with you.... My baby woke up every hour at night for months and months and I was miserable. He was bottle fed and in his own cot but every time he came into a light sleep he cried out for his bottle followed by a dummy, and I was the waittress. At 11 months old, I had just had enough and didn't want to start his 2nd year like this. I had 1 consultation with a post natal doula (via Skype together with a group of other mums). I was initially very skeptical of her approach, as was my DH (who wasn't supportive of the idea at all), but desperate enough to consider it. Her approach was to initially put the baby on a very strict routine, which for babies 8 to 12 months old was as follows (off the top of my head): 7 a.m. wake up & breast / bottle 8 a.m. breakfast - solids 9:30 a.m. nap - breast / bottle 11 a.m. (or 10:30 at the earliest) wake up 12 p.m. lunch - solids 2 p.m. nap - breast / bottle 4 p.m. (or 3:30 at the earliest) wake up - breast / bottle 6 p.m. dinner - solids 7:30 start bedtime routine - bath, book or whatever you normally do 8 p.m. bedtime. breast / bottle Also, at all sleep times you have to do everything in a specific order, close curtains (I invested in black out curtains and a small night light as prescribed by her), feed baby, switch on white noise (she is a strong advicate of white noise, the louder the better, but I never got round to finding a source of white noise so just did without), put baby to bed and leave the room. And at wake up times the reverse... so that baby knows, if curtains closed & white noise on, it is sleep time, so always open curtains & switch off noise before taking baby out of bed. If the baby wakes during sleeping times (day or night) you should pat & shush and give him only water from a bottle, dont take him out of his cot. In fact she said to never take a screaming, hysterical baby out of bed, calm him down a bit first before taking him out. I am sure there were other rules mentioned but this is all I remember. I had never had my baby on a routine before (put him down when he looked tired & fed him when he looked hungry, basically he just snacked all day) and was extremely resistant to the idea. But after yet another horrible night I decided to just DO IT. I stayed home for a week to get my baby on the routine clearing everything off my calendar. Within days he was self soothing, going down easily for all sleeps / naps & waking only once or twice per night and after a month (he is 1 year old now) he was sleeping through the night. For the past 2 weeks he hasn't woken at night once and sleeps through 11 hours per night as well as 2 naps. He actually LOOKS EXCITED ABOUT going to sleep when I draw the curtains etc. I never had to let him cry but perhaps I was just lucky, no idea. I am telling everyone that I wish I had tried putting him on a schedule months earlier but I just couldn't see it working for us. But if I have another baby, I will definitely do things differently. And now that he is sleeping well and well established on a routine, and I understand the basic principles, I am able to manipulate his day to an extent, manipulating sleeping and feeding times a bit to fit around excursions, playgroups etc without affecting his night sleep. I used to think having a baby on a schedule would be very restrictive but now realise that it has actually given us freedom - not only in terms of being well rested but having control over our day and having an equally well rested, well fed, much happier little man to spend it with! My baby was bottle fed and sleeping in his own cot at the time, but another mum in the group was breastfeeding on demand and cosleeping... she was told to move the baby into his own cot at the same time as starting the routine. I didnt stay in touch with her though so have no idea if she went through with it or how it worked out for her. Just thought I would plant the seed in case it lands on fertile ground as this routine thing has really improved my life. Good luck!
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:38
Me neither! Never seen one! ... Hmmm actually now I feel paranoid that we may have been eating them and I need to get my eyes tested!!!
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:35
What happened in the end? Curious :)
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:33
One year in Doha (so far), before that 4 years in Dubai!
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Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 10:38
I can actually imagine not knowing... I had no morning sickness or mood swings or cravings or swollen breasts, or anything like that, during my pregnancy. It actually worried me! Only started showing after 6 months (but after that there was no doubt at all though!!), I can imagine that if you're on the pill, gain no weight at all and your periods continue as normal, that you could genuinely have no clue. I also never felt my baby kicking forcefully, all I ever felt was a gas-like flutter... worried about that too. I think it was the position of the placenta? Most women who don't know (not this one though) seem to be very overweight so maybe just think they've been eating too many doughnuts. The fact that she went to her gynae for a checkup could suggest that she felt something was going on? But who knows - poor thing. What I am jealous of though is people who give birth in 5 minutes in a toilet rather than 9 hours like the rest of us!
Novice16737
121
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 May 2011 - 00:46
When we lived in Messillah compound my husband went to Qtel to subscribe to Mosaic and they told him it was impossible, no Mosaic in that area.... that was only a year ago by the way! Amy you sound like me, I would also be happy with a couple of news channels. So if I were you I would just get the free to air channels (Hotbird or Nilesat, depending on the languages you understand), no need for Showtime! After months of looking for a TV guy we finally found one, he came to the house, installed a dish on our roof, programmed the receiver, we paid him a couple of hundred and voila, an hour later we had all we need, no monthly fee, no need to deal with Qtel or OSN, I'm very happy with the outcome.
Novice16737
121
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2011 - 10:31
I think when you really NEED to know you're in labour, you will just KNOW. I was 5 days overdue (with threat of induction looming), there was a tiny bit of blood and some period like cramps, I went to the hospital for a sweep (requested by me) and was shocked to be told I was 3 cm and contracting and midwife wanted to admit me to hospital as I was in labour! I wasn't convinced and insisted on going home (thank goodness my doctor let me go), an hour later while standing in the mineral water isle in Spinneys I started getting shoots of pain up my bum, managed to get through the checkout with a straight face but just!!! Not what I expected at all but that is how labour felt for me for the next 9 hours, shooting gas-like pain up the bum, ouch! Have never heard anyone else describe it that way, find it a bit embarassing! Wanted to stay home as long as possible (prefer leaning over own sofa and swearing at own DH, rather than white hospital room & needles) and turned up at hospital at 7cm, just knew at that point I couldn't wait at home much longer, baby born just under 2 hours later. Was waiting for water to break but it never happened & had to be broken by the midwife minutes before baby arrived. So, my conclusion is, that there don't seem to be one size fits all criteria to look out for. In fact, only one year on and thinking of having a second baby, I still wonder how you are meant to know you are in early labour? And how to know for sure when it's time to get to hospital (We were timing my contractions but they didn't follow the generally accepted rules...)? Hehe. Worst case scenario, if you really don't know you're in labour, you might just get to hospital a bit later, but that's not such a bad thing, especially if you are hoping for an all natural birth (it was too late for me to get an epidural, which I was grateful for). I think it's actually quite rare for the baby to arrive in a taxi or hotel lobby or something (erm... hope I'm not wrong?) Good luck :)
Novice16737
121
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 April 2011 - 18:43
Thanks for the advice. Today I can finally see a huge improvement! Fungus seems to be on the way out. I stopped using 2 of the 3 creams the Dr. gave me and have been using only the antifungal, which seems to have done the trick. Thanks ladies.
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 April 2011 - 18:39
I delivered with Dr. Helena last year and love her. Had a great experience. But mine as well was an uncomplicated natural delivery so can't comment on C-sections. Good luck.
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 April 2011 - 02:25
We and our visitors frequently bring pork and have never had any issues. In fact husband is at the airport right now picking up the in-laws with a stash of bacon and sausage in their luggage. We have always assumed that the worst case scenario is getting our pork confiscated and this has never happened. Have never attempted to hide it and must surely be vsisble on the baggage X-ray yet have never been asked about it. Several of our friends have also brought in pork and have never heard of anyone having any problems whatsoever.
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 April 2011 - 02:06
Perhaps this helps: http://www.sch.gov.qa/NIP/En/immsche.jsp
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 April 2011 - 02:04
Call Rhoda - 66941499 - she does home manis & pedis.
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 April 2011 - 01:00
My baby boy has never had a problem with nappy rash, not even a mild case. Then it just came from nowhere on his 1st birthday weekend. His front bits (ahem) are the worst affected, blood red with white bits and so inflamed that his little swollen sausage is all twisted & curled up :( It literally went from normal to nightmare in 48 hours, at first I thought it was a reaction to something he ate (tomatoes maybe, as they're quite acidic? or birthday cake?) so watched his diet and the more (zinc based) nappy rash cream I put on, the worse it seemed to get. Took him to the doctor this morning and she diagnosed a fungal infection :( and prescribed some new nappy creams which I've been applying but I haven't seen any improvement yet, now I'm worried that she misdiagnosed it. He seems to have a bit of a red rash around his mouth as well, which has me worried now that it might be something else. And if that wasn't bad enough, now he has a runny tummy as well. I feel so bad for my little boy as it must surely be burning down there. Don't know what to do to help him get better. Advice please...Also my in-laws are arriving for their annual 1-week visit so staying home all week so he can stay without nappy would be difficult. I need a miracle salve. Help!!?! <em>edited by Novice on 18/04/2011</em>
Novice16737
121
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 April 2011 - 12:54
HomesRUs also have only 200cm length mattresses, not 210cm! Silly me for not double checking before I bought. Would appreciate any other pointers. Which of the 2 Homecenter options did you take Lettie? Orthopedic (hard) or deluxe (soft)?
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 23:34
Just saw this. No, I still don't have TV :( Did you find a TV fixing guy? If yes, please share, I am desperate by now! :)
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 23:31
PS and I agree the Spinneys here is nothing like Spinneys in Dubai, only thing in common is the name, unfortunately. I have been here a year and still long for the Spinneys in Jumeirah 3.
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 23:29
The closest you will get to German style bread in Doha is Megamart...
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 March 2011 - 00:56
Honestly, if I could go back I would just get a Maxi Cosi like everyone else.... There is a reason why they are so popular! :)
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 March 2011 - 13:37
Ladies, can anyone refer me to a "TV dish fixing guy" please? I am not interested in Mosaic or Showtime or whatever as we don't ever watch TV, just want access to the free Nilesat channels like BBC and CNN so that we can follow world events sometimes like the Japan tsunami or Egypt protests. I have a receiver box and a dish on my roof (no idea if it is the right dish though, it was just on the roof when I moved in). I have found it impossible to find a guy to come and program the receiver for me!!! Have enquired everywhere with no luck. I know it sounds ridiculous but unfortunately true. Would appreciate any "TV guy" referrals. Oh, and sorry to hijack Phokoje :)
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 March 2011 - 13:29
I just recently moved out of Al Messilah and it really is a lovely environment to live in, those wide streets and, greenery, doesn't feel like Doha at all. Loved taking my baby for walks. The maintenance is amazing, our A/C broke down at 6 a.m. one Friday morning in summer (may even have been Ramadan, can't remember for sure) and it was fixed by 7 a.m. - amazing, no-one believed me. I was living in one of the small units in the "add on" bit to the compound, nearer to Megamart and moved because we needed more space and the villas in the main compound were over our budget. So miss having a little garden!!!!!
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 March 2011 - 13:29
P.S. I thought the rent was higher than what you have been quoted so if it falls within your budget I agree that you should go for it!!
Novice16737
121
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 March 2011 - 23:35
I am not Canadian but my nationality does not get visa upon arrival in the UAE (or Qatar for that matter). And there is definitely a visa for GCC residents with "professional" job titles regardless of nationality. How about calling the airline to double check if you need a visa if that makes you feel better! My understanding is that they get fined if they let anyone onto the plane without necessary visas so they tend to be well informed.
 
 
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