Dubai mums
Nicola Harrison : Pregnancy; the second time round.
20:26
Nicola
Harrison : Art Teacher
Origin
: Sheffield, England
Children
: Mila 12months & bump; due January 2016
Living
in Dubai : 3 years
Location
of shoot : Nicola's home
How did you feel celebrating Mila's
1st birthday?
It was an amazing day, I was overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of everyone for coming to the party and celebrating the occasion. The thought of her turning 1 was bitter sweet, obviously it is a happy occasion but it also makes you realise how fast a year goes- I don’t want her to grow up too fast!
Which hospital did
you choose to deliver Mila in & how was your experience
there?
We used Medicare Hospital in Safa
initially because it was close to where we were living at the time. Also because
I had been there before for a different matter and was happy with the level of
care I had received. Mila was an early surprise as she was born at 36 weeks
gestation. My doctor was very reassuring throughout the whole experience, as
were all of the staff on the delivery ward who were involved; making a highly
emotional and anxious situation as smooth as possible. Now with my second
pregnancy I am seeing the same doctor again, although now I have to travel
further it’s worth it.
Has your ideal
birthing plan changed from the first time round?
Definitely, the first time round I
had a very fixed view of how I wanted everything to be and I was determined to
have as natural a birth as possible. Having experienced child birth, I know
things don’t go to exactly plan and the health of baby and mother are what
matter the most, so I will definitely be more relaxed and less rigid about my
expectations this time. Every woman is different but for me an Epidural was a
life saver, but you never know I might not need it this
time!
How has your second
pregnancy compared to your first?
This time has been a different
experience; the first time I was very lucky to have a smooth and sick-free
pregnancy. This time round I've had some sickness, particularly at the
beginning, and I've had some early contractions - so expecting another early
baby! The second time is different emotionally too as I don’t have the same
level of nervous excitement as I did the first time; I'm more relaxed as an
experienced mother now. When I was expecting Mila I was reading all the books
week by week and buying everything and anything you could possibly need for a
baby but of course now we have it all and know it all (sort of) that bit of
excitement is removed - although I can’t resist buying new clothes even though
it’s another girl! Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy and blessed to be having
another girl and extremely eager to meet her.
Is there anything
you think you will do differently with your second
daughter?
I think this time I wouldn’t be so
worried about getting into a set routine so early, that caused a lot of undue
stress with Mila. I will certainly be more chilled out and I won’t be running to
the doctor straight away if the baby gets a sniffle. As Mila is still young, I’m
still learning about being a mother so I’m sure there will be lots of things I
will be able to do better with the second baby as Mila grows up and I learn from
my mistakes.
Where is your favourite place in
Dubai for a mummy & baby meet up?
When Mila was born I really enjoyed
attending the Expat Woman coffee mornings as it was a great place to meet other
mums and share some baby related stories. Now Mila is older I like to take her
to soft play, one of our favourites is Fun city in Oasis Mall as its such good
value and is never busy, plus you can have a coffee and chat afterwards or a
wander around the shops, so something for the mums
too.
How will you & your family
be celebrating Christmas this year?
We had originally planned to go
back to the UK but due to bump we won’t be travelling. We are planning to have
some relaxing family time and hopefully some rest before baby no.2 arrives,
unless she makes an early appearance. We will be brunching with some friends
Christmas day at JBR outside in the sunshine. We have also planned to visit the
ice bar in Times Square so we can get some wear out of our winter clothes,
especially Mila’s cute Christmas jumper!
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