Part 2: Having a baby in Muscat- Paperwork

We went through our first round of the "paperwork" monster yesterday.  Having a baby outside the US makes for more paperwork and forms than you would ever see back home.  I guess they want to confirm that we are who we say we are, what our citizenship is, if we are truly the baby's parents, and if they will give us certificate of birth so we can get said baby a passport. 

Yesterday, we went to the consulate at the US Embassy to get a copy of our official marriage certificate notarized here in Oman.  It's a darn good thing we had our actual marriage certificate here and didn't have to have someone back home track it down and mail it!  $50 bucks for a copy notarized.  Ouch.  It was also our first introduction to how serious going inside the US Embassy is.  I think half the contents of my purse was emptied out and left at the front desk for security (hand sanitizer, lotion, tide bleach stick, toothpicks, etc..).   I'm not sure what they thought I could do with those items to destroy national security, but I wasn't going to ask.

Now that we have our marriage certificate copy notarized, here is the remainder of what we need to do in order to get to a birth certificate and passport for Baby Girl.  (copied from an email we received from another teacher at our school who recently had a baby)

"Once you have the kiddo, ask the attendant at the nurses station to issue a Notification of Birth. You will need both of your passports, residence cards, and official marriage license. They will make the copies for you and have the form ready about half a day to a day after that. 

Next, you can send a driver with your passports, residence cards, and notarized copy of your marriage license to get the Foreign Affairs stamp from Qurum.

Once you have this, go to the Directorate of Civil Status at Seeb (where you got your residence cards).  They open at 7:00 so you could get this done before school.  Bring your passports, both residence cards, your stamped and notarized marriage license, official copy of your marriage license, original Notification of Birth from Muscat Private and a couple of copies of each of these just in case. You'll get your birth certificate in English and Arabic (yeah, it's cool).  You will both be officially marked as Christian, too.

Make an appointment to go to the U.S. Embassy.  Colin, Kelsey, and your newborn, will all need to be present (if one of you isn't, you'll have to do more paperwork).  Bring the typed U.S. Passport Form, Social Security form, and Consular Report of Birth.  Bring all those goodies you love toting around-Passports, residence cards, marriage license copy, Notification of birth copy, and your cool certificate of birth you procured from the nice gentlemen in Seeb. You can have them expedite the passport for no charge to get it in about 10 business days."

I have to say I am not jazzed about the prospect of doing all this, especially when we need to have a   newborn in tow as things here in Oman government aren't done with any sense of urgency or quickness.   However, the upside is that Baby Girl will arrive within 3 weeks so we'll have plenty of time to get this all done before coming home in June and not be rushed and stressed.  We'll certainly be tired, but at least not stressed on top of it.  Let's hope.  

I'll admit that despite having lived in Oman now for almost 2 years, this whole paperwork thing surprised me.  It shouldn't have, but it did.  I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't all this.  Maybe I figured the US Embassy would just be efficient and do it all for us..... hahahahahahahaha.  We all know how efficient government offices are.  Ah, sigh.

Cheers!  Here's to bringing a new US citizen into the world overseas!  

Part 1: Having a baby in Muscat - Appointments

No, I have not had the baby, so I'll stop those thoughts right there!  I just figured it would be good to document my experience in Oman having a baby and the appointments that lead up to it as well.  So, here is installment one about my pregnancy and the appointments leading up to things.

There are two primary differences I've found about OB appointments at this hospital:

First, is that they are much more brief, to the point, and done, see you in a month or two weeks.  Long and more personal interactions with your doctor don't happen unless you really need it for a medical reason, or you force them into it.  But I do love my OB.  She is great.  Her name is Dr. Vidya and she is from India.  She may be quick and to the point, but she is very sweet, friendly, and caring. 

Most appointments go like this: 

1.  Arrive, check in, show insurance, sit and wait.

2.  Get called in for stats check by the nurses in the small room off the waiting room.  Weight, blood pressure, and pee in a cup.  And pee in a cup EVERY TIME so I have learned to always be hydrated at each appointment.  I'm not sure what they are for, but it's annoying.  And you have to go into the bathroom in the bathroom that is in the waiting room lobby, so there is no concealing what you are doing.  The lab bottles for your urine can't be concealed by a ladies smaller hand.  They write your info in your green pre-natal booklet (I posted about this in a prior blog) and put it with your file for the doctor.

3.  Back to the waiting room until the doctor is ready.  That may be immediately or in another 10-30 minutes.

4.  Into the doctor's room.  She checks my green booklet, asks how things are going, and confirms what week I am and when my due date is.  She then has me go and lay on the bed to feel my stomach and the baby, and then check the heartbeat.

5.  Back to the seat, confirms I have enough vitamins (yes, I bought a Costco tub of them), and makes my next appointment.  And that is it.  Well, sometimes she will make my next ultrasound appointment request (more on that later) or confirm if I have any upcoming travel plans for the holidays (which I did to India at Christmas and had to get a travel approval letter for the airline), but otherwise, that is it.

6.  To the receptionist to sign my insurance receipts and say goodbye.  If they need to schedule the ultrasound, a nurse will confirm what day I want and time.  I will receive that call from a nurse with a heavy Indian or Asian accent in a few days to confirm when the appointment is scheduled.

Second, is that beyond being quick, the way they monitor your pregnancy feels much more "hands off".  In the US, you get your 20 week ultrasound to check the baby and the sex, but it's rare to have another unless medically  needed.  After that point, your OB takes time each appointment (well, around the beginning of the 3rd trimester) to physically exam your nether-regions for signs of early labor via checking your cervix, etc...  They will then measure your belly, feel the baby, and do the heartbeat check.  Finally, you will be asked lots of questions, given advice for planning, and what to expect in the next month or weeks.  And of course, all of this is done behind the waiting area so no one would see you holding your urine in a lab tube.  It's much more hands-on, take time talking, etc...


I decided to broach this subject (nicely) with my OB and asked her why she didn't physically check me and if she would at any point.  She said that it's not really medically necessary (unless you are high risk) and more risky since checking/touching the cervix can be known to induce labor, which they don't want to do.  And since here, you get like, four ultrasounds, they can check all those things via ultrasound and see if you are dilating early.  Oh, well, that makes a whole lot of sense!  She said the only time she would physically check me is if I was past my due date.


So that was that, and you know, I kinda prefer it this way.  Granted I don't like having to pee in the lobby bathroom, BUT besides that (well, and the difficult to understand calls about appointments from nurses), it's nice to have my pregnancy treated in a more traditional way.  And by traditional, I mean, natural.  Doctors and midwifes didn't do all the things we are accustomed to in the US in this day and age.  And many women around the world don't get any care and have healthy, babies.  It's been happening that way for a long time.  Not to say that bad things and still-borns/unhealthy babies aren't born out of those situations, but overall, all the "care" we have today isn't necessarily required for the majority of women, but we get it anyways.



At this point, after my next appointment in a week, I'll start my weekly appointments and have one more ultrasound.  I'll also get the "preapproval" from insurance that they will cover the cost of my birth.  I sure hope so since they have been covering all my appointments up to this point and know a baby is coming!  Since I'm about 35 weeks, I've got most things packed in a suitcase for the hospital in case I go into labor a bit early.  At this point, I'm just biding my time, working my normal schedule and enjoying life, but also getting the heck kicked and stretched out of my stomach, having restless nights, and praying for no heartburn each night. 

Swim lessons! -By Aberly

Guess what?  Besides being a Cubbie, I also get to go to swim lessons! It's so exciting!  I love getting to go and learning how to do new things in the water.  And we get to play too.  My teachers are high school kids and they are really fun.  I have gone two times now.  Here are some pictures my mommy took of me at my last swim lesson so you can see what I get to do. 

 Here I am in my super cool pink swim cap and goggles!  Pink flip flops.  I know, I know, I am such a swimming fashion statement!

 We practiced blowing bubbles in the water and pushing the balls with the bubbles.

 My instructor is telling us we are going to pretend to drive a car across the pool, and we blow our bubbles again to make the car sounds!

 Here I go!

 

Me and some of the other girls in my class.  They are nice!

 

 Practicing my kicking!

 

Here I am diving for treasure!  I gave my treasures to Claudio.

 

He was so proud of me!   I'm sure I am his star student.

 

I'm going to practice my front float.

 Oops!  Sinking!

 

There we go, that's just right!

I am sure I'll be a fabulous swimming fish in no time!  Thanks for looking at my pictures!