We were in Guinea when I was pregnant with Adele, and being the paranoid, risk-adverse soon to be mom that I was, instead of the standard 45 days pre-delivery and another 45 post-delivery, I spent basically my entire third trimester and almost three months after Adele was born state-side to ensure we didn't run into complications in a country that had essentially no health care to speak of. Aside from a week long stay in the nursery for antibiotics following Adele's arrival, it was a complication free 6 months, meaning the extended separation from Brian was unnecessary. It was hard on all of us, and we vowed never to do it again if we could possibly avoid it.
I was a few months pregnant with Eve when we learned we would be moving to Riyadh. A good friend of mine had given birth there the year before and encouraged me to consider staying there to deliver. Once we arrived at post I spoke to others who had given birth there and had a good experience, so Brian and I decided that we would do the same and we were happy we wouldn't have to endure another lengthy separation. Fast forward to December when, for various reasons, I was beginning to doubt our decision. We had many tear-filled (me...not Brian) discussions about it, and I realized that despite having a great doctor and delivering in a hospital with a good NICU, I would feel more comfortable delivering state-side. Brian agreed with me, saying that after all was said and done, he would hate if something happened and we regretted staying in Riyadh.
Three weeks later (and a week before Christmas), Adele and I found ourselves back in Utah. The remainder of my pregnancy was pretty miserable, but it culminated in a relatively easy labor and delivery, and both Eve and I were discharged from the hospital the following day.
So do I regret coming back to the U.S.? Absolutely not. You see, if you follow world events, you may know that Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah died January 23 in Riyadh. I had Eve the next day. Now, his funeral was held the same day he died, so I may not have had a hard time getting to the hospital to have the baby, but Brian's office was tasked with the coordination of a visit by a large delegation from the U.S., including both President Obama and Secretary Kerry, coming to pay their respects and meet with the new king. I can't be certain, but at the rate his blackberry was receiving emails regarding the visit, he likely would have had to go into work for the next few days and leave me to recover from labor and learn how to juggle the needs of a newborn and a toddler by myself. I still feel a little guilty that he wasn't in town to help his colleagues, but I'm so glad I didn't have to navigate the first days of being a mom of two on my own. It's amazing what a little perspective can do.
