Expat in Bahrain - I have questions for you!

[CrispyCrochet]

Thanks in advance for reading... I may ramble a bit.

I have a 9 month old son & my husband is trying to sell me on the merits of moving to Bahrain so he can work in Saudi Arabia. My main motivation for doing this is the hope that we can save up enough money to put a deposit on a house when we return to the UK because I don't see how else we'd ever be able to afford this. ALSO I could be a stay at home mum. But I have a few questions...

*What is the health care like in Bahrain? Namely would you be happy to have babies there? Even better, if you've had a baby in Bahrain, can you tell me what your experience was like?

*I cloth bum, wear slings & breast feed - is this going to be feasible out there? Will I be able to feed in public? I know it is hot so slings might be less often.

*Do you get parcels from outside of Bahrain? Are their customs charges? Ridiculously I'm thinking of slings & nappies - will I be able to buy them?

What else do I need to know? Should I ask? My husband's package looks great, good pay, good benefits (all the standard stuff for moving to the middle east). I'm just slightly freaking out! Someone please come along and tell me how fab it is.

Crispy, I think you will find expat/local women in Bahrain have been doing all of the things you've mentioned for years and years and years.

None of its a biggie. Honestly. :)

As for having things posted - I doubt you would have to given how things are available in the shops because savvy local and expat women have thought to themselves, Oh if this is what I want, perhaps others would to.

Then there is always the internet and the likes of Aramex Shopn'ship amongst others things, and no, customs is not expensive.

Bahrain is nice and you soon get used to driving around burning tires in the road when things are going a bit shaky politically. Honest

CarladsDarling - thank you for your reply! It looks like we are going out there next week for a visit and I am freaking out a bit. I don't know what to pack for us to wear. I guess I can buy nappies out there no problem??

I live in Bahrain and have done most of my life.
I have just had a baby and it was a grest experience.
my sis in law has had two kids here, both at private hospitals and my other sis in law had her twins at the local government hospital - both great experiences.
yes u can buy nappies but I doubt public breastfeeding would be an option... just because of the culture and people would stare.
but of course it would be ur choice.
hope ot all works out!!

Hi
My DH is having a conversation with a company in Bahrain tomo about potentially moving from uk to work there. I know absolutely nothing about Bahrain, have researched Dubai a lot as we were initially going to go there.
So I am really interested in anyone's feedback re schooling, housing, what it's like for a family, cost of living etc.
Good luck with your visit OP and would love to hear your thoughts when you return!

Hi everyone

My husband moves to Bahrain tomorrow alone, I'm staying at home in Scotland for around a year with our two young children then hopefully all moving out next summer.

I'm also interested in birth experiences as we hope to have a third in the next year or two. Health care for the family is covered by his employer but I had a PPH after DS2 and worry about this happening again, never mind this happening again in another unknown country.

I'm interested in anyone's tips for my husband to meet people out there. He's already discovered Bahrain rugby club and will no doubt join that club before he has even arranged an apartment!!

Good luck to everyone making the big move.

DontWorryBaby - hope he got there safe and all well. Have you visited Bahrain already? What did you think? General feedback from my so-far limited research seems v positive.
Good luck!

I was single when I lived there, but I absolutely loved it! Desperate to go back even though I know it's changed a lot since I was there. I had some health issues and the hospitals were very good. At one point I saw a specialist that had come in from Germany trialling a treatment for back pain. Most of the families enjoyed living there, they were in compounds with nice villas and pools, where as us singles lived in apartments right next to the grand mosque. I miss the sound of the call to prayer and the velvet night skies.

dontworry there is also the British club and yacht club if your DH fancies. No reason to be bored there at all. Also a quick 20min flight to Dubai when island fever hits.

DH has arrived safely and is staying in the golden tulip in Manama. He has been out exploring today and seems happy, if a little overwhelmed. He's worried about doing or saying the wrong thing inadvertently. Has already been told not to shake hands with the female colleagues (an advance warning thankfully!) and this seems to have worried him a little. Over the next few days he will be opening a bank account and finding an apartment. And adapting his Scottish accent to be understood more easily!!

Neither of us has been to Bahrain before. All new ground.

We have used FaceTime and Skype today, thank goodness for modern technology!

Oh glad he is there safe and getting organised. My DH is having another Bahrain conversation this week, so we will see what happens with that !

DH has just filled his car up, for the grand total of 3BHD. £4.88. :)

He has managed to arrange an apartment and car rental in his first week. Still no progress on residency, which they need before they can open a bank account, but his employer are trying to deal with this on their behalf. And have been able to pay them cash in the meantime.

It's much easier than I expected being separated. Technology is amazing, one night this week he joined us for dinner (ipad on the dining table) and I've been able to FaceTime him in the kitchen whilst making lunches etc, almost like he's in the room! He seems happy enough in Bahrain and once he has settled will look at the schools and decide whether it is the right place for us all to live for a few years.

It's great there. We were there 2008 to 2011 and I loved it. Took 3 out, came back with 4. Dd born at Awali hospital. It was excellent. St Christopher's School good. Little Gems a good feeder nursery for them. Or it was :)

I have been pining to go back to ME since we came home. We're moving to Abu Dhabi next year. DH left uk on Friday and we're doing the Skype routine too. Good luck.

Bahrain is lovely! It's picking back up nicely after the crash.

We lived there a few years back. We found St Chris' to be very competitive for our kids, British School was much more relaxed. Great PTA too.
Is the Dilmun Club still going? Out near the rugby club, lots of Brits went there. We spent a lot if time at the Country Club near Jannusan as it was much quieter.

Bahrain is fab! We have visited several times a year since 2012 and I still love going out there: indeed flying out tomorrow! Just to add in terms of men offering a handshake to women, the etiquette is exactly the same as 20th Century English etiquette: it is the woman who offers her hand first. I guess this evolved in the UK with women entering the paid workplace. In terms of Middle East etiquette the extra bit to add is that the man may then either choose to shake the woman's hand or, esp if Arabic, he may put his hand on his heart to indicate that he respects the woman too much to touch her. This was explained to me by a Palestinian/US friend.