Filed under: Europe, North America, Turkey, United States
Me in Istanbul on Mother's Day, 7 months pregnant, with Dalin baby product mascot
Just over two weeks ago, I made the leap from pregnant American in Istanbul to expat with child. My decision to have my first baby in a foreign country has been met with reactions from friends and strangers ranging from surprise and curiosity to outright disapproval. The transition to new parenthood is a strange and challenging time for nearly everyone, but living in a country that respects pregnant women and worships babies has made all the difference. While baby and child bans are being considered in many places from travel companies like Malaysia Airlines to American restaurants, Turkey remains one big baby-friendly country.
On the surface, Istanbul is not an easy place with a baby. The city is crowded, traffic is terrible and taxi drivers will barely pause to let you run across the street, and the sidewalks are a mini Olympics for a stroller with few ramps, cracked pavement, uneven cobblestones, and endless hills. There's not many green spaces or parks, and for older children, few museums or activities designed for or appealing to kids. It's the people that make the city welcoming to children. I can't walk down the street without a chorus of "Ma?allah" (bless you) and "çok güzel" (how cute!). Crowds form around us in stores of people wanting to kiss the baby, ask questions about her, and give me advice (this is when my limited Turkish is a blessing and I can just smile and nod). Waiters in restaurants coo over her and offer to hold her when I go to the bathroom (note: I'm hyper-aware of being a disturbance for other diners and will always take her out if she starts to fuss). As much as she is adored, the feedback isn't always positive. Some older Turks don't believe young babies should be out in public and think mothers should follow the custom of staying in the house for the first 40 days (our pediatrician says it's fine to go out and we've taken her places nearly every day since she was born). Despite the current 100 degree heat, I'm warned against holding the baby near a fan, in air conditioning or even in front of the refrigerated case in the grocery store, lest she catch a draft.Continue reading Knocked up abroad: the baby-friendly differenceKnocked up abroad: the baby-friendly difference originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
No comments:
Post a Comment