Chao to life on the edge

8 things I’ll miss about BAires

It’s been almost three months since we left Buenos Aires for good (weep). How quickly two and half years passes, with so much more to do and explore but no more time left. You’ve been good to us BAires. Within that time my husband and I got married (twice in fact and yes to each other both times) and you gave us a beautiful little girl, who is a proud Quilmeña (born in the city that is also home to the Quilmes beer company).

Like many poteñas and expats alike, I had my fair share of bronca. Yet another powercut during the unbearable heat, dog poo littering the pavement, my bankcard not working for the zillionth or the roads turning to rivers as there were no drains. Despite this, I look back on this time with a lot of fondness and happy memories. Here are 8 things I’ll miss about BAires/Argentina:

1. The people – I would walk down the street and say hello to at least three random people, something I wouldn’t do regularly in England. I made some good friends with locals and will miss their kindness, openness and good humour.

2. Diverse natural beauty – Argentina is a vast country going from semi-tropical rainforest in the northeast, desert in the northwest to glaciers in the south. We were lucky enough to do a fair bit of travelling and each place we visited was so varied – from the mountainous desert in Salta/Jujuy to the sierras in Cordoba, the wine region of Mendoza right down to Patagonia. The latter was a particular favourite - we cycled Argentina's Lake District, trekked in El Chalten and witnessed the mightly impressive glacier Perito Moreno in El Calafate.

3. The sun – Yes there are days of torrential rain and grey skies, but not many.

4. Ice cream – The ice cream, in Buenos Aires at any rate, is brilliant. Well done to the Italians for bringing out your ice cream makers (although I wish you’d also brought your pizza and pasta makers).

5. Spanish – It is a pity that just as my Spanish was getting pretty good, it was time to leave. I must also add that the j sound for ll and y really grew on me.

6. 159 bus – I used to get the 159 bus from our house in gran Buenos Aires into Capital for all of 50p.

7. Cheap, good wine – Malbec is a name that frequently come to mind when one thinks of Argentina and wine, but the Cabernets were, on balance, probably nicer. Not to mention other great finds of grape varieties I hadn’t heard of before, such as Torrontés grown in the higher altitude vineyards in Salta.

8. Not having seen more of the country, especially Ushaia, whale watching and the Gaelic towns in Patagonia.

     

Luckily we’re not moving too far afield, to Brazil in fact, so where one adventure ends another one begins. Seja bem-vindo!    

 

My c-section experience in BAires: abdominal binders and no talking

Three months after my c-section I have the scar, separated stomach muscles, and a post-pregnancy belly. Most importantly, however, I have a gorgeous baby girl.

Like many women, I imagined I would have had a natural birth. Alas this was not the case as my baby didn’t turn. I don’t know why she didn’t turn (not that it even matters now), but what I can say is that the c-section turned out to be a truly beautiful experience. Plus I didn't have to endure contractions or go through endless hours of labour. I certainly don’t feel disappointed or cheated in any way that I wasn’t able to have a natural birth.

I think that ad our baby abroad, in Argentina, made it all the more memorable, although often frustrating and at times comical.   

Scheduled as planned 
It was the height of summer in Buenos Aires and it was scorching. I had got myself into such a state a few days before the operation that I thought my contractions had started and that I would have to have an emergency C-section. It turned out to be just a case of really bad trapped wind. So my elective C-section would be going ahead as planned in a hospital in Quilmes, a suburb of BA. 

On the sofa 
My husband is a teacher and one of the benefits of working in the international sector is getting private health insurance as part of his job. This meant that he was allowed to stay with us in hospital for the duration of our stay. Admittedly on the sofa, but having him there was an absolute godsend. I honestly don’t know how I would have coped on my own with the baby when I could barely get out of bed. 

Sticklers for admin 
On C-Day, we arrived at the hospital at 6.15am, 15 minutes earlier than instructed to sort out the necessary paperwork and secure our room.

While I was laying on the operating bed, my husband Alistair was stuck downstairs in admin because the photocopier had broken down. Obviously processing paperwork was more important than him being able to witness the birth of our child. It was only because my obstetrician had turned up late that Alistair made it just before the baby was yanked out. She was so beautiful, just absolutely perfect! 

Quick and hassle-free 
The operation itself was like clockwork, it was so quick and over before I knew it. The longest part was being stitched up, which took about half an hour compared to 10 minutes for the birth of our baby. 

No talking 
I couldn’t feel my legs for what seemed like ages. However, worse than that was I advised not to talk for the next 10 to 12 hours after the surgery. Apparently this was to prevent gasses building up in my stomach. It was a bit difficult when the nurses kept on asking me questions. 

Abdominal binder 
To top it off, Alistair had to buy me an abdominal binder, which I had to wear immediately after surgery. The nurses, and even my obstetrician, insisted that I had to wear the faja for up to 60 days after the operation. I hated every minute of it - it was uncomfortable, pretty skank and it’s made no difference in reducing my belly. But hey who was I to argue in my less-than-perfect Spanish..? 

24-hour food ban 
I wasn’t allowed to eat for the first 24 hours which was ok as I was too drugged up to care. Alistair did pretty much everything, he was the one to first change her nappy, the first one to hold her etc. We had to ask the nurse what to do as we had learnt pretty much nothing in our antenatal classes, except that I shouldn’t talk. 

Extra services 
As part of our care, we were told that we could get the baby’s ears pierced, her head shaved and baptised all at the hospital. I opted for more painkillers instead. 

Fragmented healthcare system 
I should have realised at this stage just how fragmented the Argentine healthcare system is. What I mean by that is that you have to see a different specialist for everything, and I mean everything. There isn’t just one consultant who you can speak to. For example, on our last day, I was discharged by my obstetrician at midday but we had to wait until 5pm for the paediatrician to come and discharge our baby.  

Home sweet home 
We stayed just two nights at the hospital which I initially thought would be too short a time. Come the third day I was itching to leave as we had barely left the room we were staying in, it felt too much like the novel Room.

Ideally, I’d like to experience a natural birth if we have another baby, but hand on heart the method is irrelevant, for me anyway. I'm just so grateful that our baby girl was delivered safe and sound. I even quite like my scar, but I’m happy for the belly to go.   

Baby on board in BAires: To ask for a seat or not to ask?

I’m lucky that I don’t have to use public transport that often in Buenos Aires. Not that it’s bad; on the contrary I can get a bus from where I live in the burbs to Capital in about half an hour… and all for AR$11.80, equivalent to 60-odd pence. No, my issue is more of a biological one as I’m now pregnant, which makes standing up on a journey that goes via the motorway slightly more problematic.

On the whole, I've been touched by how considerate fellow passengers have been here. Once on the way back from Capital to Quilmes, a girl came up to me to where I was standing in the middle of the bus and offered me her seat. The bus driver had noticed my belly and had kindly told the girl to give up her seat. Another time, a lady shouted out for someone to cede their seat for me because I was too shy to ask.

Transport for London Baby on board badge

However, there have been a couple of occasions where I have not fared so well, particularly in the mornings during rush hour. I was about six months gone at the time and was pretty noticeable but we all know what it's like on the way to work. Admittedly I didn't try very hard to protrude my belly and instead plonked myself down on the floor, probably to the annoyance of other commuters.

My husband said I should have asked someone if I could have taken their seat. Maybe so, but I can’t assume that people will automatically give up their seats for me, even if I did have a 'baby on board' badge... which I don't.

Pink Light system

Interestingly, South Korea has trialled the Pink Light wireless system for pregnant travellers. The bluetooth technology alerts train users to give up their seats for pregnant women. In the City of Busan, women carried sensors that activated pink lights fitted near priority seats on the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail service over five days.

While the Pink Light system may be a step too far, Buenos Aires had made its own progress in helping pregnant woman on public transport - or so it seemed. Buenos Aires province had approved a law in 2012 to allow pregnant women to travel on buses for free twice a week. 

The aim was to protect women’s health during their pregnancy and to make it easier for them to travel to their health appointments and check-ups. A worthy initiative, but I’m not sure if it took effect as I’m still paying for my bus fare. Not that I at all mind for 60p a pop. I just don't like drawing attention to myself, but maybe I should. I'm sitting down for two after all.