Psst. You..Yes you….Come closer.

There is an oasis of calm at Mahfil these days, and believe it or not..its in the Mum and baby room. Where the old library stood now is where the mum and baby room is. The old shelves have been cleared up, a sink put in, and in a quiet nook behind bright red sheer curtains sits a feeding chair and a changing mat. The walls have been decked out with the cutest stickers and there is also a giraffe to measure how tall kids get on a wall edge.

This is my first Ramadhan as a mother, and I had vowed to fast as I find paying them back at a later date too hard. My prayers in this holy month took on a whole different twist and when my patience wore thin in the long days I had Mahfil with its calm oasis to look forward to.

When Ramadhan programme got really boring I would pray (and aid) the need for me to run into the mum and baby room where Nabeelah could scream to her hearts delight, play on the cute little slide and rest her bums on the gorgeous rug. Should I still feel like following the main programme the respective slides are transmitted on the television and the recitations can still be heard from the main hall.

Aren’t you jealous? There has never been a better time to be a yummy mummy. With a few other ladies who have recently delivered the cutest ever mahfilians, the room is a social hub where we find solace and camaraderie with other mums who are going through (or have been) through similar things.

So when things get really tough – which they undoubtedly will – I look forward to a Mahfil programme in which lies our little haven where Nabeelah has room to play with other children and I get the time to have a good natter…and follow the programme of course…