When a woman gives birth where I come from, an experienced elderly woman (particularly the mother or mother-in-law) comes to assist the new Mum in taking care of the baby for a few weeks or months before they leave her to handle the taking care of the baby herself, we call this process OMUGWO.
As a first-time Mum, I had no prior experience on how to take care of a newborn, where I live is quite far from my family, so my Mum had to take a break from work to come stay with me for some time. Eventually, she had to leave after teaching me all I needed to know about taking care of my baby and myself.
Having my Mum around was very helpful because my only duty at the time was breastfeeding and spending time with my child at will, but now that she is no longer around, I am left with the responsibility of both breastfeeding and doing all other things my Mum did for me when she was around.
Using today as an example, this is what I have to do every day as a nursing mother. I woke up this morning at 05:00 am when my baby began to cry in demand for some breast milk, after breastfeeding, I gently laid him down and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family.
After making breakfast and cleaning up the house, I had to bathe my baby and dress him up for the day. Whenever it is time to bathe, he always lets out a loud cry informing everyone about his activity, so I know that to pacify him, I need to breastfeed him afterward. After breastfeeding him this morning, I wanted to clear up the materials we used for bathing, but immediately I got up from his side he let out another loud cry leading me to lie back by his side, wrapping my hands around him.
We stayed in that position until we both slept off, but it wasn't long before my phone rang, it was my Mum calling to find out if I had bathed baby and if everything was fine, and as usual, she didn't forget to apologize for leaving us so early and how she wished things were different so she could spend more time with us.
After the call, I got out of bed and cleaned up where I had bathed my child, cleaning and washing all pieces of equipment and returning them appropriately to their places. I also ensure I do not pile up dirty clothes especially those of my baby, so every morning I wash the clothes we both wore the previous day.
When I finished washing, and drying our clothes, he was still sleeping so I decided to take some time to rest as well, but just as I started sleeping, my sweet baby woke up from his sleep, I fed him again and he slept off in the process, I gently laid him down to sleep and I laid down beside him.
We both had a good rest and we both woke up at the right time, after going through another section of breastfeeding, I went to pick up the clothes I washed in the morning, properly folding and keeping them in their place. Since he wouldn't stay on his bed, I placed him gently on my back as he always loves.
After playing on my back for some time, he slept off giving me some time to type some words before he woke up with demands for attention and breast milk again. While typing, my darling baby woke up and I had to carry him in my arms while typing.
I discovered time was far spent, so I went into the kitchen to prepare dinner for the family and boil some water for an evening bath and body massage. We had another section of crying and screaming as usual whenever it was time to bathe, Breastfeeding followed instantly as well and after playing with him for a while, he slept off.
I quickly tried to finish up my writing and fulfill some other simple tasks that may bring in some earnings. I wish I could get someone to assist me with house chores, but considering the economic situation of the country and the limited source of earnings available for the family at the moment, I need to cut all costs until something better comes up.
Whenever he is looking for someone to play with at night, his dad helps to make sure he feels comfortable while I try to get some rest, and I am grateful for that support. Right now, I am trying to look for other side jobs I could do to support the family's earnings, as the addition of a newborn means extra expenses as well. So eventually when the better pay comes, I will be able to get someone to assist with house chores while I focus on the baby and making more money.
This is what my daily activity looks like, and I felt it important to share it with you. There are lots of stories to share, and I will keep sharing them with you as time goes on.
All pictures were taken with my smartphone.
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.