If you have never actually experienced Omugwo, the stories you hear will probably be one of Netflix and Chill. They tell you how a nursing mum will drink chicken pepper soup all day, put up her feet and do nothing at all.
LOOOL (please count how many Os I included in that to tell you how different reality is from the fairy tale).
But before I go into the details, for those who have never heard the word “Omugwo”, it is simply the Igbo tradition of caring for a nursing mum right after she gives birth with the intent to get her and her baby healthy and to get her back to shape. Typically, what we millennials call “the snap back”.
On the other hand, if you have heard several tales before, you are probably wondering what part of it is true and what part don’t they tell you.
This is where I disclose the entanglement:
- Pounded Yam and Peppersoup is True!
Yep, the pepper soup thing is real.
The belief is that the ingredients in the pepper soup pretty much wash out all the leftovers in the body; the soup helps the mum produce more milk, and the proteins make the mother and baby healthy. So, yes, nursing mums get a lot of Omugwo pepper soup goodness. It is even a thing to visit a nursing mother with a bowl of pepper soup.
The part I don’t get, though, is the pounded yam. Like what?! Pounded yam is loaded with heavy carbs, and if the intent were to help you lose some of the baby weight, why go extra on it? And why so much of it?
It took me until baby no. 2 to realise that you can actually say: “No, thanks”. There is no invisible lightning that will strike you down if you say no to the pounded yam. Your life will go on fine, and the baby will adjust, trust me.
- Tying of Stomach – So true…
This one is so true it hurts.
For the Igbos, there is a belief that as soon as a nursing mum leaves the hospital, the stomach should be tied typically with wrappers to help get the mum back in shape.
Does it work? Glad to say: Yes, it does.
The strips of cloth act like a corset to help the body adjust to the desired shape and size. There is a style to it, though; do it wrong, and you won’t like what you get.
Does it hurt? Heck yeah, that thing is painful and downright uncomfortable, especially when you have to be on this for close to 3 to 6 months, almost all day. This is not for everyone, so mothers need to check with their doctor that this is okay.
But the reward, I give it three Facebook likes.
- Chilling around the house – Untrue!
There is this gist that nursing mums just chill around and do little to nothing, while the Omugwo sponsor (typically mum or mum-in-law) does everything else.
Wherever that gist came from must go right back to the sender.
Omugwo is a difficult time, and there is a very good reason companies give women some months off to focus because it is a period that drains both physically and mentally.
Firstly, the body crash-adjusts to a new babyless reality.
Secondly, the fainting or near-fainting spells because you are almost always running around like a headless chicken around a baby who thinks s/he is a queen or a king just waiting to be served; a baby that communicates in a language no man or woman understands.
Thirdly, your mental health goes up and down like a yoyo because there is just a lot to process every minute. There is also the mental struggle of getting used to a different body that does not quite obey when you want it to. Many women struggle with this and fail to acknowledge the incredible, super amazing work they have executed of bringing one more person, who would later become someone’s future employer or employee and another person’s spouse or friend, to the world.
Guys, Omugwo is not for the fainthearted. So, the next time you see a nursing mother going through Omugwo, compliment and encourage her, offer to spend some time with her, or just send her a bowl of really nice chicken pepper soup (no pounded yam, please!).
There are many more stories but let me stop here for now before I get a visit from our town’s Umuada with a hefty fine for disclosing their trade secret.
