Being the ‘Perfect Mom’ + Mother’s Day Giveaway

Today I’ll talk about being a perfect mom, and I’ll do so by sharing my own experience.

When I found out I was expecting my first child, I was ecstatic. Over the moon. Delighted. Absolutely grateful. I started taking folic acid and my diet changed to strictly healthy foods that included green leafy vegetables and fruits. Then a pal of mine told me about Baby Center and I subscribed to it and would look forward to the weekly updates.

When I was 19 weeks pregnant, we did an ultrasound and found out we were expecting a boy. Let’s just say that by month five of my pregnancy, I had bought everything I needed for him. I had all these lovely outfits in white, different shades of blue, grey, brown and a little bit of green. They were neatly folded, fresh-smelling and arranged according to size and color. I would glance at them every so often, whilst smiling to myself.

I also talked to my baby often, sang to him and told him he’d grow up to be a conqueror. Save for the intense hunger cravings and the overwhelming need to sleep anywhere, anytime and all day long, my pregnancy was relatively smooth.

I religiously attended my antenatal clinics, shopped for a hospital and made the booking in advance. We even did Lamaze classes to prepare for the birth and those first few days after birth. I was in control. I had it all together. I was on the road to becoming a perfect mom.

Until I became a mom.

Haaaaaaaaaaa!

First of all, in those first few weeks, there are days I couldn’t figure out if I was coming or going. Or moving at all! Many times I couldn’t tell if it was Tuesday or Saturday or Wednesday, or whether it was morning, noon or night. At some point I didn’t even know if it was April or October or July. Then my body just felt strange and I couldn’t recognize it. Nie reke ngwire! My life was a blur.

Things that Make Motherhood Easier 

Today, my son is six years and he has a four-year-old brother. I have gone through different motherhood seasons in those years, which makes me laugh at how I thought I was on the road to being a perfect mom. There’s nothing like that. My life today is all about balancing motherhood and all other areas of my life; career, blogging, being a wife, girlfriends, chama, fevers, hospital trips when the boys are unwell, increasing milk and unga prices, job loss, brokenness, school runs, natural hair issues, keeping up with Kenyan politics, trying to reply to SMS’s at least within two weeks, middle-class Kenyan issues…).

Striking that balance has not been easy, but I have proudly managed to keep my head above the water. I’m driven by the need to give my family the best and being there for my sons. I am certainly not a perfect mom and I don’t believe there is anyone who is, but I have learnt that for sanity purposes, every mom must deliberately work towards striking that balance however elusive it may seem.

Of course, there are a few things that have worked towards making my life easier as a mom, such as:

• Having great family support. And never being shy to ask for help.
• Having a good house girl. Weeeeh!
• Learning from the network that is Kenyan moms, who always have lots of helpful information and referrals
• Not comparing myself with other moms
• Cutting myself some slack
• Looking out for good deals from different shops or online platforms
• Installing helpful Apps on my phone, such as this one.

So how about you? What has your experience been? Has your view of motherhood when you were pregnant, to the reality of how it is now changed? Also, what are some of the things make your life easier as a mom?

Information on the #MYDAWAMums Giveaway

So tomorrow we celebrate Mother’s Day and this year, I’ve teamed up with MYDAWA to reward six moms with Sh2,500 each. With this, they will then be able to buy any product on MYDAWA, such as personal care products, cosmetics, wellness and hygiene products. There’s also various skin products including for babies who have sensitive skin, and so much more. MYDAWA offers a wide range of quality medication and supplements that you and your family needs to get well, stay well and live well. Just what every mom needs.

To enter the competition, go here to the Mummy Tales Facebook page and follow the instructions on the GIVEAWAY ALERT post.

This #MothersDayKE competition with MYDAWA ends at 10pm on Sunday 14 May 2017.

All the best and happy Mother’s Day!

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