Christine Katio is a 32-year-old mother of two; Niki, aged 9 years and his sister Nina, aged 4 years. Christine works in the hospitality industry and today, she offers us insights into her motherhood experiences, including her breastfeeding experiences, her greatest fear as a mom, and what she packs in her children’s snack box. She spoke to Mummy Tales writer Sylvia Wakhisi.
Sylvia: Are you the type of mom who waits to find out the baby’s sex until they are born, or are you curious to know beforehand?
Christine: With my first born, I was very anxious to find out and so five months into the pregnancy, I went for a scan. However, with my second child, the doctor mentioned the baby’s sex to me ‘by chance’, and I remember being so excited to learn that I was having a girl!
Sylvia: How was the breastfeeding experience with your kids?
Christine: I must say they were very different. Interestingly, I’d always assumed that breastfeeding would be something easy, that it would come naturally, but how wrong I was! I was soon to learn that it’s an art that needs to be perfected.
With my son, breastfeeding was hard because sometimes he would not suckle well. It’s like he did not get enough milk even though I used to take lots and lots of fluids. But with my daughter, things were different and I found it much smoother, maybe because I’d already had experience with my son.
With both babies, I’d take lots of fluids and healthy food stuff such as bone soup, tea and njahi to boost my milk production. I got lots of support from my husband, who would always ensure that I had all the nutritious food stuff I needed for this purpose.
Sylvia: Talking about nutrition, what snacks do you pack for your kids?
Christine: My son is in class four while my daughter is in baby class, and so I have to ensure that they eat healthy so that they remain strong and active all day long. I pack different snacks for them, ranging from bread, pancakes and sweet potatoes. I also ensure to pack one fruit each day.
Sylvia: What is your favorite family activity to do on weekends?
Christine: On weekends or during school holidays, we enjoy visiting recreation spots where we share a meal as a family and play some games such as rope skipping and football. I love this because it helps us bond as a family.
Sylvia: How has your experience with house girls been?
Christine: One thing that I’m very grateful to God for is that I’ve had good and hardworking house helps. At least I have not had a bad one. So far, I have only employed three and the reason they leave is because they go to study.
Sylvia: What is your biggest fear as a mother?
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