Naomi Kago, 25, is a wife and a mother of two. She is a journalist based in Nakuru County, while her husband, a banker, works in Nairobi. Mummy Tales writer SYLVIA WAKHISI had a chat with this young mom about her motherhood experiences.
“When I discovered I was pregnant with my first child at the age of 23 years, I became terrified. The news totally caught me by surprise. I was young, and wondered if I was really ready for the role of ‘mother’. I was confused, anxious, and repeatedly asked myself: “Would I really hack motherhood at that age?”
My fears were compounded by the fact that my husband was working far from me, and I worried over how I would handle the pregnancy without him around. I also worried about how I’d take care of our child by myself -bearing in mind the nature of my journalist job. I contemplated resigning from my job so that I could fully concentrate on raising my child, but on second thoughts I figured that maybe I could balance the two. I remember being so confused about everything but somehow, I hoped things would work out.
Foetal Distress
Two weeks to my due date, I started experiencing labor pains, which went on for 12 hours. At some point, the doctor told me that my baby was in distress, and that I needed to undergo a caesarean section since it had now become an emergency.
Foetal distress refers to signs before and during childbirth indicating that the fetus is not well. It typically occurs when the fetus has not been receiving enough oxygen. Fetal distress may occur when the pregnancy lasts too long or when complications of pregnancy or labor occur (source).
I didn’t know what ‘fetal distress’ meant, and I actually thought it was something that every pregnant woman goes through. I nevertheless had a successful caesarean section, with my son weighing 3.3 kgs at birth. However, the doctor told me that my newborn had to be placed in the incubator because he wanted to be sure of the baby’s health and rule out any danger.
My son Liam Joseph is now 1 year and six months and has turned out into a fine, healthy boy. I went back to work when he was only one and a half months and I thank God for the far we have both come.
I got Pregnant Soon After
A few months later Liam was born, I conceived again, and this time round, I found things to be somewhat different. I was more relaxed and knew how to handle the pregnancy, following my experience with my firstborn. But I was still a bit scared because I knew that I would give birth through a caesarean section again. The thought of undergoing surgery is never easy, but thankfully all went on well. My daughter Milan Shanice is now two months old.
Raising my two babies who are closely spaced is an amazing experience. To see them grow healthy each day is a blessing and a favor from God, which I don’t take for granted. Motherhood teaches you a lot of things and as each day passes by, I grow very fond of them. I must say that becoming a mom in your early 20s can be a bit hectic but with the right support system, things become much easier to handle. If you know of a young mother around you, give them all the support they need, and keep encouraging them.
Dedicated Husband and Father
I am thankful for the great support system that I have around me –most importantly my husband Brighton Alata. He visits us every weekend and this is when we get to spend time with each other as a family. He is a great father and adores his children.
I also thank God for family and friends for the support they give us in one way or the other. I must admit that balancing work and family can at times be hectic. There are times when I’ve been forced to cancel reporting assignments that would have taken me far from home. Sometimes I’ve also had to interrupt work and go home earlier than I was supposed to. But so far so good. I’m hacking it :). Balancing work and motherhood is indeed possible.
My encouragement to all moms is, never ever regret having that baby at whatever time and under whatever circumstance. You never know what the future holds for him or her.”
You may also like:
“This is How I Successfuly Balance Work and Family” -Fanne Mwambi (pictured)
“It was Necessary for me to Take a Career Break to Raise my Children” – Lucy Karanja (pictured)
Mummy Tales is a blog dedicated to empowering its readers on different aspects of maternal and newborn health, as well as various issues surrounding motherhood and women. Read more motherhood experiences of Kenyan moms here. Follow Mummy Tales on: FACEBOOK l INSTAGRAM l TWITTER
