Motherhood in Kenya: “Why I’ve Taken a Career Break to Focus on My Baby” -Sophia Muthoni

Sophia Muthoni is a first time mum to a six-month old baby girl called Maya Wanjiku. She is also a wife and journalist -currently on a career pause. She spoke to Mummy Tales writer SYLVIA WAKHISI on her motherhood journey, which she says has been coupled with both exciting and challenging moments, a journey she continues to undertake together with her husband Evan. 

How has motherhood journey been?

We had been trying for a couple of months before we finally hit the ‘jackpot’. The day we confirmed the great news was a day filled with mixed emotions for me. My first reaction was anxiety because I knew there was no turning back. As much as I had wanted a baby, I started second guessing myself on if I was really ready. My husband -Evan Warui -on the other hand was very excited and calm as I paced up and down asking him not to freak out because I was clearly freaking out. He helped me calm down and assured me he would be right there with me every step of the way.

How was the pregnancy?

I had a fairly smooth pregnancy but the first three months were the most difficult. I experienced morning sickness which meant I felt sick every day for those three months. The only thing I could eat and didn’t end up in the toilet bowl minutes later was potatoes, be they mashed, fried or boiled. So long as they were potatoes!

My husband was very supportive during this time and he cooked all our meals since the smell of onions or almost anything cooking used to make me gag. I was glad when it went away. The second trimester was my best. I was full of energy and everything was smooth all the way to the end and I thank God I had a smooth birthing experience.

How did you feel when you held your baby for the first time?

I remember when she was brought to me I thought, “Please don’t cry because I won’t know what to do.” She must have read my mind because she slept for the entire day despite efforts to wake her up to breastfeed. That kind of scared me a bit because I was afraid waking her up to feed would always be a hustle.

Fast forward to when we brought her home. My greatest challenge in those first few days was breastfeeding. Getting the baby to latch properly is an art that I struggled with but I finally got the hang of it.

Those first few weeks were interesting. I remember I could not wash the baby alone as much as we had been taught how to at the hospital. She was so small and I was afraid I would drop her. Her first bath at home was done by three people; my husband, my sister-in-law and myself and we were all sweating by the end of it. We laugh at it now…

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