Our solo
week of endurance
In many African traditions, seclusion and postpartum care for new mothers are
of high regard; this period can last up to three months, and the new mother is
known as ‘Umdlezane’ in isiZulu.
During this time, my mom was there with me and my infant king; she provided support and assistance while we remained indoors, away from visitors, to rest and bond together as I recovered from childbirth and focused on caring for my son.
Listen! These three months with her were highly needed because WOW! A
rollercoaster of emotions and self-doubt in everything I did for my son, such
as breastfeeding, bath time and dressing him up! I won’t lie; the nerve-wracking
realisation that I am responsible for this tiny human hits differently with
every little cry or burp he gave.
So now that the three months are over, Mom has an engagement to attend, and the
reality of being alone with my infant king is dawning on me. The first week
alone with my three-month-old infant was a ‘My Mommy Milestone’ moment.
I am filled with excitement, determination and optimism on Sunday evening in my
apartment! I mean, why doubt my mom’s teachings? After all, she raised me, and
I believe I turned out to be perfectly incredible despite my obsession with
plants and psychological thrillers.
So, I have this all planned out; I got this. I repeat this to myself as I sip
my Carmien
nursing tea while preparing for our first night.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I had to drive back to my apartment alone with my
son. The drive wasn’t so smooth… It was during this moment I realised my son
has a strong set of lungs! I had to stop at the garage twice to breastfeed. At
one of the stops, I had to ask a petrol attendant to buy me water at the shop,
which triggered his many questions: ‘Why are you alone? Why is he crying? Are
you okay? How old is the baby? Lord bless the nosey petrol attended!😒😒
Anyway, back to my day one.
So kicks off mom’s routine..mabele porridge on the stove, nappies on standby
with a cup of rooibos in hand, as I wait for the-owner-of-my-sleep to wake up.
As the day unfolds, feeds are a breeze, coo and cuddles throughout the day as I
tackle my side hustle, responding to emails and brainstorming new ideas,
cleaning the house, feet up, I got this!
Let me tell you, trying to conduct a Teams meeting while simultaneously putting your baby to sleep is a skill I never knew I needed.
Look at me cruising…A joke, my darlings! A lie! Life being life throws me a curveball on day two; I wake up feeling achy and feverish, scratchy sore throat and sniffles. The flu has found refuge in me.
Despite this, I refuse to surrender to defeat nor call for help! My many tea
and oil collections now come to the rescue: ginger tea, some Carmien
Rooibos Tea - Revive and eucalyptus oil and loads of water play doctor
doctor to my flu.
Mommy tip: When breastfeeding, you can’t just drink any over-the-counter
medication… You will soon master the art of home remedies, and you will quickly
become a homoeopath (just like my sister-in-law, a mother of three who came to
my rescue)
My sheer grit sees me through as I muster the strength to tend to my infant
king. Towards the end of the week, my son starts showing signs of the flu. Alas!
I sigh! But we soldier on.
With all this happening, I discovered a newfound resilience; I learned to embrace the chaos.
We survived the week, and this is what I achieved:
- I
fed myself,
- I fed my son,
- I bathed him,
- I bathed myself,
- I
did one gym session
and never left the house until my mom returned. Listen, things I am proud of is, I didn’t cry nor dip into my dark corner of depression. Was I overwhelmed? Definitely yes!
I won’t lie; an extra pair of hands comes in very, very handy!
Looking at my sleeping baby, I know that every sacrifice and every struggle is
and will be worth it. As he grows, I, too, grow stronger with the extraordinary
power of motherhood.
My key takeouts include
Flu mommy and baby-friendly home remedies; learn about Home Remedies and stock up on natural remedies.
Celebrate the small victories and milestones, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
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