Postpartum period is seen as an interesting and important period if life for a nursing mother here in Nigeria. It's a period in a woman's life where she is adjusting to her new role,where are pelvic organs is returning, reversal of metabolic changes during pregnancy and the establishment of lactation it's also a period of exclusive breastfeeding, a the me where she is been supported by her mother, mother-in-law or any other relatives.
My own experience of this practice.
Before my EDD(expected date of delivery) I and hubby already called my home to come over since this was my first issue and I'm inexperienced.
Mum arrived some days before my baby was delivered will plenty of food stuffs and spices for pepper soup, unlike all the sings given to me during my antenatal classes my water did not brake but I was having constant contraction and so mum advice we visit the doctor.After checked I was told I'm 2cm dilated and so I had to stay around and wait till it get to 10cm.
Picture From my gallery
Grandma and son.
My baby finally arrived and I was supper excited but here is the big issue I wasn't lactating at the time and my baby needed to eat. A whole day pass and still no breast milk so my some friends and relatives adviced I take palm wine to make the Breast milk flow.
Yes the palm wine help the
breast milk flow (lactation).
I was discharged from the hospital and my mum said I should take anything cold and so she used hot water to steam bath me and massage all my body although I felt relieved but it almost peeled my skin...and I was told that's how it's done traditionally for me to get better.
As if the hot water bath was not enough, there are special spices that was used to prepare pepper soup and I was eating them with yam it was so hot and spicy that I can't even feel my tongue 👅👅 and my mum made sure I eat not just ones but two plate of such meal because according to her I was breastfeeding so I should eat for two.
The believe is that eating those hot and spicy food is to help flush out bad blood from the womb and heal it as well.
I couldn't help but beg my mum not to prepare too much spicy food for me because I wasn't enjoying it.
After delivery a topical Africa grand mother will tell the new mother to tire her stomach so tight to help her get back her shape and flat tummy back.
In my case a friend of mine brought tummy wrap and wrap my tummy so tight that I couldn't even breath well
I still can't relate.
The baby is not left out in some of these practices.
The baby on the other hand will be massaged with hot water where both head, leg, back and all joint would be massaged. These process makes the baby cry so much.
Although my mum didn't do all that on my baby.
Postpartum practices are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.
Beneficial practices are good and worth promoting while harmful ones are bad and should be stopped.
Asides the those practices it's usually fun and exciting to spend time with who ever is helping you out(that's if they stay with you)
Different culture and different practice mine might be different from others. I can make research about other states and what theirs practices are and also post them here for you to read.
Thanks for reading please share your thoughts about this in the comment section