Stories surrounding her birth; how we overcame a C-section through help from herbs šæ and natural fitness method.
Original pictures used
Glad to have you here today. Today is a special day for my family because of life, because of friends out there who are happy with us concerning our only daughter who turned 1 year today.
What does birthday represent in your country and in your custom?
At the end of this article, Iāll like to know what birthday is to you, how youāll want to celebrate it, and the culture by which your people celebrate it in your land.
Iāll talk about birthday in Africa, but before that, Iāll like to talk little about my daughter who is a celebrant today.
Princess š Kaima
Hope you can pronounce her name; itās a simple name, not an English name but a native name in my mother-tongue and in our native language.
My little girl was born at this time last year; 22 November 2019. It was a day of mixed feelings after the victory of childās birthday. Maybe in developed world, giving birth or delivering a new born may be pretty easier because of C-section method and technological and medical advancements.
A Caesarean section is also common in Africa but requires huge amount of money from some hospitals and doctors who takes advantage of their people sometimes. C-section could cost up to $400 to $600 in my country depending on the type of hospital and doctor visited.
I wished all my kids were born using C-section method; my reason was to save my female half from those struggles and pains of child birth. But due to my level of income earning, I couldnāt take or admit to C-section as a choice. During the birth of my first son, my wife had some challenges and difficulties in delivering naturally which later led to her using C-section method. We spend a whole lots them. After our sonās birth, waited for several years before our second son; that was in accordance to medical advice from our doctor and dietician who suggested that we should give space of several years if we may want to try natural birthing process for our next child. We waited for the said time just to see if we could save the cost of using C-Section. Our second son was delivered naturally without difficulties; some people may call it luck, but we could testify about the tremendous effects my wife and her unborn child witnessed just by eating more natural foods especially fruits and vegetables. Applying all the natural ways of keeping a mother and her unborn child healthy was the chief of things that helped us, she also had a good routine checkups. Her diet was highly enhanced during her second pregnancy. Our second son came naturally and successfully without problems.
We spent a lot on vegetables and some fruits because we used to buy everything fro the market. But after that experience, I tried raising those major vegetables and fruits in my new compound. Some of those fruits and vegetables that helped missus to stay healthy which we now have in our place are:
Okra fruits
Okra plants in my garden
We use both the leafs and the fruits of Okra for vegetable soup. According to our tradition, Okra helps in keeping babies and mothers healthy and helps in regulating fat in both the mother and the unborn child. Mother who takes enough vegetables and fruits stays healthy and fit to easily natural delivery.
Soursop ( Annona muricata)
Soursop planted at my compound few months ago.
Oranges š
This orange of mine already produces fruits
Citrus are rich in vitamins that helps to boost the immune system of mothers and their unborn children
Thereāre many other vegetables that helps in pregnancy which I will cover in another article as this one is dedicated to my daughterās birthday.
After two years and 7 months, our daughter Kaima came. She also was delivered naturally after little struggles and pains of child birth. It was really a tough day for my entire family. I felt so much for my wife during her time of labor. I went to the theater/labor-ward with her to console and to encourage her during the process. But at a point, the nurses insisted that I should excuse them. Well, for whatever that might be their reason, all that I was concerned about was the safety of my wife and our child.
After some hours of labor process, her services reached and my wife delivered Kaima. That was when the feeling mixed lol š
baby Kaima after birth
Kaima has remained a strong and healthy girl till today.
Birthday celebration in Africa.
In recent years, Africa as a continent has dropped many of her ancient cultures for western cultures and way of life. In my land, we do not celebrate birthday like you know it today. Today, people do celebrate birthday yearly, but in my culture and traditions in those days, it wasnāt so. But western cultures has taken over many ancient traditions due to colonialism that happened some years back.
Now, most of our people have started celebrating events such as birthdays, white weddings, funeral etc like the westerners. In our ancient tradition, every person has two major celebrations associated to them; birthday celebration that happens once after a child is delivered which attracts friends and well wishers coming around to welcome a newborn child with their many gifts š
Kaimaās first Christmas; 25/12/2019
The second known celebration in my tradition and culture then was the celebration of life which happens after someone has passed on. During such times, families, friends and well wishers do come in a more larger quantity to celebrate and honor their dead. During this time, many gifts are contributed for the immediate family mourning their dead. But nowadays, some of these things has changed.
What do you expect to see at birthday parties?.
Now, we use candle šÆ sticks, cakes š š° balloons š and flowers š to decorate the place of event. We expect to have some food at the event. We also expect to exchange gifts with our loved ones.
Before, we donāt use cakes, balloons and candles šÆ in our culture, but we use them now. It maybe that that our our predecessors understands that those mentioned items arenāt good for out health. Candles emits smokes that doesnāt work well with our health, cakes and icing sugars are not healthy for our body, and Balloons are made of plastics, gums and chemicals that are harmful to us.
My daughterās birthday is on low key due to covid-19
Kaimaās birthday celebration š š š¾ is going on even at the time of writing. We couldnāt gather people due to governmentās instructions to protect toddlers from being exposed to covid-19.
Even children in kindergarten and nursery school have not started their school sessions again due to covid-19 issues.
We gathered our immediate families and few children from neighborhood for her birthday celebration.
We are not expecting much physical gifts from people due to restrictions that couldnāt allow them to come. But friends on social media have started sending their prayers and wishes.
Facebook congratulatory messages
Kaima is sending her love to all our friends on Hive
Hive and @naturalmedicine has made it possible for Kaima and her family to be able to express their gratitude to all communities on Hive chain over their support right from her birth up till today marking her 1st birthday.
Thanks for coming around to celebrate with us.
Help me celebrate this little Havian, a princess and my jewel of inestimable value.
I remain your friend Max.