Page 76 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 7

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Newborn Hazing During
Covid-19 Season:
10 ways I’m Coping
By Esther Mbugua-Kimemia
(as originally published on bibi2be.wordpress.com)
t takes a village to raise a
child, but what happens
when the ‘village’ is ob-
serving social distance?
IMotherhood in this Rona
season is unprecedented, it is
revealing how little is within our
control.
Who would have thought that
a virus would cause us to think
twice, and carefully re-define
normal? That it would magnify
the small things, because they
really are the big things in life. not be ideal on all fronts, but I
A few weeks ago, the Lord add-
ed to our number and baby KK
was born. She has been a joy
bringer in this season. Though
she’s our third born, it has al-
most felt like having a baby for
the first time. I’ve been learn-
ing a new way of motherhood,
one with limited movement and
social interaction. I’ve become
more cautious, and conscious of
the worry and anxiety that tries
to make room in my heart. The
emotional, social, financial ef- silence. Yes, sweet silence.
fects of Rona are hitting home,
they are hard to ignore.
Some comfort has come from
knowing that KK doesn’t know
an alternative reality. She has
no clue what she is missing out
on, so as her mama, my role is
show up each day, feed her, love
her, play with her, pray for her
and try to find joy and peace in
this season.
I never thought I could be okay
being home all day everyday. I
love my home and family, but I
enjoyed leaving the house be-
fore Covid-19. Thankfully the
walls have stopped caving in, in
76 | heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika
fact if anything, I now struggle to
venture out. Here’s how I’m nav-
igating this season with a new-
born (I’ll talk about her sisters in
another post):
1. Giving thanks
Gratitude is a balm to the soul.
It has a way of cleansing your
vision, and re-aligning your atti- I had a refreshing conversation
tude.
I am being intentional about giv- talked about everything from
ing thanks. Circumstances may
still have so much to be grateful
for.
2. Re-defining self care
During this time, I’ve had to
re-define self care and make
room for it in my every day life.
My self care routine previously
consisted of outdoor activities,
it has now been replaced by in-
door activities such as baking,
cooking, coloring, journaling,
working out, de-cluttering and
I’m chasing sunshine now more
than ever, and resisting the urge
to sit with drawn blinds. The
rainy season has revealed that
I wouldn’t do too well in winter.
Soaking up the sun is an import-
ant part of my self care routine.
3.Being gracious
At the beginning of the social
distancing, I wanted life to con-
tinue as usual, but a few days
in, I realized the cost of ‘normal’
was too high to bear. With our
help social distancing, I pursued
the role of Super woman. Hubby
would tell me to take it easy but
my brain struggled to chill. Until
my back humbled me. One day
I had a little meeting with myself
and redefined normal. A normal
that consisted of grace, a normal
that gave me room to be kind to
myself, a normal that maintained
joy. A normal that understood
that these are not normal times,
a normal that allowed me to heal
from surgery and to enjoy being
a mummy and wife.
4. Maintaining social in-
teraction (From a
distance)
with a friend this morning. We
insects, to milestones, to sleep
regression, to CVs and cover
letters, and to life in general. It
was a cocktail that left me feel-
ing encouraged.
I am making an effort to reach
out to people and talk to them
and pray with them. I miss cof-
fee dates and play dates, but
given the circumstances, this is
working.
5. Asking for help
I struggle with this one, but I
have an ‘in case of emergency’
protocol in my mind. I know that
HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY