A healthy mother and baby for a happy family

Fadzayi Maposah, Correspondent

On some days one is just stuck and needs so much encouragement just to get out of bed.

The bed becomes so attractive that one just wants to lie there and rest, rest, rest and rest. If someone was to come and ask what was wrong and why one was struggling to get out of bed, one would simply respond that there was nothing wrong with them.

But is that really true. Is that not a sign that someone is amiss, just wanting to rest, rest and rest when they should be up and about getting things done. I have days and I am sure you as you read this you can somehow relate to such a scenario.

Now when we were growing up you would be asked what was wrong with you and the moment that you said nothing the look on the adult`s face would somehow give you enough energy to get you out of bed.

There are many possible causes why one may struggle to wake up. There is going to bed late and as a result not getting adequate rest. Sleeping late is draining.

Your eyes feel heavy as if you borrowed bigger eyelids from another person. Overworking is also a possible cause.

There was a time I used to think that I work hard but I have accepted that there are others who work a lot more than I do. As I get old I no longer have the same energy that I used to have.

When I talk about how I used to mop at the speed of lightning, I mean just that. I was a Wonder Woman in my own right. Now I do not even mop as often as I used! On some of my very lazy days, I even struggle to just dust the furniture! Not to worry, I live in a clean environment.

So on my very lazy days when I basically read, eat and sleep I just think of women and families that have small children, especially babies. Babies have zero understanding of lazy days.

I am sure if they could talk, they would simply ask, lazy days for the what. I was a relatively young mother when I had my daughters, especially the first two. One thing that I learnt is that babies dictate the pace at which things are done and when they are done.

Babies will wake you up for a feed and a change and you will do this even against the dictates from your body. I remember waking up to breastfeed a baby and doing this like a zombie as I was sleepy and being shaken when I realised that I fell asleep while feeding the baby. It would make me feel like a bad mother and very few older people that I knew as young mother would agree that it was possible to fall asleep while breastfeeding.

For the majority, it was unacceptable. A woman just had to soldier on. At times I thought that sleeping as a mother had been moved to the sin list!

I remember thinking that men have life easy. The father would open literally one eye just to check if everything was all right and once I just said that I was feeding the baby, he would quickly go back to sleep and leave the two of us , mother and child to bond.

The father had no challenges being with the baby during daytime but he was sure to dedicate the night shift to the mother! So looking back, I am amazed how I survived those days when my babies were small. The late nights, the early mornings. Time dedicated to just mothering and at times without the support that I expected.

Life is lived forwards but understood backwards. Babies are a lot of work. When they sleep a lot, the mother worries and when they do not sleep, the worry is equally the same.

While there are some things that are similar regarding babies and mothers some issues are so diverse and when you actually hear it, you will be hearing it for the first time. There has been so much work regarding reducing adolescent pregnancies, not only in Zimbabwe but all over the world. It is not just about the physical effect on the body, but even the toll it takes on one emotionally.

I was not an adolescent or teen mother, but to be honest there were moments when the baby cried and I wanted to cry too. On some occasions, it was a team effort, baby crying, and I as the mother crying too. Mothers have learnt to eat and breastfeed at the same time .Is that how far the multi-tasking should go? Who recalls as a mother, the baths that could have earned an Olympic medal for speed? Not all women though have it all hard, there are some amazing support team members, male and female who are there during pregnancy, birth and afterwards to ensure that the mother and baby are propped up.

I am certain that a new mother will appreciate someone taking to them prepared meals so that they do not have to worry about cooking. How about turning up at some one`s door and offering just to do the dishes and cleaning up of the kitchen?

How about taking some vegetables and fruits that are so important for the mother and baby and even the father too! Monday the 7th of April is World Health Day and it will be start of a yearlong campaign that will focus on maternal and newborn health.

I am sure you agree with me that the health of mothers and babies is a key pillar for healthy families and communities. People should come together to ensure that women and babies have high quality care.

It can just be time dedicated to support the mothers and babies. Do what you can to support mothers and babies!