What Nobody Tells You About Being Pregnant In Nigeria

So you are pregnant! Yaay! You are finally going to be a Mum. It must feel surreal. It felt so too for me. I remember when I first got pregnant, I was so excited but I felt kind of uncomfortable when people started staring at my tummy. Maybe it was me but I didn’t like it. 

You see, pregnancy is pretty amazing but sometimes, no thanks to my Naija people they can make you go almost bonkers.

From your Mum and Mum-in-Law telling you sternly to stay away from Facebook, to telling you to attach a safety pin permanently on your clothing’s to prevent witches from attacking the baby, to staying away from beverages and all sorts of unsolicited advice from strangers. Being pregnant in Nigeria is certainly not beans. I remember a stranger stopping me in the market to accuse me of taking too much salt because my feet were swollen. My pain was definitely not the unsolicited advice she gave me but the accusatory tone in which she passed her message. Nigerians sha…

So yummy Mummies-to-be, as you undertake this amazing journey, here are some things nobody tells you about being pregnant in Nigeria.

1. It doesn’t matter what your real name is, you shall be christened “Mama Ibeji”. For my non-speaking Yoruba readers, “Mama Ibeji” is a Yoruba title for a mother of twins. Wherever you go, you shall be addressed a mother of twins. The beautiful thing about this is many call you this as a sign of endearment and respect because, in Nigeria, marriage and childbearing is seen as a significant achievement. Right or wrong, don’t stress yourself, just smile and go with the flow.
2. You will get loads of unsolicited advice- From not eating salt to not allowing someone you do not want your baby to look like cross your legs to not getting angry.  Do not bother yourself trying to make some of these advisors see the ridiculousness in their advice. Again, let it go. My advice? Listen to your Doctor and your body and rock your pregnancy.
3. Everyone suddenly becomes nice to you- I enjoyed this part! Haha! You see, Nigerians are amazing people and are more so when you are pregnant. Everyone becomes nicer. If someone wrongs you, you have an army waiting to fight for you. Want to park at the wrong place? Once you flaunt your tummy, the officer lets you be. You mistakenly beat the traffic light? My sister you are free. After I had my first baby, I missed being pregnant. From banks to the ATMs, I was allowed to beat queues. Enjoy it sister, it’s only for a while.
4.  Your mum warns you sternly not to allow anyone touch your tummy; except your husband- Don’t you get the message? To Mummy and Mum-In-law, everyone is a suspected witch till you put to bed safely. Enough said.
5. People stylishly want to know the sex of your baby- On this, it all depends on you. Your mum will tell you it’s none of their business but if you feel like you want to share, please do. Just enjoy the journey.

This article was originally written in 2016