Lois dey look her newborn pikin, dey feel like stranger for her own body. She dey always think say to be mama go dey joyful, with no stress, but reality slap am hard. Her husband, wey think say she be expert come leave am to manage house and take care of their four pikin alone. Tire dey suffocate am, silence from her partner wan blow her ear.
Toni world turn upside down when she hear say she get diabetes inside pregnancy. Wetin the doctor talk just dey echo for her mind: ‘Cesarean section(CS), formula feeding, no breastfeeding.’ But Toni heart no gree o. She don dey dream say use her own breast feed her pikin, make she take connect with am well well. Now, e look like that one no go happen.
Nimi eyes full with tears as she cook another food for her mother-in-law, wey dey dictate Nimi every move. She no dey rest, na so so quarrel she dey get, and na small small food dem dey give her. All this one dey make Nimi feel like prisoner for her house, she kuku no fit talk because say she be woman. Now she understand well well as people talk say “Na woman be woman enemy” as her husband mama dey treat person wey born grandpikin like trash.
These three women come meet for support group, where dem dey share their struggles come dey help each other join. Dem dey learn to talk, to stand for their rights, and to make sure say other people respect them. Group mantra come be their battle cry: “We dey for you, you get right to breastfeed your pikik and to do am with mind and body wey cool.”
As strength don come, Lois confront her husband, talk to am, come ask him why im no dey dey around. She come tell am say make him dey support am and appreciate am, after she learn say she deserve support and should request for am without feeling guilty. Toni stand gidigba against her doctors, tell them say she no go give up on her breastfeeding dreams, with support from her counsellor wey also approach doctors to let dem know she dey within her right. Nimi find courage to set boundaries with her mother-in-law, and e help am get her voice back, after she connect with old woman wey dey willing to guide her for her journey.
As dem waka their different journey, women come discover say motherhood no be about perfection but about resilience, love, and community. Dem become each other safe haven, dey remind demself say dem no dey alone for their struggles. Together, dem overcome noise, their voices clear and strong: “We dey for you, we stand by you.” Breastfeeding become thing of joy and dem come connect well well with their pikin come make memory with their pikin dem.
For this year celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, with theme wey be Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all, e dey essential to know say we all get Lois or Toni or Nimi near us, if we look well well. How you wan take support dem (breastfeeding mother closest to you) from today?
As we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, make we remember say breastfeeding support no be just one week celebration, but e go continue after this week. Make we try create culture where breastfeeding mothers go get power, support come dey celebrated every day. Make we be safe haven for Lois, Toni, and Nimi, and all breastfeeding mothers wey dey around us. Also, make we talk for dem, if need be. By doing so, we fit help close gap for breastfeeding support and make sure say every mother fit breastfeed with confidence and joy.
Make i ask you sef, ‘You dey for breastfeeding mothers abi you no dey?’
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