LESSONS FROM MOTHERHOOD

BEING A MOM KEEPS YOU YOUNG IF YOU CHOOSE TO SEE THE WORLD FROM THEIR LITTLE EYES

Motherhood is where all love begins and 
where children become the anchors that hold a mother to life.

The first moment i saw my daughter was magical  .

For the first time i saw what the world was really about . I saw her beautiful eyes stairing back at me and all i wanted to do was protect her ,hold her and  love her.
That feeling has not left me even in the toughest of days just looking into her beautiful eyes or getting one of her little hugs brings me joy.

The truth about motherhood is that. You dont know what your getting yourself into and you are not as prepaired as you think.

It is the greatest thing you can experience and it can  also be the hardest.

Because we are human .
the thing about being a child of your mother is that you will never understand what it is like until you have your own child .

After i gave birth and i was taken back to my room and my mum came in i broke down crying and said how sorry i was .Truth be told that was the most sincere apology i ever gave her because i truly meant it and wanted to be better. In that moment all the love she had given me flashed before my eyes and so did the times that i was not greatful and took her for granted.

You don't take a class; you're thrown into motherhood and learn from experience. You go from living your best life doing what you want to do when you want .

To sacrificing everything you have from your time to your friends,to your sleep, to your hobbies to ensure that your child has a shot in this life .To ensure your child is happy to ensure that you have a life long friend that will take care of you when you cant take care of your self.

The lesson i learnt from all of this was that being a parent doesnt mean that you possess all the skills to be a parent and it doesnt mean that you become a super mom .it just means that you have everyday for the rest of your life to become better. 

I would urge all of you to see the human in your parents wherther or not they are flawed. Remember that they loved you first and that they loved you as you are so .love them as they are. 

Remember this.Being a mum is a series of conscious choices that enable you to raise your child ,either better than you where raised, just as you where raised , or you can choose not to care.

You choose how your child will view you and approach you for the rest of their life meaning you can either be their rock or you can  be the  reason for their fall.

Live , Love,Learn ,Laugh and Dream Big.

CONTRACEPTIVES... MY BODY MY CHOICE

See my post on infertility 

If you are sexually active you need to consider choosing a contraceptive that will work for you.

All sexually active adults must consider a family planning/ birth control method taking into consideration, personal preferences, habits and health concerns. 

Complete abstinence is the only method that prevents pregnancy 100 percent . Where as  most contraceptive methods have a very high success rate when practiced correctly.

According to the World Health If you are sexually active you need to consider choosing a contraceptive that will work for you.

All sexually active adults must consider a family planning/ birth control method taking into consideration, personal preferences, habits and health concerns. 

Complete abstinence is the only method that prevents pregnancy 100 percent . Where as  most contraceptive methods have a very high success rate when practiced correctly.

According to the World Health Organization, family planning is not just about preventing pregnancy, but also about timing conception so that every baby is wanted and planned. 

It is important for both partners involved sexually to take an active role in ensuring that you both protect eachother from both sexually transmitted diseases, as well as from an unplanned pregnancy.

We need to be aware that this isnt just a womans issue or the womans responsibility.

Young girls need to be taught about this from an early age and we shouldnt assume that they are not sexually active.

Sex education is a taboo to talk about in most african

Homes. This leads to stigmatization and also leaves young girls miss informed and learning from peers 

Who arent well equipped with the information needed to ensure contraceptives are used correctly. Most uninformed girls use emergency contraception as a method of birth control  . Which is not advised. In general e-pills shouldnt be used more than 3 times in a year as it has harsh implications in the long run.

Thus it is important to have a consultation with a gynecologist before hand.

The various methods include:-

Natural Family Planning
This is used to achieve pregnancy by timing intercourse for fertile times, or to avoid pregnancy by remaining abstinent during fertile periods.This method however is unpredictable if fertile periods are under or over calculated.

The birth control pill is a type of oral contraceptive that women must take every day. This method is best for women who can remember to take a pill every day and who want the advantage of restoring fertility quickly.

Barrier methods include male and female condoms, cervical caps and diaphragms. These methods prevent sperm from uniting with an egg

long term methods When people do not want to worry about contraception on a regular basis, but may want the ability to conceive in the future, several long-term contraceptive methods can prevent pregnancy. Some of these methods include the contraceptive shot, vaginal ring, implantable rod and intrauterine device, also called an IUD. All of these methods are hormonal and are not easily reversible, but fertility returns after discontinuation.

However it is beat to visit your gynecologist to find out what method beat works best for  you . if you would like more information click this link Family_planning

Founded in 1985, Marie Stopes Kenya (MSK) is an affiliate of Marie Stopes International. They have 21 clinics countrywide, 1 obstetric hospital, 15 outreach teams and works with approximately 360 social franchisees (AMUA), supporting provision of a wide range of sexual reproductive health (SRH) services in Kenya.

Below are the services they offer:

MSK Clinics:

-          Consultation @ Kshs 500 – 1,000/-

-          Contraceptives (family planning) – 1,500 to 5,500/-

-          Tubal ligation and vasectomy – from 6,500/- onwards

-          Pregnancy crisis counselling Kshs 500 – 1,000/-

-          Ultrasound services from 2,000/ onwards

-          STI Testing and screening - @ Kshs 500 – 1,000/- for consultation then lab tests

-          Antenatal care @ Kshs 500 – 1,000/-

-          Delivery (only at Eastleigh Nursing Home) – from 20,000/- . One can use NHIF card to register and be entitled to the NHIF benefits

-          Cervical cancer screening – from 300/-

-          Laboratory services

The prices vary from clinic to clinic.

They offer long term contraceptives in public health facilities on selected dates for free. This is done by the Marie Stopes Outreach team.

For more information Contact Centre (call 0800 720005 toll free) where clients can request for information on reproductive health.

Chat on WhatsApp – 0709 819000 and on Facebook – Marie Stopes Kenya. 

Detailed information on the services is available is also available on our website – www.mariestopes.or.ke, family planning is not just about preventing pregnancy, but also about timing conception so that every baby is wanted and planned.