Encomium
MTV Base Nigeria presenter, Cynthia Okpala is back in Nigeria after months of sojourn in Atlanta Georgia, USA to deliver her first baby. She put to bed on January 30, 2012, and stayed back for a couple of months to rock motherhood.
She is yet to resume work but she has commenced her other activities. ENCOMIUM Weekly had a chat with her about motherhood and the experience.
Congratulations, how does it feel to be back home?
It really feels great. I have been looking forward to coming back though when I think about how to cope, my heart skips. But it is really good to be back home.
Congratulations on the birth of your baby, how does it feel to be a mother?
It feels great, it is a whole new level entirely. I am really enjoying it. Thank God for the experience.
So, how have you been coping with motherhood?
When I was abroad, I stayed with my cousin and my mom was also around so it wasn’t stressful. I had people around me. Now that I am in Nigeria, my mother-in-law and my mom are with me now. So, I am not really feeling it. I will say I have been coping tremendously.
What is the best thing about being a mother?
The best thing about being a mother is having someone depend on you, someone you are responsible for. It makes me depend on God the more. The relationship between a child and mother is like the relationship between God and human beings. We solely depend on God for everything, so is a child. The child depends on the mother for everything. It is really great.
What has changed about you, now that you are a mother?
I think I am more patient now. Being a mother requires a lot of patience. Then, I have put on some weight though some people say it is okay but I want to shed it off. I don’t want to add weight at all. Initially, I had issues with sleep, you have to keep awake because the baby is awake but we are now a bit balanced. I now have time for myself and my husband.
How will you describe the period of pregnancy?
I had a wonderful pregnancy, I was working till I was in my eighth month. I didn’t even feel pregnant at all. I had it easy and I thank God for that grace and opportunity.
Which sex were you expecting?
Before I was pregnant, I wanted twins –a boy and a girl. By the time I was pregnant, my husband was saying it is a boy until I went for a scan and discovered it was a boy. I wonder how I could have coped if I had twins, because it is not easy coping with one, talk more of twins. Thank God I have people who have been helping me.
What was on your mind in the labour room?
I couldn’t just wait for the whole process to be over. I couldn’t wait to have him, in fact, I got tired of waiting. I was so excited when the labour started, the excitement made me forget about the pain.
The first time you handled him, how did it feel?
Relieved. I even cried, he was so beautiful and cute. He was a product of nine months of waiting, it was really amazing. I felt like nature, a part of bringing another life into being.
When and where did you have him?
I had him on January 30, 2012, in Atlanta, USA.
What about his name?
Lincoln Munachiso. Munachiso means God is with me.
How have you been coping with work and motherhood?
I have been trying to get back to normal life. But anytime I think about work, my heart skips. I have been considering how to cope with work and the homefront. But thank God things are falling in place. I have left him for one, two hours to do one or two things outside the home. And he is okay. So, I guess by the time I resume work, things will naturally fall in place.
- This story was first published in ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
