LOLO CYNTHIA: POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND OMUGWO

However, my focus in this article is on how urbanization has affected the family dynamic and in turn led to the increase of Post-Partum Depression (PPD) in societies where western cultures were not practised.

Research has shown that some of the psychosocial risk factors that give rise to postpartum depression is the lack of social support – with the highest risk factor being the lack of paternal involvement.  This is a clear sign that there’s a need for men to be entitled to paternity leave as well, but with urbanization and the increase of unemployment due to lack of resources and jobs to meet the needs of the populace; the men are often forced to keep working in order to generate funds to sustain the family.

In Africa and some Asian cultures, the family was once seen as a community; motherhood was not viewed as a private affair, but due to urbanization, we see the rise of nuclear family structures which means that new mothers are often times denied the opportunity to benefit from the large social network.

This is why the lack of paternal involvement as one of the highest risk factor is very intriguing to me; I believe that this is due to the fact that men have also been forced to take up roles that kinship usually embraced. This gap in the support becomes evident in one way.

If we take China as an example, after birth the woman is made to rest for four weeks whilst household chores and childcare is carried out by the women’s mother/ relatives.

The same thing is evident in many parts of Nigeria.  In Igboland, we have the Omugwu ritual – where the mother of the woman or a relative is there to care for the woman and child. In the Northern lands, the woman goes back to her parents’ home after delivery to be cared for by her mother for a few months before going back to be with her husband. In the Yoruba land, the postpartum ritual Olojojo Omo, demands that both the mother and the mother in law are present to care for the mother and child. The mother of the woman leaves after 40 days, whilst the mother in law remains till after naming ceremony or even up to 3 months depending on their lifestyle.

This postpartum ritual also found in other countries that did not practice western cultures was not limited to just the mother and mother in laws as other women who made up the extended family were present to help care for the nursing mother and child.

The ritual helps cushion the shock and effect of the transition for young parents which reduces the anxiety that comes with parenthood- as research shows that first-time mothers are often at a higher risk of PPD- I guess our ancestors were not as clueless as many have painted them to be.

However, with urbanization, we see a decline of these practices and an increase in the use of orthodox medicine. It is no secret that we continue to witness a rise in the use of anti-depressants- as doctors also prescribe these drugs for children and teenagers.

Now! I am not calling for a ban on these drugs, I am aware that they work but to what extent? Do we think about the adverse effects that come with pumping our bodies with drugs? If there is research that shows that social support could help reduce the risk factors that leads to PPD, why are we not also focused on strategies that aim to improve social support for nursing mothers?

Let me go into details with the Omugwo ritual.

As previously stated, after delivery in Igbo land, the woman’s mother visits the nursing mother. She is not expected to do anything except sleep, eat, breastfeed, bath, receive visitors. The mother of the woman does all the chores and childcare in order to allow the mother gain enough to regain her strength after a long 9 months and painful childbirth.  She is also not allowed to have sex with her husband during that period.

The mother prepares the ritual meal – Ji mmiri okou (Yam Peppersoup with fish) and Ofe Nsala (White Soup) served with pounded yam. The meals are prepared with lots of sizzling spices as they believe that feeding the nursing mother with lots of spicy meals enhances breast milk production and also remove blood clots from the nursing mother’s body.

There’s also hot water treatment and massages. The mother baths the woman 2-3 times a day with hot water massages on the abdominal and genital area, the baby is also massaged in order to make them flexible and have a well-structured body. In the Indian culture- the method of bathing the baby whilst balancing on the mother’s leg gave comfort to both mother and child and helped with pain relief whilst promoting deep sleep for mother and infant.

This omugwo ritual typically lasts for 3 months- after that, the woman makes her first public appearance – a special appearance at the market square where she dances with the baby and shows the baby to the public. However, due to Christianity, this practice has been replaced with the child dedication done at the church. Some people perform this dedication less than 14 days after delivery, which seems to blow my mind every time because I do not believe the woman has rested or healed enough to engage in such activities; the stress of planning such event often takes a toll on the nursing mother.

I believe that postpartum rituals help create a sense of intimacy for nursing mothers, making them aware that they are not in the journey alone as they can always lean on others for support whenever they desire.

If we Africans can tailor out approaches and treatment for PPD that are in line with our community values and cultures; we will be able to unlock the box that allows us to create sustainable solutions for our society, as many of the solutions that we replicate from the West are created with their own risk factors in mind. Some research done on PPD on communities that did not practice Western cultures shows that some of our biggest risk factors are-

• Financial Difficulties
• Not Resting After Delivery
• Family Problems
• Having Female Children While Wanting a Male Child

This means that when health specialists go to speak to pregnant women, they can ask questions that allow them to know if they face some of these challenges. For instance, having female kids whilst wanting a male child- this is a big issue for many African women, hence fighting against discrimination of female kids based on their perceived inferior value will go a long way in curbing the PPD rates in those communities, as this comes with ripple effects.

Once the community sees that both sex children have equal value, family conflicts will be reduced, stress and anxiety relating to that will decline as well, even mothers and mother in laws will be more receptive to the nursing mother.

I believe that we can gain knowledge from the West and integrate them with our own culture, as we do ourselves a disservice when we disregard our cultural practices.

Please tell me what you think in the comment section. I want to learn from you.

What postpartum ritual is practiced in your own community? Do you think they create more harm than good? What risk factors do you think lead to PPD in your opinion? Do you think we have abandoned our cultures?