Mother’s Day: The joys of expecting for the first time

POLOKWANE – Most women dream of having children and being able to carry one and celebrating Mother’s Day also means celebrating with first-time mothers.

Mmatau Phaka (31) is a first-time mother and told the Polokwane Observer that she is proud and cannot wait to meet her bundle of joy.

Even though she was over the moon about her pregnancy, Phaka was also scared to disclose her pregnancy to her mother.

“As much as I was scared, my mom didn’t have a problem with my pregnancy. I love being pregnant because I planned for this and I couldn’t wait for this time to come,” she said.

She also shared some tips regarding her pregnancy and believes that if other expecting mothers follow them, they will also enjoy it just as much.

“I practiced mindfulness which helped me to connect with the world around me so that I do not get lost in negative thoughts and I avoided stress as well,” she explained.

She added that she always ensures that she gets enough sleep and eats healthy food.

Phaka advised pregnant mommies to never skip antenatal classes as it offers them an opportunity to share their experiences with other pregnant women and learn a lot from each other.

“Pregnancy yoga and aqua natal classes also played a vital role in my emotional well-being. This class also helps as we are also taught about what to expect during labour,” she said.

She says the biggest highlight of her pregnancy is the treatment that she gets from people and the fact that her skin tone is glowing way better than before.

“I like it when people go out of their way just to make me happy. This could mean people opening doors for me or offering their seats and skipping long queues,” she explained.

She also stated that choosing the best name for her baby is the most fulfilling thing that she has ever done. “Naming my baby without asking for opinions from people makes me happy.”

Phaka says she is eager to meet her bundle of joy, Anandiyankha. The name is derived from the Nyanga language which is spoken in some parts of Malawi and Zambia and translates to ‘he answers me in his time’.

Even though she tries by all means to eat healthy food, there are some that make her nauseous and that is a challenge to her as those were some of her favorite foods.

She concluded by saying that she has developed an unconditional love for her baby, even though they haven’t met physically, but the love she has for the baby feels like it is the first time she fell in love.