Lesson 1 of 1
The grandmother moves in
Never alone
In Igbo tradition, a new mother is not left alone. The baby’s grandmother, or the mother-in-law if the mother is far away, moves into the couple’s home for one to three months. This is Omugwo.
The grandmother takes over cooking, cleaning and guests so the mother can rest, breastfeed and recover.
A typical Omugwo day
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- ♨️1. Warm care
Daily warm baths and warm compresses help the mother’s recovery.
- 🍲2. Warming food
Peppery white soup with spices such as uda, uziza and ehuru. Cold food and drinks are avoided at first.
- 🍼3. Baby care
The grandmother bathes and massages the baby and often stays up at night.
- 🎁4. Gratitude
At the end, the parents give her gifts: clothes, money, provisions and soap.
Why it matters
Researchers see Omugwo as a cultural protection against the isolation many new mothers feel. It shows that raising a child is a communal task.