Pregnancy and tradition in Kampala

Tradition! tradition!
Just like Tevye would sing in "Fiddler on the roof".
I stumbled on some interesting pregnancy information over the long weekend.

While Helen lived with me, she talked about a herb expecting mothers in Teso take to avoid miscarriage and to strengthen the womb. The ingredients include tree buck and millet grains; it’s pounded to powder, mixed with water and taken 3 times a day.

As the pregnancy progresses to about the 8th month, the traditional birth attendant / "old woman in the village" massages the pregnant woman’s belly to make the baby face down, ready for delivery. The massage is also known to keep the baby active.

The Baganda are hinged to their traditional beliefs more than any other tribe I know and Emily played a huge role in confirming my suspicions.

Her advice; - a pregnant woman must bathe with cold water. It keeps the baby active, gives her energy and wades off nausea and morning sickness. The water should be kept outside overnight and she should shower before 7am. I couldn't bother leaving it out all night, by the time I run the water from the tap, it's as chilly as could be. The moment that water hits my back I'm as awake as an owl in the night. Of course that is after I have counted to 20, taken a few deep breaths and muffled a few screams. I don't know if it cures nausea and morning sickness though.

She should soak certain herbal leaves in cold water and wash with them.
“How does this work?” I ask.
And that is where my adventure begun.

Saturday morning; I met Emily at the taxi park and we started our journey to Katwe. Wading through the park was worse than trying to swim through thick mad. It's overly congested - more complicated for me with my protruding belly. Cars park so close together it’s near impossible passing between them. I took the longer route which was a maze in itself – reminded me of the puzzles I did when I was a kid; “Jane is lost please help her find her way home” your given several possible routes but only one leads home. So, it was up and up, turn left, turn right, turn right, turn left again, move back, watch out for the wheel burrow pusher, move back again, a little forward until finally you get there. We hopped into the taxi and travelled to Katwe market.

The market was packed with vendors selling all sorts of goods; banana fibers, honey, fish, spaghetti, live chicken, carrots, vegetables, tangerines, 2nd hand gadgets, pears...

We were given directions to the women selling traditional herbs where we met a woman in her mid 30’s sitting behind a heap of what looked like weeds that had been uprooted from a garden, hard to imagine that she was actually selling trash; dried yellow flowers, goose berry stalks, pumpkin leaves…But to her and all those who know the treasures beneath these grasses, it’s a lucrative business. That she makes a living off selling this is amazing.

I stood beside Emily as she made inquiries. My tongue was tied because of the language barrier although I understood what was being communicated.

The woman picked out 10 different weeds, which I’m certain to have seen growing in bushes here and there. As she mentioned which ones she considered essential, I asked for an explanation for what each does.

- Akayana
- Kasamba ndege
- Mululuza
- Akabanba maliza
- Oreza
- Ebbobo
- Mukasa
- Namirembe
- Ekyomusayi
- Bbololola
- Akabulula

Three quarters of the leaves were for energy, wading off dizziness, increasing blood levels and making the tummy a perfect trampoline for the baby. I was instructed to soak each type of leaf in a basin of cold water and after taking a normal shower, to wash in the leaves.
I tried the leaves that first night as instructed: soak the leaves in a basin, after taking a shower, squeeze the leaves into the water. I did. The leaves gave off a tantalizing scent, the water turned green and the soil from the roots settled at the bottom of the basin. I didn’t feel that different afterwards but I did struggle to get the leaves off my body. It was a messy process; by the end of it all I was sweating from trying to clear the bathtub of all evidence of this stuff. Because it takes so much time, I doubt that I will be able to do this on a daily basis – it would be so much easier in a grass thatched bathroom.
Next to the lady with the herbs was another woman who sold clay- Bbololola and Akabulula. The former is supposed to be a nice drink that clears the system and the latter is to be drunk in the later stages of labor, it is said to reduce the pain and make labor swift.

Bbololola and Akabulula

Bbololola; pour boiled water into a dish (specially made out of clay) grind the piece of clay into the water until it makes some kind of grayish drink. Unfortunately the little calabash/ dish that I bought broke on the way :-). I’m looking for a new one then I will tell you my experience.

The other clay - Akabulula looked like mad. It’s mixed in a similar fashion but strictly drunk when labor is in the 3rd stage. It’s meant to ease the pain, but apparently should be taken in secrecy – I don’t know how a woman in labor will have the frame of mind to be discrete, especially in the final stages of labor but apparently doctors don’t encourage it that is why it’s done in secrecy.

That is the little education I received over the Easter weekend. I’m not a good student – can’t follow the instructions to the tee but I will keep you updated if and when I notice changes.

The clock is ticking. I have climbed over the 25th mark, just hit 26 and going steady. In a week’s time I will be in month 7 - That is exciting! I’m doing well so far, nothing to complain about except the heat and a few aches. Sleeping is serious business these days, can’t just flip over like I used to. Now I plan the turns - think about it, decide it has to be done lest I get numb, I sit up, shift, turn, and then lie down again. Thankfully sleep is still in plenty even though it’s hiccupped.