Ijeoma Amaechi Etikerentse: Life as a Mum to My Adorable Brood of 5

I’m a 36 year old mum of five. Coming from a small family of two girls, I knew I wanted at least three children and to adopt one or two more, but my last two babies proved smarter than birth control. I find people teasing or asking if I’m illiterate, ignorant of birth control, cavalier about my health or just plain stupid. I muse about this because my kids are my best accomplishment.

Raising them is mentally draining, as you have to constantly brainstorm about their individual welfare, challenges, and so on. We’re involved in some extracurricular activities, social events, travel, you name it. It’s cumbersome and time consuming. Financially, it’s a whole lot of responsibility; private school tuition, travel expenses, vacation camps, after school activities, nannies, clothing, feeding, health care, and so on. My husband and I have learnt setting our priorities right and budgeting is one of the best ways to keep up with the financial demands.

My older kids had to grow up quickly. I started teaching them basic self care methods early so they could be independent and help with their younger siblings when necessary.

In terms of fitness, I have also dabbled into Atkins and just counting calories by myself but the former has worked best for me. I used Atkins after my second child, I guess because I was younger with a higher metabolism rate, I got away with implementing it only on weekdays without exercise; I had such remarkable results. I lost 31 of the 38 pounds I gained within 6 weeks! Then I switched to weight watchers and lost 25 more pounds, putting me way below my pre- pregnancy weight. With my third and fourth babies, losing weight wasn’t easy. I had to include exercise and it took a longer while to see results. With my fifth, I am within 5 pounds of my weight goal. I’ve been there since she was 9 months, but lack the motivation to go the last stretch, especially since people look at me and think I have lost it all. LOL! Notwithstanding, I watch what and how much I eat, and indulge in moderation.

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Overall, my children are such a blessing, and my heart melts each time they call me ‘mum’.