Motherhood is tough, but there have been rewards

MOTHERHOOD TALES. Twelve mothers tell of their toughest times at the job of being mom, and what they celebrate the most about motherhood despite the hard times.

Rita Nabuzale, social economist and mother of three
Carrying each one of my children for nine months was a tough experience. There were a lot of things that were running through my mind each time, especially regarding the safety and health of each baby. Then balancing work and motherhood has not always been easy for me. Both need a lot of time and attention. Despite all this, I always get overwhelmed with joy whenever I see any of my children smiling.

Immaculate Obongi, housewife and mother of five
In the past, my children used to frequently come to me and ask for certain things I could not afford. I used to feel bad about it because as a mother, one of my roles is to provide for my children all the basic necessities they need in life. But I could not because of the little income that I was getting from my malwa business, which could not sustain all their needs. Now that some of them have grown up, they understand the situation at hand and are not as demanding as they used to be.

Margaret Egesa, 27, student and mother of one
I’m a first time mother to a one-and-a-half-year old daughter. I started feeling the constraints of motherhood right from the day I gave birth to her. My daughter would always cry and when she did, I would do everything within my means to try and silence her but she would not stop. That would really scare and worry me. There were times she would also refuse to breastfeed and I would force her to do it. The sleepless nights were another nightmare. I’m happy that now that she has grown, she does not disturb me as she used to.

Olive Otete, lawyer and mother of four
At the moment, I would be having five children. However, one of the children, a twin, was still- born. She would have been four years old just like her sister. Coming to terms with the loss was very hard for me since my husband and I had initially planned for both of them. That was my most agonising experience as a mother. On the other hand, seeing my other children growing up and becoming more and more responsible has been the most rewarding experience of motherhood.

Christine Nabulya, nursery school teacher and mother of one
I only hate the times my daughter becomes so rebellious and defensive. As much as such behaviour really annoy me, I love having her around me because she is such great company.

Florence Namatovu Nnalongo, banker and mother of twins
I cannot ignore the fact that having twins is such a big blessing from God. However, looking after them, especially when they are still babies, is such a lot of hard work. My twin daughters are now one year and a few months old. The biggest challenge with them has been when one falls sick, the other one falls sick too. When one wants something, the other wants it too. I have therefore had lots of sleepless nights just taking care of them. Despite all this, I am so happy that those beautiful identical girls are in my life. Instead of giving me one, God chose to give me two wonderful blessings and for that I will always be grateful to Him.

Alice Kitimbo Wanyana, teacher and mother of two
I have not been able to provide for my two lovely daughters everything that they need in life, but the rewarding experience is that they are understanding and God-fearing girls. They have always appreciated everything I have given them in the past.

Zaina Kiggundu, business woman and mother of four
My husband is always on the move, so, it is I who is always there for them. I, therefore, do everything ranging from taking them to school, outings to supervising their homework. As much as it is a hectic job, I manage to get everything done. When my children are happy at the end of the day, I become happy too.

Bernadette Namugwanya, Head teacher and mother of one
Ever since my son, Peter Emmanuel Ngobi, was born eight years ago, I have never employed a maid. I have always done everything on my own. When Peter was still a baby, I would wake up at 4am and prepare myself for work. Then, I would bathe, dress and feed him and later drop him at my mother’s place. At around 7pm after work, I would go and pick him up and we head back home. At this particular time, I would be very tired, but I had to make sure that I did all the work. Balancing such motherhood, office and wifely duties was really overwhelming for me. But I am grateful that spending too much time with my son helped us bond a lot. We are now the best of friends.

Grace Elungat, businesswoman and mother of four
I faced the biggest challenge as a mother when my first born daughter, who is now in her 20s, suddenly became asthmatic when she was about five years old. It was something that really took me by surprise. Whenever she got attacks, breathing became such a big problem. In fact, it seemed as if her little body was always fighting hard to breath. But I am happy that now she is healthy just like her siblings and does not give me any cause for worry as before. Seeing my four children grown up now and being able to easily bond with them has been the most rewarding experience of motherhood.

Julia Lubega, marketer and mother of two
My first born girl developed a skin condition known as eczema when she was just a baby. The doctors said that she got it because of an allergy. She would cry all the time because of too much pain. As a mother, seeing my own daughter going through such agony was very heartbreaking.
She is now four years old and her skin has gotten better. Besides her current healthier state, it is another joy seeing both of them always playing happily. It is from these few experiences that I now know what it means to be a mother.

Anisha Nawozantya, housewife and mother of three
Looking after them whenever they fall sick has been my biggest challenge so far. They cry a lot and just do not want to eat anything. Such moments have been frustrating for me. On the other hand, I love the fact that they are growing up into more responsible and hardworking children.