CULTURES FOLLOWING
CHILD BIRTH IN IGBO LAND
The cultural practices that follows child birth in Africa
Every
continent have various way they celebrate the coming of a new child into there
family, this is not different in Africa as this is done in a special and unique
way.
Today
we will be seeing some celebration that follows the birth of a new child in
Igbo land and what happen to the mother of the child.
Years
ago, this is the celebration that was usually done when a new child is born.
When a child is born in the maternity home,the
mother and child remains there for eight market days during which the child (before now male and female) is circumcised in the eyes of her mom or
any close relation from her family or her husband’s family. After the eight
day, it is expected that the woman would have been strong enough to move some
distance.
On
the eight day the woman accompanied by her mother and other women from her
husbands village,escorts the woman back to her family on arrival, a certain song is raised by the
women after being greeted by the woman who have just delivered or her husband this song is toned in
native language(Igbo) and known as Oro-Onu the Oro-Onu is a song of joy used during
marriage ceremony, burial food preparation of an old woman or man, coronation
of kings etc. The Oro-Onu for child birth is quite different from any other
celebration and it goes like this:
Eh-eh-eh
eh eh--eh ea Omuru Nnwa gini eha? Response Omuru Nnwa Woko Ooo or Omuru Nnwa
wayi oooo ele oporoko obu ezi-okqw BIA lele ihe bu-nnwa BIA lele Nnwa lelelele
iheoma ruquem na akha na abuo ngi akha woro ya Apata wuruqua nbu nnwa o…. iya
iya-ihe bu erom-erom-erom ihe bu erom-erom ekete mu nuru nga Ngarum ULo poro nwam
bia, ihe bu nnwa nnwa oko.
Now
this song tells anybody coming into the compound that a new child has been born
and the women celebrate along with the children and any other person present as
pepper soup yam is served to the people present and a name is given to the child.
After the celebration, the woman who has just gave birth remains indoor for three month and will be served with well prepared pepper soup yam made of stock fish and dried fish, uzuza and uda and she will be taken well care of to help her recover her lost strength and breast feed the baby very well. This period is known as omukwuor during this period the woman is not allowed to do any hard work as her mom sees to all work both bathing of the baby, cooking etc.
After the celebration, the woman who has just gave birth remains indoor for three month and will be served with well prepared pepper soup yam made of stock fish and dried fish, uzuza and uda and she will be taken well care of to help her recover her lost strength and breast feed the baby very well. This period is known as omukwuor during this period the woman is not allowed to do any hard work as her mom sees to all work both bathing of the baby, cooking etc.
Uzuza: this a local ingredient used to prepare pepper soup yam for a woman who have just gave birth; this helps her recover faster.
Uda:this is used along with Uzuza to add flavor to the pepper soup yam; this ingredient contain some level of pepper so when used little pepper is required.