Mummy & i march edition 2018

March Edition 2018

33 Kitchen tricks to save you time and Hassles

Natural Remedies To Cure Constipation In Infants Or Babies:

Understanding Teenage Behavior Problems And Tips To Handle Them

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME: Shaking your baby vigorously could damage the brain.

Antibiotics and Menstrual Period: Does antibiotics affect Menstrual period?

Why you need a bottle of Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil everyday.

NKECHI HARRY

NGONADI

CEO, NHN- COUTURE.

“ I have an irresistible and undying passion for fashion but NHN- couture was not born out of my passion, rather it is my calling. NHN is a vision on a mission to bring decency back to church first, and the society at large.

Family over Everything.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Family assumes different meanings in several contexts. It could mean a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit; a group of people related by blood or marriage; all descendants of a common ancestor; or a group of people from a common stock. It is summed up in the fact that family is a unit.

There's a strong linkage among them. Parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, grandparents, aunts, cousins, nephews, form family forms either extended or nuclear family. It will interest you to know both the dead or the living, all come from a family.

Family is the background of life both in the human setting or in animal kingdom. Family is forever, it is support. The importance of family cannot be over stressed. In the family, some members could be crazy, weird, hectic and confusing, but that makes it fun.

They are always there when things are both rough and smooth, they don't retire. When you are sad, need someone to talk to or vent your frustrations, feel alone, depressed, it is still the family. They are who you can trust. Not all the time you will get along with them.

There could be plenty of fights, quarrels, arguments, disagreements, pains, disappointments, regrets, true to human settings, but family remains forever.

Friends, associates, acquaintances, walk into one's life at some point, and for certain reasons but family stays and remains.

Whether as an adult, adolescent, a child or becoming independent, you need people in your life that you can trust confidently, people you can fall back on and to be there for you. From the foregoing, it is precedent that family should form the first consideration in every human undertaking because their support is unconditional and the most sustainable.

Before you start that venture, before you take up that responsibility, before you embark on that journey, before you take up that role, before you take up that job, before you make that move, how about family?

How would family fare? No matter the outcome, it is family that will bear the consequences or reward. It is the family you will finally get back to, whether in the positive or in the negative. It is and should be Family Over Everything.

ESTHER IJEOMA OGBUKA Editor mummyandimagazine@gmail.com Esther Ijeoma Ogbuka @estherogbuka @estherogbuka 09051697564

OUR EDITORIAL TEAM Esther Ijeoma Ogbuka Editor Benjamin Uwakwe Head of Sales Department Ada C. Onyeforo Editorial Assistant/Administrative Personnel Michael Sampson .N Page Editor Oluwayemisi Fashola Editorial Adviser L. Brown Graphics Designer

CONTRIBUTORS Vera Uchechi ( Nigeria) Dr.Uche Anyanwagu, Ph.D ( United Kingdom) Dr. Chibuike Joseph Chukwudum ( Nigeria) Nwachukwu Fiona, Pharmacist ( Nigeria

SHAKEN

BABY SYNDROME One "Horrible Second" Is All It Takes

By Chibuike Joseph Chukwudum.

S

he's stressed out: taking care of her 5month old infant, and trying to keep her two, 2-yearold little boys in line is one hell of a herculean task. Those two little rascals! They will be the death of her if care's not taken. Little wonder her Paediatrics textbooks refer to two year olds as "terrible twos." But she's quite sure "horrible twos" would be more befitting for her twin boys. Hubby wasn't helping much. All he knew how to do well was to take care of himself; he doesn't give a hoot about the kids, well except for providing cash in hard currency for their upkeep.

But that wasn't just enough; it would be refreshing if he could help out around the house sometimes.

Hubby is also an abusive ingrate, who thinks keeping a home is a "no biggy;" it doesn't matter that she put her promising career as a Paediatrician on hold to be able to do that effectively. That momaying, when she broached the topic of finding her a helper, he went ballistic and kept going on and on about how she keeps "lazying about," and about how his own mother had 8 of them and took care of all of them alone, and still managed to keep her little business going.

As she was trying to get her two little rascals-- her "Aki and Pawpaw," ready for school, they kept running around the house making faces at her. Those two; everything is an excuse for play for them. And usually she indulges them; but that morning, she wasn't just finding it funny. Baby had been crying for the past 10 minutes, and she had tried to ignore her so as to get the boys ready. But she was now wailing on top of her lungs, and she couldn't understand why. For God's sake, it hadn't been long she breastfed her and changed her diapers!

With the anger of hubby's insensitive words that morning, the frustration of trying to get "Aki and Pawpaw" ready and not making any headway, and the exhaustion of it all, she stormed into her room, straight to her little cutie's cot, and picked her up.

Shaking her back and forth vigorously, she shouted "Whaaaaat! kedu ife obu; what is it?" The baby seemed stunned by the shout and went mute. She dropped her back in the cot and stormed away to find the two little rascals.

10 minutes later, when she was done dressing up the twins, she came to pick up her little girl for the "school run." But the girl was icy cold and still. And she immediately knew why. Her piercing scream and wails couldn't revive her baby. If only she could wake up now and cry all day, she wouldn't mind; heck, it would be sweet music to her ears. Unfortunately, what

was done in that one horrible second can never be reversed; not even by a lifetime of grief!

As the neighbours were trying to console her, guilt couldn't let the tears stop flowing. Yes, she's a Paediatrician herself, and no matter how she wants to deny it, she knew she was the one who killed her baby.

The bluish discoloration of her lips and the unequal pupils, were all a testament to that.

What is SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME [SBS] ?

Shaken baby syndrome is a form of severe brain injury that occurs as a result of vigorous shaking, throwing, or dropping of a baby. It can also result from hitting the baby's head on a surface. Hence it is also called "Shaken Impact syndrome." Other names it goes by include "Whiplash Shake Syndrome," "Abusive Head Trauma," and "Non Accidental Head Injury" [NAHI]. The last two name denotes that it is actually a form of CHILD ABUSE. It could result in instant death [25% of the times] ,depending on the severity of injury, which in turn depends on the intensity and duration of the shakes, and whether there was an associated impact of the head against a stationary surface, or not.

80% of the fraction of kids who get to survive it tend to end up with serious, lifelong, debilitating complications, including PERMANENT brain damage!

And it is important to note that all these could result from as little as 5 seconds of shaking.

MECHANISM OF INJURY IN SBS. The mechanism of injury in SBS is dependent on the following: 1. The neck muscles of babies are usually not well developed, and therefore is ineffective in controlling their relatively large heads.

2. Their blood vessels are fragile and thus easy to rupture. .

With vigorous shaking therefore, the child's head moves back and forth uncontrollably, rotating around its axis, with the following consequences: 1. The baby's brain "shakes" inside his skull, much like a stone in a container; hitting against the bones with considerable force. This leads to bruising and swelling

of the brain [cerebral contusion and edema].

SYMPTOMS and SIGNS

2. The blood vessels rupture with resultant bleeding into the space between the brain and the skull [subdural hematoma].

The presence of the following, in a child that was recently shaken, should arouse suspicion for SBS:

3. Sudden acceleration and deceleration of the brain, as it goes "to-and-fro" inside the skull, generates shearing forces which leads to demyelination of cerebral neurons [diffuse axonal injury].

4. The force of the shakes tears out the retina from the back of the eyes leading to bleeding inside and behind the eyes [vitro-retinal traction and retinal hemorrhage] .

All these are pathological features of Traumatic Brain Injury of any cause, and has a very poor prognosis.

RISK FACTORS The risk factors for shaken impact syndrome are well portrayed in the introductor y scenario. For convenience, they can be divided into parental factors, and child factors as follows: PARENTAL/ GUARDIAN FACTORS The principal factor-- the last straw that breaks the Camel's back rather, is frustration by the cries of an irritable,and inconsolable child.

Factors that set the stage include: - Stress - Single parenthood [especially single fathers] - Substance abuse - Ongoing domestic abuse - A history of physical abuse as a child - etc CHILD FACTORS

- Drowsiness - Seizures - Bluish discoloration of the body - Persistent vomiting - Poor suckling - Refusal of feeds - Excessive crying, associated with a bulging soft spot - Unequal pupils - Stiffness of the limbs - Coma COMPLICATIONS For kids that survive the assault, the complications include: 1. Blindness 2. Deafness 3. Cognitive impairment [mental retardation] 4. Cerebral palsy 5. Seizure disorders 6. Fractured bones Etc. PREVENTIVE MEASURES Tackling all the above listed risk factors, and more, would definitely help in preventing SBS. A more practical step however, is learning how to pacify a crying child with PATIENCE. STEP 1: Identify why the child is crying The common causes of irritability in a child include hunger, discomfort [for example from soiled diapers], protest for attention, and pain, or illness. So, a crying child should be properly assessed for the cause of the irritability to be identified. When identified, it should be tackled immediately.

- The at-risk population are children less than 5 years, with the incidence being higher in children less than two, and highest between 6 to 8 weeks.

STEP 2: Pacifying the crying child.

-The ultimate risk factor, as stated above, is a child crying inconsolably.

Pacifying a crying child is an important art everyone, women and men alike, should learn.

Other risk factors include:

The following "5S" may be of help: - Shushing.

- Special needs children, whose parents often feel fed up with.

- Children with conditions that predispose to irritability like colic, and GERD. - etc

This includes singing to the baby, or using steady rhythmical sounds to distract the baby.

- Sucking.

Use of pacifiers, or even the baby's finger, is known to hush most babies.

- Swinging gently.

This includes swaying from side to side, swinging, walking around, dancing, and bouncing the baby, all done gently.

- Side/Stomach positioning.

Placing babies on their tummy or by their sides [preferably the left side], especially after feeding, is known to help with discomfort after feeding.

Note: This MUST BE DONE WHILE HOLDING THE BABY! Babies should never be allowed to lie face down because of the risk of SIDS.

If after all these, the baby is still crying; - Take a break! Especially if you feel you're losing it.

Gently keep the baby, walk away, and take a DEEP BREATH! DO NOT SHAKE HIM/HER OUT OF FRUSTRATION! - Call for Help! This may mean calling your partner, a neighbour, friend, or going to the hospital as the case may be. It is important to note that irritability could be a symptom of minor medical conditions like colics, as well as serious ones like dehydration, sepsis, intestinal obstruction, and raised intracranial pressure. And in such cases, without medical intervention, it may never resolve. ____________________________________________ POPULARLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

- Swaddling.

Wrapping babies up, with knees flexed, helps make them feel safe and protected, and could help in some cases. .

STEP 3: Take a break and call for help!

Can bouncing a baby on the knee, or tossing into the air, cause SBS? The answer is NO! However, if tossing is high enough, and the child's head hits a stationary surface, like a ceiling, it can! Also, if the baby slips and falls, it can cause considerable damage. So, babies, if they must, should be tossed with great care, and not so high up into the air.

Understanding

Teenage

Behavior Problems &

Tips To Handle Them

By Vera Uche

D

ealing with a teenager is not easy. No matter how good a parent you are, and how great your relationship with your children is, you are likely to face parenting roadblocks when it comes to your teenager. Behaviour problems are common in teenagers. But you can deal with them with ease if you are willing to put in the effort to understand what they are going through and what it is that they expect of you.

Mummy and I gives you insight into teenage behavioural problems and how you can deal with them without straining the relationship with your child.

What Is Normal Teen Behaviour?

Is my teenager’s behaviour normal?” If you often ask yourself this question, you are not alone. Parents could have difficulty understanding how their lovable little girl or boy has become so inscrutable. It is normal for teenagers to be moody, because of the hormonal changes they go through. Your teenager may need several reminders to finish his homework, to keep his room clean, or to finish simple chores. “

They may seem defiant and distant, and even detached at times. That is typical teen behaviour, but it may seem abnormal to adults, making it difficult to differentiate between normal teenage behaviour and behaviour associated with a mental illness.

10 Common Behavior Problems In Teenagers Behaviour issues in adolescents are normal. For ease of understanding, common teenage behaviour have been categorized into risky and difficult teenage behaviors.

RISKY BEHAVIOR IN TEENAGERS Teenage behaviours which can lead to self-harm or physical and psychological damage are considered as risky teenage behaviours. Keeping a close eye on your child can help you curb the issue before it blows out of proportion.

1. Sex, Alcohol, And Drugs Teens are increasingly indulging in alcohol, drugs, and sex long before they reach the legal age. Don’t be surprised if you find that your 15 or 16- year-old has started to drink socially and is sexually active. If you find that your child’s friends and classmates are also indulging in such activities, then it is safe to assume that it is “normal” teen behaviour, and not a physical or mental illness. It is easy to get addicted to these vices. Substance abuse can often lead to depression, liver failure, and other chronic diseases . Alcohol and drug addiction may be difficult

to recover from .

As a parent, do not approve these activities but at the same time, do not panic and react instantly. Kids could take to alcohol early on due to violence or abuse at home, parent’s divorce or sheer peer pressure. One of the most effective ways to prevent alcohol or drug abuse is to talk about it. Talk to your teenager calmly and explain why they shouldn’t be indulging in drugs, alcohol, or sex early in their life.

Avoid an accusing tone when you bring up the issue, and try to be friendly. Children are also at the risk of taking alcohol without their knowledge. Sometimes, teens worry that not having alcohol or drugs is uncool and may be under peer pressure to say yes to it.

To avoid that, teach your kids early on how to say no to alcohol or drugs when someone offers it to them.

2. Increased Use Of Communication Devices And Social Media Based on research, almost 73% of teenagers had access to smartphones in 2015 and more than 92% teens logged into social media every day using their smartphones. Use of communication devices and social media is not bad. In fact, it is necessary for teens to have a mobile phone so that parents can keep a track of their whereabouts.

However, the use of these devices can turn into an addiction and affect your kid’s lifestyle and attitude.

Social media can open doors for strangers who may want to take undue advantage of your naive teenager, which can be dangerous.

Solution: Not giving your teenager a mobile phone or completely cutting off social media access is not a good idea. In fact, it may backfire and lead to stealing, hiding, and lying. It is common for teens to own a mobile phone. Get them one but have strict rules about what they use it for.

Monitor how they use the Internet – keep a tab on their browsing history if possible. Have an open arrangement about it so that you don’t have to check on them behind their back. Also, encourage them to talk about what they do online, by being friendly and open to their ideas and interests.

Another way to deal with this issue is to have restrictions on time spent on texting and calling their friends or on social media when they are at home.

3. Mood Swings

5. Lying Or Hiding Facts

Mood swings are common in teenagers, with them being happy sometimes and cranky the other times.

Anything and everything can set them off, and they can go on endless tirades of how unfair you are. Mood swings can also indicate depression sometimes.

It can be devastating for parents to find that their child has lied to them, or has not revealed everything. The truth is that their new sense of independence makes it seem unnecessary for them to tell you everything.

Also, the fear of being judged and punished may force your teen to lie, which could become a compulsive habit if not nipped in the bud.

Parents can distinguish between teen rebellion and mood swings, and depression by considering the severity and duration of the mood swings and the domains that are affected by these swings.

Solution: A common mistake that parents do is trivialize what their teen is going through. You may feel that your child is overreacting, but that will only make them feel misunderstood. That can shut them off completely.

Avoid giving advice or diverting the topic. Rather than brushing off their reaction, try to listen and empathize.

Let them talk about it and you may even be able to lead them to realize that the drama is not worth it.

4. Aggression Your teenager may get angry with you often and for reasons that are incomprehensible. They may become argumentative and talk back more than they did when they were kids.

Understand that anger is a normal human emotion, and it is common among teens. But if they don’t channelize their anger properly, it can become aggression and result in violence, which can be dangerous to them and others.

Solution: Parents often react to an angry, shouting teen by shouting back. Avoid the temptation to be louder than your teen and ‘win’ the argument, because that does not always fetch the desired results. In fact, your teen may feel pushed to a corner and become even more aggressive when you try to dominate him. * The only way to calm an angry teen is to be calm.

Find ways to control your anger and listen to what your teenager has to say. * Avoid arguments as far as possible and let your teen vent out all the anger. Once they run out of things to say, they will calm down. Encourage them to talk to you when there is a problem instead of bottling it up.

Teach them healthy ways to express anger rather than being aggressive or violent.

Solution: *Honesty is a trait that you should encourage your children to build. Teach them to tell you the truth, by setting an example for them. Have an open channel of communication with your kids, which allows them to share anything and everything without hesitation.

When kids see their parents being truthful and honest about everything, including their mistakes, they will learn to do the same. * Avoid being judgmental. If you point out flaws in everything and correct every mistake they make, they may fear that you will never approve of them, and may stop sharing and communicating with you.

DIFFICULT TEENAGE BEHAVIOUR Difficult behaviors are not harmful per se, but they can strain the relationship you have with your teen.

6. Defying Rules And Arguing Teenagers are rebellious.

They may not always want to do what you tell them to and would want to see the extent to which they can defy you. When teenagers argue with you and refuse to obey rules, do not punish them and act like a tyrant as it makes them more stubborn. They break rules more often. They may refuse to do chores, and talk back all the time.

Solution: * Teenagers are confused and need guidance to stay on the right path. They need limits to help them stay in control. When you create rules, you also create limits to help them. * Be clear about the rules, be it about how late they can stay out on a school night, or what they are supposed to do at home. * Make the consequences clear if they defy the rules and enforce them, regardless of how trivial the issue may seem. Your teenager will know that you are serious about the rules, and that will instill a sense of discipline in them.

You could also involve them in setting rules and punishments. This way they would clearly know what they are in for, if they go out of bounds.

7. Drastic Changes In Appearance The ‘rebellion’ bug, combined with the enthusiasm to experiment, can make your teen do a lot of things you may not understand. One of them is a drastic change in their appearance – your child may take to a specific style of dressing, may insist on having nothing but branded clothes, and may change their hairstyle without consulting you.

Girls may start using makeup, while boys may change their hairstyles and get tattoos. Teenage is when kids get in touch with their sexuality, and their newly discovered sexual preferences may also affect their dressing. Physical appearance and eating disorders are closely linked.

If your teen is eating too much or too little, starving herself, exercising more than needed, vomiting everything she eats, or constantly worries that she is fat or ugly, it can indicate serious problems like eating disorders, depression, and anxiety disorders .

Solution: * The most important thing you can do as a parent is accept them as they are and help them do the same.

Teach them to embrace who they are and how they look – this will help them deal with the pressures of looking ‘cool’ or ‘hot’ when they start high school. * Getting your teenagers to dress like the way you want them to can be next to impossible. Instead of rejecting their choices outright, try to indicate subtly that the ‘look’ doesn’t seem so cool and give them better options they may like.

8. Decreased Communication Your teenager is not talking to you as much as you would want him or her to. But think about it, did you talk to your parents all the time as a teenager?

Probably not. Also, your teen may seem to share more with her friends than she does with you. While you may want to know about everything that happens in your child’s life, it is not a reasonable ask for a teenager.

Solution: * If you force your teenager to tell you everything, they may end up fabricating stories to please you, which is not what you want. Accept that your teenager will not tell you everything. However, do let them know that they must inform you about all of the important events of their lives as you are the guardian.

* Emphasize that you’d like to know what’s happening in their life only because you care about them and want to make sure they are happy.

9. Spending More Time With Friends Teenagers’ sense of identity is based on who they hang out with. If they seem to be spending more time with their friends instead of with you at home, it is because they want to fit in, which is typical teenager behavior. The problem is when your teen spends more time with people you do not approve of (not that your teen cares about your approval), or with people who you think can influence your teen negatively.

Solution: * You may not like your teenager’s friends because of their appearance or because of their attitude. If it is appearance, remember that is not always a good idea to judge a book by its cover. Take the time to know your child’s friends before rejecting them. If you think that you are not happy with the kids’ attitude, you may want to bring that to your teenager’s notice in a subtle way. * If you find that your teen’s behavior has significantly changed, bring it to their notice without making it seem like it is their fault.

10. Indecisiveness Teens are often confused and indecisive because of the physical and emotional changes they go through Whether it is something as simple as what to wear to school or something as important as what college to pick, your teenager may seem to have a tough time making a choice. Indecisiveness may also be a sign of depression although not always .

Solution: * Teenage is the right time to introduce decisionmaking skills. Teach them different ways in which an option can be evaluated or gauged to make the right choice. Make sure that you do not, in any way, put them down or laugh at them for not being able to make a simple choice. * Also, avoid the temptation to make the choice for them. If you offer too much advice, they may end up making the wrong choice just to be defiant or prove that they can make decisions too.

TYPICAL TEENAGE GIRL BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS In addition to the behaviours mentioned above, teenage girls are exposed to a number of stress factors that put them at the risk of developing eating disorders, anxiety problems, and substance abuse. Teenage girls are more expressive of their emotions and also have the maturity to process them and talk about them if needed, which makes parenting teenage girls easier when compared to parenting boys.

That said, teenage girls are vulnerable emotionally and physically, and can be influenced by the internal stressors like hormone changes and external stressors like peer pressure and academic pressure.

Understand that it is as difficult for your daughter to be a teen, as it is for you to be a teen’s parent.

TYPICAL TEENAGE BOY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS When compared to girls, teenage boys are harder to handle. Boys are not as emotionally mature as girls, which makes it difficult for them to deal with their emotions. As a result, they tend to repress their feelings and not talk about them. In fact, a lot of teenage boys look at discussing their emotions as a sign of weakness.

Teen boys tend to start drugs and drinking earlier than girls, which is why parents need to be extra careful.

Recklessness is yet another trait that teenage boys have, which draws them to speeding and indulging in risky activities.

There is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy;

WHAT THE MUM DRINKS,

THE BABY DRINKS

By Nwachukwu Fiona Onyedikachi.

W

omen face many difficult challenges in life, none more important than the care of their unborn baby while they are developing in the womb. Even before a planned or unplanned pregnancy, women must clearly understand that unhealthy decisions made prior to their baby's birth could lead to potential negative consequences for the future arrival of their baby. A clear example of this, is that women who smoke or use tobacco products, drugs and/or alcohol prior to a pregnancy may have difficulty discontinuing their use once they find out they are pregnant. Additionally, when one examines the facts regarding perinatal drug and alcohol use, abuse, and addiction, it further demonstrates why this article is so important.

There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink. All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby. Women also should not drink alcohol if they are sexually active and do not use effective contraception (birth control). This is because a woman might get pregnant and expose her baby to alcohol before she knows she is pregnant. Since, nearly half of most pregnancies in the world are unplanned. Most women will not know they are pregnant for up to 4 to 6 weeks. FASDs are completely preventable if a woman does not drink alcohol during pregnancy. Why take the risk? This leads to the big question- What is FASD? Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) This is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect syndrome caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The prevalence of FAS is estimated to be 1 to 3 per 1,000 live births. This is roughly equivalent to the prevalence of down syndrome. FAS is the leading known cause of intellectual disabilities and is entirely preventable.

Characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Attention deficits, impulsivity, hyperactivity Poor sleeping patterns Poor social skills Poor judgment Easily influenced by peers Explosive response to changes Ability to repeat rules, but not practice them general cluelessness Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum) Small head size Shorter-than-average height Low body weight Poor coordination Hyperactive behavior Difficulty with attention Poor memory Difficulty in school (especially with math) Learning disabilities Speech and language delays Intellectual disability or low IQ Many individuals with FASD are smaller than their peers; some have distinctive facial characteristics.

However, brain damage can be extensive even if the facial features are minimal or not present.

Why Alcohol is Dangerous.

Alcohol has existed for at least 10,000 years. I am by no means taking a position that alcohol should be abolished, or that if you drink alcohol you are doing something wrong. Everyone has the right to make their own choices. I just want to make people aware of the truth…Alcohol Kills More Than All Drugs Combined.

While the “War on Drugs” portrays the message that drugs like heroin and cocaine are the dangers, it fails to mention that alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths per year ,while all other drugs combine to contribute to 20,000 deaths per year. Alcohol is especially cruel because it kills people slowly. Most alcohol related deaths are due to liver problems that occur after years of alcohol use. In most cases, alcohol leads to three types of liver problems.

Fatty Liver Disease is the build up of extra fat in liver cells. Almost all heavy drinkers have fattyliver disease. However if you quit drinking, the liver can heal itself and the fatty liver disease will go away.

Alcohol Hepatitis causes the liver to swell and become damaged. Alcohol hepatitis can be mild to severe. Up to 35% of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis. If it is severe, it may occur suddenly and lead to serious complications including liver failure and death.

Alcoholic Cirrhosis is the scaring of the liver which leads to poor liver function. It is the last stage of chronic liver disease. When we look at the short term dangers of a drug, heroin and crack cocaine are the most acutely dangerous. However, when we combine social, financial and long term effects of alcohol compared to heroin and crack, alcohol is by far more negatively impacting.

How Much Alcohol is Dangerous There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. Immediately you drink alcohol no matter how little, your developing baby drink same because both of you are connected via the placenta.

When Alcohol is Dangerous There is no safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can cause problems for the developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she is pregnant. Drinking alcohol in the first three months of pregnancy can cause the baby to have abnormal facial features.

Growth and central nervous system problems (e.g., low birthweight, behavioral problems) can occur from drinking alcohol anytime during pregnancy. The baby's brain is developing throughout pregnancy and can be affected by exposure to alcohol at any time. If a woman is drinking alcohol during pregnancy, it is never too late to stop.

The sooner a woman stops drinking, the better it will be for both her baby and herself.

Get Help!

If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant and cannot stop drinking, get help! Contact your healthcare provider, local Alcoholics Anonymous, or local alcohol treatment center.

Nwachukwu Fiona Onyedikachi is a Pharmacist. You can contact her via Nwachukwufiona@gmail.com

Antibiotics and Menstrual Period: A Love-Hate Relationship

A

ntibiotics and your period have a love-hate relationship. Although they get rid of the bad (and good) bacteria in the body, they also make estrogen less available. Without enough estrogen, proper menstrual cycle function is impossible.

When you take antibiotics, it can affect your menstrual cycle in a few different ways. First, it affects the speed that estrogen is metabolized. This is because antibiotics are metabolized by the liver, which is the same organ that metabolizes estrogen and progesterone.

When estrogen is metabolized at a slower pace, less of the hormone is available in the bloodstream. Why is this a big deal? Estrogen is required during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle to stimulate the ovaries and also thicken the uterine wall. Lack of estrogen can cause a delay in ovulation or a woman to skip ovulation altogether.

Second, antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in your gut. To understand how this affects your cycle, you need to understand how estrogen works. Once the liver metabolizes estrogen, it’s moved to the digestive tract and either reabsorbed or excreted. The good bacteria in your gut breaks down the estrogen into active estrogens, which can then be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

If antibiotics are killing the good bacteria in your gut, active estrogens may never make it back into your bloodstream. On top of all this, many antibiotics cause diarrhea, which consequently causes you to excrete more estrogen. When estrogen is excreted too quickly, it can cause a dramatic drop in estrogen levels and affect your cycle.

Emergencies in the

Home

First Aid Kit comes first

By Esther Ijeoma Ogbuka.

?

First aid kits are necessary so that you can treat ailments and injuries that happen at home. From the minor ailment to the more serious injury a first aid kit can help reduce the risk of infection or the severity of the injury. It might benefit you and your family to attend a first aid class through the Red Cross in order to know how to utilize all the supplies in a first aid kit.

Another good place to have a first aid kit is when you go out with your family. You can store it in your vehicle so if something happens when you are out somewhere you can start treating the problem immediately. First aid kits include a variety of items that will help treat cuts, scrapes, injuries including sprains, burns, and supplies for a variety of ailments that are common.

You can either buy a prepared first aid kit from the internet or you can prepare your own first aid kit using a list of common items that are in first aid kits. If you make your own first aid kit, make sure to put it in an easy to access place so that anyone can access the kit in the case of an injury.

Also make sure the first aid kit is easy for everyone to open so when an emergency occurs it is not about where the kit is but that it can be used for the situation.

First aid kits should include items like how to treat certain conditions and also explain what each item in the first aid kit treats and how it is used to treat that ailment. Make sure to include a wrap in case there is a sprain. If you take a first aid class you will feel comfortable wrapping a sprain appropriately.

Also include gauze to cover open wounds. Include a medical tape that can be used to keep a wrap or gauze on the skin. Another important item is Band-Aids that can be used in case of minor scrapes and cuts. Also include rubbing alcohol to clean out some open wounds.

Hand sanitizer can be used to wash the hands of the person that will be treating the injury. Antibiotic cream is also good for cuts and scrapes. The list goes on for what is used in a first aid kit and those were just some of the important items needed for one.

First aid kits are necessary for every household no matter the age of who lives in the home. Injuries can happen anytime and anywhere. When you have a first aid kit within easy access of wherever you are you will ensure the safety of everyone.

First aid can reduce infections from open wounds and injuries. It can also reduce the

What you need to create a complete" First aid kit."

Include the following in each of your first-aid kits: v first-aid manual v sterile gauze pads of different sizes adhesive tape adhesive bandages in several sizes elastic bandage a splint antiseptic wipes soap antibiotic ointment antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide) hydrocortisone cream (1%) acetaminophen and ibuprofen extra prescription medications (if the family is going on vacation) tweezers sharp scissors safety pins disposable instant cold packs calamine lotion alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol thermometer tooth preservation kit plastic non-latex gloves (at least 2 pairs) flashlight and extra batteries a blanket mouthpiece for administering CPR (can be obtained from your local Red Cross) your list of emergency phone numbers blanket (stored nearby) After you've stocked your first- aid kits: Read the entire first- aid manual so you'll understand how to use the contents of your kits. (If your kids are old enough to understand, review the manuals with them.)

Store first-aid kits in places that are out of children's reach but easily accessible for adults.

Check the kits regularly. Replace missing items or medicines that may have expired.

Check the flashlight batteries to make sure they work.

If you're flying, be sure to pack the first-aid kit in your checked luggage. Many of the items won't be permitted in your carry-on bags.

Baby of the Month

My unalloyed gratitude goes to "Witlux diapers" for choosing my baby as "Witlux Baby of the Month." I have tried many brands of diapers but "Witlux" stands out as the best among others. My Baby suddenly stopped having rashes on her pubic region.

All thanks to " Witlux Diapers".

How to treat your

baby's blocked

nose

by Oluwayemisi Fashola

A

stuffy nose can be uncomfortable for your baby, as well as affect his feeding and mean he doesn’t sleep well. Although it can be worrying, common colds are common in young children as their immune system is still developing. According to the NHS , children will get colds far more frequently than we do as adults, and symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, sneezing or a high temperature.

Although colds aren't normally serious, you should visit your physician if you notice any of the following: Ø The cold has not cleared up within three weeks. Ø If your child is under three months old and has a temperatue of 38 degrees, or 39 degrees if they are between 3-6 months. Ø If your child is struggling to breathe. Ø If they are coughing up blood. Ø If they have a persistent sore throat. Ø If they seem to be getting worse rather than better.

HOW SHOULD I TREAT MY BABY'S BLOCKED NOSE? 1) Usually your baby’s nasal congestion will clear up by itself within a week, but if not, there are lots of products to help clear his airways. You can use an infant nasal suction aspirator to help clear the mucus from his little nose, or saltwater nasal drops or spray.

2) If your baby’s blocked nose doesn’t clear and he still has problems breathing after suctioning, visit your GP to advice you on the best products to help ease congestion and treat your baby’s blocked nose so he can breathe more clearly: WHAT HOME REMEDIES CAN HELP MY BABY'S BLOCKED NOSE? 1. Saltwater : If your baby is under six months old, try putting a few drops of saline into each nostril. You can then use a bulb syringe to remove mucus. This simple home remedy works by thinning the mucus which can help your baby feel more comfortable. It's suitable for babies of all ages, however older babies may get fussy when using the bulb.

2. Removing any hard mucus: You might notice your baby's nose looks crusty or sticky, however it can help to clean this away to prevent it blocking the nose. You can clean this with cotton wool and warm water.

3. Sit in the bathroom together: If you don't want to buy a vaporizer, sitting in a steamy bathroom for a few minutes with your baby is just as good.

4. Keep your baby hydrated: Being hydrated thins mucus. Use the saline steps above to try and clear congestion if your baby is reluctrant when feeding.

5. Keep your baby upright: This can help mucus drain.

Try and encourage your little one to nap in her car seat or swing (whilst keeping an eye on her) so she gets some much needed sleep!

HOW CAN I HELP MY BABY SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT WHEN THEY HAVE A BLOCKED NOSE? As you know, when you've got a cold things can seem much worse when lying down, and this is the same for your baby. For her daytime naps, try and keep her as upright as possible to help the mucus to drain: if you can, try and encourage your baby to sleep in her car seat or swing.

You might also want to slightly elevate her head when sleeping as this will make breathing easier - fold a small towel and place it underneath your baby's mattress. However, be sure to keep an eye on your baby.

Constipation InInfants Or Babies 10 Causes, 11 Symptoms & 4 Treatments

by Ria Saha

C

onstipation can be a ‘tough’ problem for your little angel, pun not intended. Irregular

bowel movement can lead to many complications.

The problem occurs when your infant starts consuming formula milk and solid foods. With the right line of treatment, you can help your baby feel much better. If your baby seems to be suffering from constipation, you might want to read our post about constipation in infants or babies, and find out how you can help him!

What Is Constipation In Babies?

Constipation in infants is a common problem, and the early symptoms include irregular bowel movements or hard, dry, dark-colored stools. There are many factors that can lead to constipation in your baby. But some vital factors are changes in diet, inadequate quantity of fiber in food and dehydration. Constipation is a temporary health condition, and you can treat the disease implementing effective remedies and curative measures.

Encourage your growing baby to eat fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and adequate quantity of fluids. With suitable dietary changes, you can alleviate the symptoms of baby constipation. If the doctor approves laxative intake, you can also give them your little one. It is not only the frequency of bowel movements or straining that symbolizes your baby’s constipation, but it is also the consistency of the stool.

When your baby‘s poop appears firm, dry or pebbly it is a clear indication of constipation. Soft and watery poop indicates that your baby is not suffering from constipation. Excessive crying while pooping, abdominal pain, reduced appetite and bleeding from the anus are some of the common signs of constipation in babies

soon as you introduce solid foods or formula milk in your baby’s diet, try to feed her sufficient quantity of water daily.

Water and other additional fluids keep her hydrated and digest the food easily. Depending upon the atmospheric condition, you can decide the quantity of fluid. If you live in warmer climate, you have to feed extra fluids to your growing baby.

2. Consistency Of Formula Milk: While preparing formula milk for your baby; make sure to add the right number of scoops of formula powder to water. It is advisable to follow the dosage as recommended by the manufacturer. Do not overfill the scoop and thicken the consistency. Concentrated formula milk becomes difficult to digest for your little one and result in constipation.

3. Switching Formula Milk: The constant switching of formula milk brands or opting for cow’s milk changes the consistency of your baby’s stool. In some cases, the stool becomes hard, while, in other cases, the stool turns loose and runny.

Until your baby’s tummy gets used to the formula milk, the problem continues for a shorter span of time.

Some types or brands of formula milk appear more constipating than others. If constipation persists for longer days, try to avoid that formula milk completely.

4. New Foods: It is common for your breastfed baby to experience constipation when you introduce solid foods into her diet. Her little tummy cannot digest anything other than breast milk. Try to introduce the foods slowly and allow her adequate time to adjust to the dietary changes.

5. Low Fiber:

What Causes Constipation In Babies Or Infants?

Some of the common causes to alleviate constipation in your baby are:

Fiber is present in cereals, fruits, and vegetables.

When your baby consumes breast milk and formula milk, her body does not get enough fiber, and she becomes constipated.

1. Inadequate Fluid: 6. Medications: Is your little angel gaining enough weight for her age?

Is she not wetting six or more diapers every day? If your answer is yes, your baby is not getting an adequate amount of fluid. Inadequate amount of fluid in the body can lead to constipation. Your breastfed baby does not require any extra fluids until she starts eating solid foods. As

There are cer tain medications that induce constipation in your little one. The list includes antibiotics, painkillers (containing Paracetamol, Acetaminophen, and Ibuprofen), iron supplements, and Antacids containing aluminum.

7. Changes In Routine: Any significant change in your baby’ routine like travel, hot weather or stress can affect the bowel movement. In such conditions, your little one is prone to suffer from constipation.

- Stool withholding - Painful breaks appearing in the skin around the anus region.

- Due to irregular bowel passage, the stool accumulates in the colon and rectum and imposes - severe health discomfort (Encopresis)

8. Allergy To Cow’s Milk: Diagnosis Of Constipation In Infants Or Babies: Some infants cannot easily digest cow’s milk or other dairy products, which can lead to constipation.

9. Family History: Babies having a family history of constipation are more likely to develop the troublesome condition. It is due to the shared genetic or environmental factors.

10. Medical Conditions:

To diagnose baby or infant constipation, the pediatrician will gather complete medical history and ask questions about your baby’s past illnesses. The doctor further interrogates about your little one’s diet and physical activity patterns. After completing the verbal investigation, the doctor conducts a physical examination. He places a finger in your baby’s anal region to check for any abnormalities. Some of the other extensive medical tests to diagnose chronic constipation in infants are:

Constipation in babies clearly indicates an anatomic malformation and digestive problem. Other medical conditions linked to constipation are Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Down syndrome, nerve disorders and Cystic Fibrosis.

The standard X-ray diagnosis helps the doctor in the detection of any unwanted tumor or blockages in your baby’s abdomen.

Symptoms Of Constipation In Infants Or Babies:

2. Barium Enema X-Ray:

Here are some of the common symptoms of infant constipation you should remain alert of:

In the following test, barium dye coats the inner lining of your baby’s bowel. The X-ray clearly pictures the rectum, colon and other parts of the small intestine and detects any abnormalities easily.

1. Less than three bowel movements a week 2. Experiencing severe pain while passing stool 3. Stool appears hard and dry 4. Nausea 5. Abdominal pain 6. Blood on the surface of hard stool 7. Decreased appetite 8. Reappearing urinary tract infections 9. Vomiting 10. Urinary incontinence or bedwetting 11. Infants experience painful bowel movements Complications Associated With Constipation In Infants Or Babies: Constipation makes your little one feel uncomfortable, and she becomes more fussy and irritable. Though infant constipation is a temporary condition, if it turns chronic it induces these complications:

1. Abdominal X-ray:

3. Anorectal Manometry Or Motility Test: In the test, the placement of a thin tube known as catheter occurs in your baby’s rectum. The tube measures the coordination of the muscles that your baby utilizes for stool passage.

4. Rectal Biopsy: In the test, doctor extracts a small portion of the tissue from the lining of the rectum. The tissue extract is closely examined to check if the nerve cells are normal or not.

5. Transit Study Or Marker Study: In the test, your baby needs to swallow the capsule containing markers. With the passage of time, the marker slowly moves through your baby digestive tract, and the doctor keeps a track of the route through X- rays.

6. Blood Tests: Blood tests like thyroid panel help to check if your baby is a victim of hypothyroidism or not. Such elevating thyroid levels trig gers constipation in babies .

How To Treat Constipation In Infants Or Babies: Depending upon the severity of the disease, the doctor prescribes effective treatments to cure constipation: 1. Over-The-Counter Fiber Supplements: When your infant doest not acquire an adequate amount of fiber in her diet, the doctor prescribes intake of over-the- counter fiber supplement, like Metamucil or Citrucel. It is also crucial for your little one to intake plentiful amounts of fluids and get rid of dehydration. According to your baby’s age and weight, the doctor prescribes an appropriate dosage of the supplements.

2. Stool Softeners: Popular stool softeners such as Glycerin suppositories soften your baby’s stool and ease your little angel’s bowel movement.

3. Laxatives: When your little one suffers from severe constipation, the doctor suggests a laxative. The accumulation of the fecal material in the rectum induces severe abdominal pain and blockage. The laxative helps to clear the blockage.

Some of the recommended laxatives for babies are polyethylene glycol (Glycolax, MiraLax, others) and mineral oil.

4. Acupuncture:

2) As your little one adapts the dietary changes, she recovers from constipation eventually. However, if you intend to introduce fiber rich food in your baby’s diet, add few grams of fiber in the initial days to prevent gas and bloating.

3) Always encourage your little one to drink the plentiful amount of fluids including water, fruit juices, and soups. Fluid maintains the pace of digestion and helps your angel to overcome constipation.

4) As your baby reaches to 7-8 months, incorporate some physical activities in her daily regime. Slow walking or crawling stimulates the normal bowel function. It is important for your growing baby to follow a strict toilet routine. Set a time for toileting every day .

When To Consult The Doctor?

Get in touch with the doctor immediately when you see the following symptoms of constipation in infants or babies: - When your baby cries while straining. When your baby does not gain weight with growing ages.

- When the number of wet diapers starts decreasing, it indicates that your baby is probably a victim of dehydration.

- When your baby’s poop looks unusual and appears pebbly with strains of blood.

- When you notice any bleeding from the anal region of your baby.

- Before the inclusion of laxatives, it is further recommended to consult with the doctor and get adequate information about the dosage.

Diet For Your Constipated Baby: You can minimize the risks of constipation and also the associated symptoms, by giving a proper diet to your growing little angel. With the inclusion of dietary foods and lots of fluids, it eases the symptoms of constipation effectively.

The traditional Chinese treatment procedure treats baby constipation effectively. The treatment involves insertion of fine needles into various parts of your baby’s body. The therapy helps your baby to overcome severe abdominal pain.

Let Us Pay A CloserLook To The Recommended Diet Of Your Growing Baby:

Preventing Constipation In Infants Or Babies:

1. Less Than Two Months:

1) Follow the effective preventive measures to soothe your baby’s condition and help her overcome constipation easily: Include fiber-rich foods including fresh fruits, green vegetables, whole-grain cereals and beans in your baby’s diet.

As your baby is too young to ingest solid foods or formula milk, try to breastfeed your little one at a regular time interval. If constipation persists for the longer time span, it is better to consult the doctor as soon as possible.

2. Older Than Two Months: As your baby becomes two months, older include at least 3 ounces of water in his daily diet. Additionally, you can also include two ounces of diluted grape or apple juice.

3. Older Than Four Months: When your baby reaches the age of four months, you can think of including formula milk in her diet. But it is extremely important to pay attention to the consistency of the formula milk. Use the recommended scoop of formula milk, as suggested by the manufacturing brand. Higher amounts of milk powder induce constipation.

4. 5-10 Months Old: At this age, you can introduce solid foods into your baby’s diet. Make sure that the foods are in perfect puree form. Ensure that there are no lumps in your baby’s food, as it becomes difficult to digest.

helps your child feel relief from the severe painful symptoms of constipation. However, avoid pressing your baby’s tummy too hard, as it makes her feel uncomfortable.

2. Increase Water Consumption: Dehydration is one of the crucial factors to lead constipation in your infant. Whether your little one is breast or bottle fed, try to make sure that she consumes adequate amounts of water daily. If you notice any of the signs of constipation in your baby, feed her an additional 2-4 ounces (1/4 -1/2 cup) of water every day.

Elevating the amount of water consumption helps to regulate the bowel movements .

3. Sugar Solution: Sugar solution soothes infant constipation and helps in regulating the irregular bowel movements. Add a half teaspoon of sugar in a single ounce of plain water.

5. 1-Year-Old Infant: As your baby reaches the age of one year and above you can include dietary food elements like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Natural Remedies To Cure Constipation In Infants Or Babies: The painful and irritable syndrome of constipation makes your baby’s life more stressful. It is very difficult for you to see your little angel suffering from this health ailment. The introduction of solid foods, dehydration, and usage of dairy-based products or formula milk are some of the major factors to trigger dehydration in your infant. But before opting for natural remedies for constipation in babies, it is advisable to consider the age.

Feed the solution to your little one, thrice a day. Your baby can have the solution before intake of formula milk. It is advisable to use brown sugar, instead of white sugar for the preparation of the sugar solution.

4. Prune Juice: Prune juice serves as an effective home remedy to relieve constipation in infants. The natural juice extracted from prunes acts as a laxative to help your baby get rid of constipation easily. If your baby’s age lies above four months, mix four ounces of breast milk with one ounce of prune juice. Feed your baby the diluted mixture of prune juice twice a day.

Let us check out some effective, natural and simple remedies to treat infant constipation:

If your baby’s age is less than four months, mix one tablespoon of prune juice with four ounces of breast milk and feed your baby. The mentioned proportion is sufficient to regulate bowel movements of your little one.

1. Stomach Massage:

5. Dark Corn Syrup:

Stomach massage is an effective way to soothe your baby’s abdominal pain or cramps and aid in smooth bowel movements. Gently massage your baby’s little tummy in a clockwise direction using your fingertips.

Massage around the naval region and rotate the fingertips in a spherical motion.

Dark corn syrup is a perfect combo to treat baby constipation effectively. Take four ounces of water in a saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Add one teaspoon of dark corn syrup to the cooled boiled water and mix well.

Feed one teaspoon of the mixture to your baby twice daily.

Stomach massage eradicates the tummy pain and

If you’re already feeding your baby the sugar solution, avoid using dark corn syrup.

6. Warm Bath: A warm bath helps relax the stomach muscles and helps baby constipation. Utilize lukewarm water to bath your little one. While drying your baby try to massage the tummy gently using soft circular movements.

7. Include High-Fiber Foods: During the early years, some of the common foods fed to your infant are a banana, carrots, cheese and rice cereal. All these food elements contain fewer fibers and exhibit a binding effect on the stool. As a result, your little one becomes a victim of constipation.

Include high-fiber foods in your baby’s diet like peaches, plums, prunes and apricots. These are better choices to avoid constipation in childhood days.

8. Give Your Baby “Bicycle Legs”: Regular exercising aids in smooth bowel movement and help to overcome constipation easily. As your small one cannot practice jogging, walking or swimming you can think of some other effective exercising technique.

Making your baby’s leg swirl in bicycling or paddling motion eases in a smooth bowel movement. Place your baby on her back on the bed. Lift up her legs and move them in circular motions. The movement exerts an abdominal pressure, and your baby feels the urge of popping.

9. Rectal Simulation: Rectal simulation eases the bowel movements and helps your baby to pass the smooth comfortably. Use a small amount of Vaseline to lubricate the tip of the rectal thermometer. Carefully insert the lubricated thermometer into your baby’s bottom portion.

Gently wiggle the tip of the thermometer for few times. The effective wiggling of the thermometer initiates the urge of passing stool, and your baby gets relief from severe constipation.

10. Lubrication To Anus: Gently apply a water based lubricate around your baby’s anal region. The lubrication aids in a smooth bowel movement and decreases the discomfort around the anal region of your baby. At the time of changing the diaper, rub the anus and wipe out the lubricant gently. It encourages your little one to poop.

11. Castor Oil: Castor oil serves as a common home remedy to treat constipation in baby effectively. Take a betel leaf and dip the leaf along with its stalk in castor oil. Smoothly inject the soaked leaf stack inside your baby’s rectum.

The castor oil lubricates the passage and aids in relieving severe constipation.

If your baby’s age lies above two years, you can mix one teaspoon of castor oil in a glass of milk and feed it to your little one. The dosage of castor oil solely depends on the age of your baby . Important Points To Remember: 1. Always try to keep your baby hydrated. Feed her adequate amount of fluids at regular interval of time.

2. Set a regular toilet time for your little one and encourage her to poop and eliminate the wastes.

3. Before giving any variation of fruit juices such as apple, grapes, pear or prune dilute them with plain water. Concentrated juice imposes diarrhea or gas.

4. If your baby cannot digest dairy products or cow milk, try to eliminate these foods from her diet.

5. Use few exercising techniques like rotating your baby’s legs or massaging her tummy to initiate bowel movements. Try to include physical activities like jumping, running and walking in her daily regime.

Physical activities regulate the digestive system functioning.

6. Avoid feeding cow’s milk to tour little infant, as she faces difficult to digest the compounds of cow’s milk.

Alternatively, try feedingsoy milk as it is nutritious and easily digestible.

7. While switching to distinct brand formula milk, never choose a low-iron formula. It does not affect in constipation, rather in hampers your baby’s growth processes.

8. Avoid giving bananas, dairy products, white bread, potatoes or pasta to your constipated baby. It is better to include high- fiber foods in her diet.

Did your little angel suffer from constipation during her childhood days? What measures did you take to comfor t your adorable baby? Share some constipation remedies with other mummies here in our next edition.

Send answers to mummyandimagazine@gmail.com

JoelsBlog is a Nigerian controversial gossip blog owned by a young mediapreneur,Joel Hechimenum Williams, founded on the 18th of February 2016 and gets an estimate of 20,000 views and 12,000+ visitors daily.

How did Joelsblog become the fast rising Nigerian entertainment blog?

JoelsBlog gained popularity after its first controversial article,An article of a Facebook user criticising David Ibiyeomi for buying a private jet from the proceeds (offerings) of the poor in his church, it went viral after it was shared on Nairaland, the strength of this Article gained so many views and critics and supporters , To the surprise of many ,The Article trended on so many Nigerian blogs including Nigeria's biggest News Media carried the news but they never gave credits.

JoelsBlog striving in its goal to publish unique articles for its readers kept growing and gaining popularity but something went bad, JoelsBlog Facebook page got deleted on the 3rd of December 2017 along with its huge readers , till today no reason was stated as to why the page was deleted which was a huge blow to the entire team and a very challenging one as well. It suffered a decrease in the numbers of views but a month a later it sprang up again as readers took to using google search to locate the blog.

What Inspired the birth of JoelsBlog?

JoelsBlog formerly called (Joelwilliamsblog) became a reality after Joel Hechimenum Williams decided to open a small blog for his literatures , then the blog got 100 to 150 views daily on the free blogger publishing platform. On the 23rd of October, 2016 JoelsBlog bought its first domain,www.joelwilliamsblog.com.ng ,then it had 1500 - 2000,views daily,on seeing the growth after moving out of the free publishing platform Joel Hechimenum Williams decided to make it an Entertainment blog,that earned him his first 10k views,he kept pushing the blog till it got to where it is today.

Why and what caused the Change of Name?

The reasons for why Joelwilliamsblog changed it name was because of the following reasons,

Readers kept complaining that the URL was too long for them to type or even search,that cost me a lot of readers despite having the traffic the blog gained.

Readers complained about the Inability to engage them selves(comment) due to the rigorous process they had to go through,like logging in their gmail to comment, most people can't remember their password not willing to go through the stress of getting a new one ..they just remain like thin air on the blog, some readers said they didn't understand the Google recaptcha Bot detector and didn't want to go through the stress of verification. A lot of things led to the change of Name and URL. How was your first day on your New platform/New Domain?

My first Day on my New platform was a special and happy day because I got the highest number of views that day, over 47,000 views,it kept coming because I anticipated the coming of the new URL/Name and it yielded a positive response from my readers and visitors.

What decreased the views to 20k then?

Its something I don't know,maybe JoelsBlog competitors converted them , I tried to figure out the reason why my traffic dropped,after my research I found out that my blog did nothing wrong, it was just that the views that came that very day was as a result of the give away we did on the blog,perhaps they left because we couldn't keep up with the give away because we weren't getting much money for Ads. You said WE are there other people working with you?

Yes I have a total of 3 publishers, with names; Joel Victor - Manager Elias Ifeanyi Alex - Editor Emmanuel Okafor - Author and myself.

MEDICAL

MYTHS TALES BY DOCTORS Episode 3.

The Beauty of Epidemiology: Breathing life into ďŹ gures.

- Uche Anyanwagu

I

t was the beginning of spring, Amie and I had taken a tour round the city to some tourist destinations.

We had just emerged overground from the Toronto intra-city underground train when our discussion took a certain direction.

title “Ahamefule - A matter of identity” to the brilliant delicacies served in the years after by Prof BN Okigbo, Prof Anya O Anya, Prof Ben Nwabueze, etc, down to our own Prof Chinua Achebe who gave the shortest Ahiajoku lecture ever given.

“…Uche…” she called as she looked up to me. “…Usually, whenever I read studies in journals and get to those odds ratio, hazard ratio, mean difference, graphs, etc; I get so bored. I just get so confused as it makes no single meaning to me…” she continued as we looked through the window of the train to admire the lush greenery of the countryside. I gave her a toothy smile and told her that within those meaningless words and figures lie the true meaning and essence of the study.

I remember being glued to my small transistor radio at Uturu for almost 4 hours in 2003 when Prof MA Nwachukwu gave a heart-moving lecture titled “Beyond Teknuzu (Technology)”.

Amie doesn’t share alone in this. Most medical doctors/students I’ve seen have always shown their displeasure over Epidemiology or biostatistics. I’m not sure we had a fair share during lectures too in Med school, so we are not to blame.

Ehen! The good news is that you are not alone. I recall being asked by one of the most power ful personalities on earth if Epidemiology actually meant, in her own kind words: “the study of the skin”.

As I drew closer to Amie, she could see in my eyes the passion which engulfed me. But whether we both understood what we were getting into that day is what none of us, till date, can say.

I was thrilled to learn that Ndi Igbo, nay, Africans far developed their technologies before the West and would have gone far in their ingenuity but for colonisation.

Sadly, since the demise of Ohakim’s administration, statues have now replaced this intellectual think-tank while it’s conference centre has been given out to the state’s chamber of commerce.

Ehen, before I digress much, then is the Nobel prize lecture which needs no further introduction. Don’t bother! I don’t know if I’m a dreamer but I know that dreams are personal, albeit, selfish.

I quickly browsed and got a recently published study of mine. Amie and I were glued to our phones as we explored the beauty in the figures and graphs.

We glanced through different sections to the results section. “…you see, when it says the odds ratio (OR) for sleeping after taking drug X is 1.59, it simply means that you are 59% more likely to sleep on taking drug X compared to those who didn’t …”

There are three lectures I want to give in my lifetime.

These are the inaugural lecture, Ahiajoku lecture and the Nobel lecture (written in no particular order). So, Amie just afforded me the opportunity to test my mic. . .Inaugural lectures traditionally present an opportunity for scholars, on elevation to a professorial chair, to share their contributions to the body of knowledge. Despite being a non-starter here, I have a clear vision of what my title will be. So, this piece, with bias, bears that title.

She quickly chipped in “…what do they mean by 95% confidence interval of the hazard of the disease being 0.18 to 0.36?…”

The Ahiajoku lecture strikes a rhythmic chord to both my emotion and conscience. This lecture was conceived by De Sam Mbakwe (the former governor of old Imo state) who ordered, in 1979, that the Ikoro be sounded to reawaken the consciousness of Ndi Igbo to their proud heritage.

I took it over from her in a haste and explained thus: “it means we are not 100% certain that anything occurs.

Rather, we are 95% confident that boys are between 64 and 82% less likely to develop disease X compared to girls… that p-value of 0.03 means that this is actually of some effect (significant)…”

Through time, Ahiajoku lectures blossomed and showcased the finest of Umu Igbo. From Prof MJC Echeruo who gave the first lecture with the beautiful

As we continued with these questions and in this positive energy; we gradually began to give breath to those jargons that have confused and confounded my peers.

She nodded in admiration. I continued “…on the other hand, if they say hazard (HR) of disease X is 0.24 among boys, it simply means that boys are 76% less likely to develop disease X compared to girls…”

The figures became real. The numbers came alive.

These became not just another statistics but the experience of my brothers.

It brings reality to the fore; sends message home; and pokes and pricks our consciences.

This is the Beauty of Epidemiology.

The mean differences took lives of their own and became the stories of my sisters and the pain or peril of my children.

As our health agencies call out figures concerning health issues, Epidemiology calls us to ponder and reflect and dissect these figures to see how much of it we are or will later become.

Governments are very good in reeling out statistics but always intentionally forgetful that each figure or number represents someone’s parent or child or sibling or peer.

Each maternal mortality leaves a child orphaned and a man widowed.

As Amie and I rose to check if we had gotten to our stop, we noticed we had already passed it. As we checked the route map inside the train, we observed that we passed our stop by 13 stops!

“What…!?” Exclaimed Amie. “…not just by a stop or two did we miss our stop, but by whooping 13 stops…!”

Each infant mortality leaves a gaping hole in the heart of any mother or parent.

“ That is also the Beauty of Epidemiology” I retorted.

The Beauty of Epidemiology lies in its ability to make you see figures beyond the realm of 0 to 9.

I am Uche Anyanwagu. I’ve just had a makeover to attain this beauty.

It loads and unpacks the realities behind percentages and proportions.

This is the Beauty of Epidemiology.

This is the 3rd in a series of essays on “Medical Myths - Tales by Doctors”

It gives voice to pie charts and histograms. It draws genealogies from flow diagrams and paints reality from graphs with brush of certainty.

This is the Beauty of Epidemiology.

It’s makes you realise that when a child dies of diarrhoea, he doesn’t die alone - he dies with our humanity and resurrects the failings of health system and uncharted society.

This is the Beauty of Epidemiology.

(Though not originally intended to be the 3rd, my recent graduation called it in).

Uche Anyanwagu MB BS, MPH, MSc, PhD is a Public Health Physician and Clinical Epidemiologist.

Currently a Research Fellow at The School of Medicine, University of Nottingham and Clinical Fellow in Acute Medicine at The Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, United Kingdom. He has interest in Diabetes and clinical research.

The story of

Susanna

Wesley (1669-1742) :

Mother of John Wesley and Charles Wesley

By Ada Onyeforo

Hidden behind the door of many homes is the reality of hardship. Secret things happen that few want the world to know. Yet, from some people (presently and historically) we are given the inside story, whether they want it told or not.

A devastated home isn’t always apparent on first impression, is it? Susanna Wesley was married to a preacher. They had 10 children of which, two grew up to bring millions of souls to Christ. That would be John and Charles Wesley. It’s a powerful story if you stop there, isn’t it?

But, behind the door of her home, hopeless conditions were the norm. She married a man who couldn’t manage money. They disagreed on everythingfrom money to politics. They had 19 children. All except ten died in infancy. Sam (her husband) left her to raise the children alone for long periods of time. This was sometimes over something as simple as an argument.

One of their children was crippled. Another couldn’t talk until he was nearly six years old. Susanna herself was desperately sick most of her life. There was no money for food or anything. Debt plagued them.

Sam was once thrown into debtor’s prison because their debt was so high, which doubled their problems.

Twice the homes they lived in were burned to the ground, losing everything they owned. It was assumed that their church members did it because they were so mad at what Sam preached in the pulpit!

Someone slit their cow’s udders so they wouldn’t have milk, killed their dog, and burned their flax field!

When Susanna was young, she promised the Lord that for every hour she spent in entertainment, she would give to Him in prayer and in the Word. Taking care of the house and raising so many kids made this commitment nearly impossible to fulfill. She had no time for entertainment or long hours in prayer! She worked the gardens, milked the cow, schooled the children and managed the entire house herself. So, she decided to instead give the Lord two hours a day in prayer!

She struggled to find a secret place to get away with Him. So she advised her children that when they saw her with her apron over her head, that meant she was in prayer and couldn’t be disturbed. She was devoted to her walk with Christ, praying for her children and knowledge in the Word no matter how hard life was.

One of her daughters got pregnant out of wedlock and the man never married her. She was devastated, but remained steadfast in prayer for her daughter.

In the end, she knew that one day her hard life would be over and she alone would stand before the throne of God and give an account of how she lived her life.

We can be the best mom, wife, friend, person in the world and still have untold hardships. We need to take Susanna’s example, flip our apron over our head and pray in the middle of it all.

Back to the beginning of my story…

Her son’s John and Charles were powerhouses for the glory of the Lord. John Wesley preached to nearly a million people in his day. At the age of 70 he delivered the gospel message of salvation to 32,000 people- without the use of a microphone! He brought revival everywhere he traveled! His brother Charles wrote over 9000 hymns, many of which we still sing today.

Hidden behind the door of our homes, we want our children to find a mom who prays diligently- no matter how busy or how hard the circumstances. We want to raise up John Wesley’s out of our family line!

Where’s your apron? Shalom!

BUILD YOUR OWN

MAN

By Michael Sampson

....PAY THE PRICE

He was having his evening beverage That's when she joined him.

"Hi there handsome, you're looking good. So fine I can eat you up" she said sitting down.

"I thought we agreed to keep away from each other? I am a married man" he told her. " Come on. I won't bite. You can't resist me, no man can" she said.

"I am a married man" he told her.

"Fight all you want, but soon I will have you. I am way better than your wife" she told him.

"You are nothing compared to my wife" he told her off.

"Really? All this body. All these curves. All these sweetness. I bet your wife is not as good in bed as I am" she told him unbuttoning the top button of her blouse to reveal her cleavage, then lifting up her skirt, just a bit.

"If I was a lustful and unfaithful man, all that would move me. But I am too grown to be enticed by what you're showing off. I am a grown man, you think all that consumes my mind is sex? And for your information, my wife is actually great in bed" he told her.

"How will you know unless you do me. Try me tonight.

Let's drive in your black car to a romantic hotel, I promise you a night you will never forget" she told him.

"You know what you are? You are lazy? A lazy woman" he told her, then took a sip of his beverage.

"How dare you call me lazy?! I am a high flying educated woman. Any man would give anything to have me" she said.

"Fair enough. But would you give anything to make a man?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

"You look at me and find me attractive. Yet you disrespect the woman behind who I am, you want me to cheat on my wife, the woman behind my attractiveness" said he.

He drank a sip and continued, "My wife is responsible for the man in me that you want today. When I had little, my wife believed in me. These suits you see me wearing, are my wife's idea. I ask for her advice on what to wear.

My success has come to pass because she prays for me and puts up with my demanding work hours. She corrects me and moulds me and that has moulded my character.

The Range Rover you see me outside driving that you fancy, I bought that with my wife. She and I invested to buy our house. I look attractive and pleasant, because she treats me well and gives me peace.

And now you want to have the man that she made out of me and dishonour her? You want to have the man that she has built for years? You are lazy?"

Silence.

"I see you turning down the single men who want you and yet you want me, a man that another woman has made? No, it doesn't work like that.

Find your own single man, believe in him, pray for him, support him, nurture him and mould him to be the attractive man you want him to be.

You women have a nurturing and helping gift.

Activate your gift.

My wife has been busy building me and I will not leave her for a woman who has nothing to offer, but her sexiness.

So if you may excuse me, I need to drive home and take my wife on a date. She deserves the best" he said as he stood up and drank a last sip.

He reached in his wallet and placed K200 on the table.

"Have yourself a drink as you think about your life and how you'll stop being lazy and find a single man you can build. My generous wife and I have paid for the drink" he said.

He walked away as she looked on; her lower jaw dropping in shock, "I thought that this world was void of principled men, I just met one," the diva seasoned as she sobered up, nodding her head.

"This guy just schooled me. In 20 minutes this smart guy has taught me the most valuable lesson which I've never found in any one of the three prestigious Universities I've attended. *How to find, invest in and make my own husband*I need to find my own husband" she thought to herself as the gentleman sped off in his waiting Range Rover. *A Recommended Therapy for All married men* And for those singles who are too self-centered to think beyond themselves and their physical endowments.

AMAZING

FACTS ABOUT

LIFE YOU NEVER KNEW

By Benjamin Uwakwe

1. Your shoes are the first thing people subconsciously notice about you. Please, wear nice shoes.

23. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

2. If you sit for more than 11 hours a day, there's a 50% chance you'll die within the next 3 years.

24. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.

3. There are at least 6 people in the world who look exactly like you. There's a 9% chance that you'll meet one of them in your lifetime.

25. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

4. Sleeping without a pillow reduces back pain and keeps your spine stronger.

26. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts and things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

5. A person’s height is determined by their father, and their weight is determined by their mother.

27. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

6. If a part of your body "falls asleep", You can almost always "wake it up" by shaking your head.

28. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

7. There are three things the human brain cannot resist noticing - food, attractive people and danger.

8. Right-handed people tend to chew food on their right side.

9. Putting dry tea bags in gym bags or smelly shoes will absorb the unpleasant odor.

10. According to Albert Einstein, if honey bees were to disappear from earth, humans would be dead within 4 years.

11. There are so many kinds of apples, that if you ate a new one every day, it would take over 20 years to try them all.

12. You can survive without eating for weeks, but you will only live 11 days without sleeping.

13. People who laugh a lot are healthier than those who don’t.

14. Laziness and inactivity kills just as many people as smoking.

15. A human brain has a capacity to store 5 times as much information as Wikipedia.

16. Our brain uses the same amount of power as a 10-watt light bulb!!

17. Our body gives enough heat in 30 minutes to boil 1.5 liters of water!!

29. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Forgive them for everything.

30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

31. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

32. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

33. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

34. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

35. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

36. Help the needy, Be generous! Be a 'Giver' not a 'Taker' 37. What other people think of you is none of your business.

38. Time heals everything.

39. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

40. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.

Your friends will. Stay in touch.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

19. Stomach acid (conc. HCl) is strong enough to dissolve razor blades!!

42. Each night before you go to bed, pray to God and be thankful for what you accomplished, today. What if you woke up this morning and only had what you thanked God for yesterday? DON’T FORGET TO THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING.

20. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day & while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

43. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

21. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

Now: Think about forwarding this to your friends to help them live a happier and healthier life, too

18. The Ovum egg is the largest cell and the sperm is the smallest cell!!

22. When you wake up in the morning, pray to ask God's guidance for your purpose, today.

SOCIAL

MEDIA

ACCOUNTS - Free advert zone

by Esther Ijeoma Ogbuka

FACEBOOK…. A pleasant community.

I was just about going to bed when I decided to check my FB notifications which has almost become my ritual lately. I saw few faces online and I smiled to myself. Facebook is just a pleasant community, and don't fail to ask me, "How?" I have met very wonderful prospective spouses on Facebook. People whom on getting closer to them, I got to admire their personality, intellect, strong wits and grits. I've met individuals whom in all ramifications has proven themselves reliable, resilient and utmost reassuring. Few who were once friends ended up becoming turned brothers who I confide in and solicit for their advice on issues that calls for maximum and urgent attention.

A CHAIN REACTION. I will be committing a heinous crime worthy of life sentence if I fail to recall your attention to this fact….Facebook is a Chain Reaction. I'm unapologetic to my ardent readers who are art inclined and refused to carve in to the fact that science rocks…Lol. By chain reaction, I mean a self-sustaining series of fissions in which the release of neutrons from the splitting of one atom leads to the splitting of others. We all have Facebook reactions which always lead to counter reactions especially on controversial issues which I'm chief. You have friends who share some mutual friends with you and the circle goes round and round.

LIFESTYLE. Most people hide their true lifestyles on social media.

Some who claim to be in a relationship are not, while some who didn't brand themselves as being in a relationship are seriously in one. Some who talk about loving their partners are sluts rusting away in whoredom while some who seal their lips are having the best out of their relationships. You see virgins forcing themselves to be slay queens and the lethal slay mama's playing saint. Just a few sect project their true lifestyle on social media such as Facebook. I'll strongly advice everyone to be his/her self both on and offline. Project your lifestyle, share your deepest of thoughts and watch people of like minds listen.

Don't claim to be who you're not or wear a

discomforting skin when you can be simply sophisticated and truly loved for being no one else but yourself. I use my Facebook pages to project my belief system, mindset, and my awkward and twisted way of reasoning which some find undeniably annoying while some enjoy the roller coaster ride in a ride or die manner with me…Lols.

CRITICISM I've been a writer since the time I joined Facebook.

Aside my innumerable manuscripts littered on my shelf, Facebook is where I do my quickreads and pour my ideas sizzling hot and fresh. I just say it how it comes. I've had lots of people criticize me. I've equally had my fair share of stylistic embellishments from people I have always loved and cherished as Facebook friends. Some complained i write too much, others got offended because I take snapshots with Celebrities whom I work with, others feel I'm proud and loud. The truth is this…. MOST OF YOUR FACEBOOK CRITICS ADMIRE YOU. That knowledge helps you to see their critisms as constructive and move ahead….just keep bulldozing your way through.

LIKE BEGATH LIKE. On Facebook, like minds attract. You attract who you are. 60% of my Facebook friends I later got to know very well are writers and bookworms. I had a life changing encounter on the page of a Facebook friend which was an answered prayer ( I'll tell the story some other time). That encounter was a total surprise as it came unannounced and unexpected right here on Facebook. For me, Facebook is a free advert. I advertise my skills, my talent, my previous work experiences, my books, where I work e.t.c. This advert draws people who are like minded as well to me. So, strategize and project your personality. Some will claim they don't have time, but I don't believe that.

Either you have a lot you want to write but don't know how to express it, or you have the right words to express your thoughts but no strength to manipulate your QWERTY keys.

Indeed, Facebook is a pleasant community I have no regrets at all to join. My social media accounts are my advert platforms. How about you?

33 Kitchen

Tricks To Save You

Time And Hassle

by Vera Uche

1. You can tell how ripe an avocado is by popping off the stem and checking the color underneath. If it's yellow or green, you're good to go. If it's brown, the avocado is too ripe. (If it doesn't come off easily, it's not ripe enough.)

2. Chopping herbs? Use a pizza cutter!

3. Impress your guests with crystal-clear ice cubes by using boiled water to make ice cubes.

4. Use an apple cutter to cut potatoes into wedges quickly.

5. If you crack eggs on a flat surface instead of on the edge of a bowl, they will open more cleanly.

6. You can fish eggshells out of eggs easily by wetting your fingers first.

7. Here's how long to boil your eggs just the way you like them: Boil for 7 minutes 8. Or go totally crazy and BAKE your eggs. It takes a bit longer (30 minutes at 350ºF), but the result is a much creamier — and much less smelly — hard-boiled egg.

12. Keep your knives in a knife block? Turn the blades to face up and they won't dull as quickly.

13. Here's a little tip for peeling mangoes without getting mango all over the place: 14. And here's how to remove the stem of a strawberry simply and elegantly: 15. If you wrap the tops of bananas in cling wrap, they will last three to five days longer.

16. Place an apple in with your potatoes to keep them from sprouting.

17. This may sound like absolute madness, but sprinkle a little salt and/or cinnamon into your ground coffee before brewing.

Salt helps cut the bitter flavor of the coffee, and adding cinnamon will change your life completely.

18. Okay, back to the avocado. Here's the easiest way in the world to get that stubborn pit out.

19. And while you're at it, just go ahead and slice it up in the shell, and use a spoon to scoop out your perfectly cut pieces.

By the way, a muffin tin is perfect for baking your eggs.

9. If you get distracted and the water keeps boiling over while you're cooking pasta, simply lay a wooden spoon on the pot.

10. Use a small glass with a little water in it to peel your hard-boiled egg quickly and easily.

11. If that's a little too exciting for you, just sprinkle ½teaspoon of baking soda into the boiling water. The finished egg will peel like a dream.

20. And if you need to store them, let them cozy up to some lemon slices to keep them from going brown.

To be continued…

An Interview With

NKECHI

HARRY NGONADI CEO NHN- COUTURE

by Esther Ijeoma Ogbuka

I

have an irresistible and undying passion for fashion but NHN- couture was not born out of my passion, rather it is my calling. NHN is a vision on a mission to bring decency back to church first, and the society at large.

NHN was not birth out of passion rather a mission that is sent to the world. We are a clothing line and also a ministry to encourage and inspire other younger women."

Obviously, many Christians’ definition of a “virtuous woman” would center on prayer, Bible study, and spirituality but the scriptural portrait of her is surprisingly different. None of these excellent traits is listed in God’s most extensive and superlative description of virtuous women in Scriptures. Litte wonder He devotes almost an entire chapter of the Bible (Proverbs 31) to His description of the “virtuous woman.” And the favorable traits of a godly woman that He lists are, awefully surprising to some readers, of a substantially different nature. The grand description of the qualities of a godly woman in the eyes of God — in its uniqueness are the right words to describe Nkechi Harry Ngonadi, CEO NHN- couture whose life, deeds and countenance has been a motivation for several women both in Nigeria and in Diaspora.

Nkechi is a great fashion business tycoon whose humour and lighthear tedness has become p r ov e r b i a l . S h e h a s s a d d l e d t h e s h i p o f entrepreneurship for a good number of years, still turgid, persistent, exhibiting her prowess while remaining unapologetic about her Faith in the leading of the Holy Spirit. She is one of the most popular fashion- preneurs and premium fabric stockists on this side of the globe. She has taken decency to the runway beyond Lagos, to the shores of Middle East and Eastern Europe where several companies manufacture for her. She has remained unmoved despite the competition in the fashion space. This virtuous woman shows herself worthy of her husband's trust. He has no need to search abroad for gain , for his soul is at rest in the sanctuary of their home.

Her fruitful years of marriage to Rear Admiral Harry N g o n a d i , w h o h e l d s e v e r a l Tr a i n i n g a n d Administrative appointments in the Nigerian Navy some of these include; The Training officer Cadet Training ship RUWAN YARO, Chief Instructor (CI) Naval Wing Nigerian Defence Academy, Commander Naval Unit Abuja, Directing staff Armed Forces

Command and staff College Jaji- kaduna, Director Personnel Release Naval HQ. Director Administration Naval HQ, Pioneer Commander NNS JUBILEE IKOT ABASI, Pioneer Chief Staff Officer Central Naval Command, Yenagoa. He also served in the United Nations as Military observer in Angola UNAVEM 3 and MONUA. These are just to mention but a few of the very sensitive positions he handled before his retirement from active service.

It takes a man being married to a godly woman who gives him nothing but absolute peace on everyside for him to rise to the pinnacle of his career. She took her time to pour out her heartfelt advice to women all over the world as a Mumpreneur whom against all odds placed her family as her first ministry and dutifully perform her motherly roles with near perfection. Read her immense contributions about the issue of submission in marriage, domestic violence and how you can be a House wife and still fulfill your God-given purpose as a mother and nurturer of destiny.

1) So much have been heard about NHN- Couture. Tell us more about yourself and every other thing you do.

Okay! NHN is an abbreviation of my name, Nkechi Harry Ngonadi. I'm the CEO NHN- Couture, A fashion designer by God's grace, a mother of two and married to a retired Rear Admiral Harry Ngonadi of the Nigerian Navy. I attended Ahmadu Bello University where I studied Urban and regional planning. I'm a house wife and a mother. NHN- Couture is almost 4 years old.

2) Why did you venture into fashion business? Is it because it's the most conventional thing to do?

First of all, I was actually a full time housewife for a long time. I opted being a full time housewife just for me to groom my children and monitor their growth and behaviour. At a stage, I got tired. I was married to a Naval officer who was not always around. He was transferred from one state to another or ffrom one country to another. They were never around. I was practically at home looking after our children. After some time, I got really tired, bored, frustrated because I wanted to do something. I realized apart from the pocket money my husband used to give to me, I had no other source of income other than the monthly pocket money. However, I've always loved fashion.

Anyone around me could attest to that. Right from secondary school through my days in the university as an undergraduate, whoever comes across me

must guess I'll be a fashion designer. I have an irresistible and undying passion for fashion but NHNcouture was not born out of my passion, rather it is my calling. NHN is a vision on a mission to bring decency back to church first, and the society at large. NHN was not birth out of passion rather a mission that is sent to the world. We are a clothing line and also a ministry to encourage and inspire other younger women.

3) Can you share some challenges you have encountered on your journey as the CEO of NHN? NHN like I earlier said, is a vision on a mission. So, it has been enjoying God's grace. It is different from any other business out there. It is located at my boys quarters as you can see and there is no sign post out there but we are commanding the attention of Nations. I have clients all over the world. Not just about having clients all over the world, it is for a targeted set of people. The fact that we are in Boys quarters and we have dignitaries come patronize us, it is all about the grace of the Almighty God. Talking about challenges, NHN has been sitting on grace. We don't have challenges because of the grace of God resting maximally on the business. God gave us a laid down rules of how the business should be operated and we follow every single step at any point.

With that, we are able to have a smooth sail in the business. There is no challenge with my worker, my staff are like my siblings, They are more like my family than my workers, the ones that started with us four years ago are still with us. We don't have a working policy because we work strictly by appointment. I try not to take more than four appointments in a day so as to have enough time for myself, my family and my calling. I do a lot of counselling as well for younger women on my social media platforms. With that, things run so smooth. I don't take more than I can chew.

If I have a client order for something, I give you a specific date which it can be picked. I can never promise you what I can't deliver. We do have peak periods when we are totally filled up, at that point, we stop taking more appointment. We are not that greedy, instead we refer you to other designers. So, things has been so smooth. We don't really have stress. You see me always dancing and laughing because I am not under any pressure and it has worked for me over the years. Overtime, because of consistency, integrity, our clients so much trust us and we have returning clients who are equally satisfied as well. So, your integrity is there, your excellent work speaks for you, and they have come to trust NHN to

provide all these services and guaranty for them over the years. NHN can never sell a copy and call it original. So, it's part of our laid down rules and strategies the Holy Spirit has given to us which we used and it worked perfectly for us. It brought us a lot of balance. We don't have any challenges because we followed the precepts of the Holy Spirit.

4) Would you describe your fashion brand as Luxury?

NHN is a luxury brand meant for specific set of people.

It's not for everyone.

5) Does your Husband influence has any impact on your business?

My husband is my biggest cheerleader ( laughs). I'm just blessed. However, it didn't just start like that. My husband is the opposite of me. I am quiet, though people don't know i'm quiet. I'm actually a very shy person. So, what you see on social media is my assignment. When i'm doing my assignment or calling, you will see a totally different person. People that are close to me will confidently tell you i hardly go anywhere. I don't go anywhere. So, I have a very tight closely knitted family. My family and I share a very strong bond because we do things together. When I got the vision to start NHN, I told the Holy Spirit that the only way I can affirmatively confirm He is putting this vision into my hands is to get my husband to accept the vision. My husband is equally quiet. More like a traditional Igbo man that believes his wife doesn't have to struggle for anything because he will provide every single thing I need. Being that he was holding some strategic position in the Nigerian Navy, so I really don't need to do much because I was very comfortable. Sincerely speaking, I don't need any extra income or any other money coming in from anywhere. What he was giving me was enough for me to run the family.

Hence, the only confirmation I needed was for my husband to agree alongside with me in answering this call. When I eventually told him, he was elated and very excited with the fact that I was more than willing to run with the vision. I think another thing that attracted him was the vision statement. I prepared myself before going to meet him. I had my scriptural backings ready, and composed my speech so as to convince him about what God was laying down in my heart. When I presented it, he had no other choice than to be fully convinced about the vision God gave me (laughs). He accepted.

However, he was still giving me pocket money till our second year of running NHN. He said, " She said it's a vision, but I know she is bored. She is just having fun."

He thought for good two years that I was just having fun. He sees people walk into the compound, go to the showroom, purchase and leave. He never ever asked me how much I was making from the business. I think he must have thought I don't even sell because he was still giving me pocket money beginning of the month and end of the month and it was very huge.

Later, I discovered he was just supporting my business because he thought I doesn't sell but let me make her happy. I happened to be invited by the Turkish government when they came to Nigeria because I buy fabrics from one of my manufacturing company in Turkey. When they came to Nigeria, they referred them to me. Since they were coming for the program in Nigeria, they told the Nigerian government they will like to work with me as they were collaborating with the Nigerian government. In one of the programs, I was meant to speak with Lagos State University Students on entrepreneurship and fashion design. NHN was barely two years as at that time. The event held at Eko Hotel.

I was so happy to have this beautiful platform and privilege to talk to young people on how NHN went global after three months of establishing my brand. It was an opportunity for me to share my testimony and as well encourage them to keep working on their dreams. It was my first time of being a public speaker.

I was so excited and never knew there were rules for public speaking. I mentioned how much I make in a month, my take- home in a month, I gave them facts and figures because I came with my invoice, bank details, receipts. I was speaking so passionately with those evidences because I really wanted to encourage and motivate them. I didn't know other media firms were there. Apparently, it got into "City people", a media firm as well. Someone saw the news headline and took it to my husband. My husband called me to ask why I granted the interview and equally expressed his disapproval to some of the things I said. He told me I shouldn't have mentioned figures because I'm not supposed to impress anyone.

He was really upset.

I asked him why he was so upset and he said " How can you be mentioning figures? Why would you be lying? How would you be lying that you make such amount of money and you forget that you're a child of God?" I apologized and kept apologizing because I don't argue with my husband. I didn't understand my husband's perspective initially till I ordered for the magazine and read it myself. That was when I finally

understood why my husband got upset with me. That same week, not just City people, even Punch and other News paper publishing companies were there at that time. So, I was the news headline. I called my husband and explained things to him. He finally understood but told me not to lie. I said "Okay" because I don't argue with my husband. He though the figures I mentioned as my take home every month from NHN were all lies. Rather than argue, I decided to clarify and show him with enough evidence that I was not lying.

Usually, he returns every end of the month to spend time with us. I told my girl, "We have to get ready for Daddy o", we need to let him know the figures are real and not lies. We got everything ready and that very day, we asked him to help us calculate our tithe for the month. In the course of doing the calculation, he thought we made mistakes because the number of zeros were just too many. He could see from the CCTV camera that I was very busy in my showroom.

He called my P.A to come correct the entire figures. I took the phone from my P.A and explained the figures are correct. He couldn't believe women could pay #200k to buy fabrics. I told him my fabrics are exclusive quality fabrics. Those women who patronize me know the worth and how rare those fabrics are. He was so impressed and that was the last time we collected pocket money from him ( laughs). Pocket money ended that day.

He lovingly cautioned me by advising i shouldn't mention figures in public. I am free to tell people I make good profit but shouldn't go extreme to tell people specifically how much I make. That was a huge lesson I learnt. Ever since, if we run out of cash because we buy from the manufacturers directly, once we call my husband to invest in NHN, the next question is "How much". Even if I call billions, he is ready to transfer immediately because he got to know there is actually money coming into the business. So, my husband is my greatest cheerleader. If you meet him anywhere especially if you're a female, the next question he will ask you is, have you met my wife? If you haven't, follow her on instagram or search her on google. He is so proud of me and doesn't cease to let me know. He registers me for some training anytime he gets wind of any. I'll be in Harvard end of this month and April. He encourages me to take courses to develop leadership skills. He is such a supportive husband and I'm so blessed. I return all glory to God.

6) How do you cope with being the CEO of NHNCouture, handling your counseling sessions and discharging your duties as a wife and Mother?

Like I earlier pointed out, my business is very flexible. I am a full time housewife, an entrepreneur, a wife and mother, a counselor to my beautiful queens on social media. How do I manage all that? Excellent timing is the answer. The same set of instructions I received from the Holy Spirit is what I've been running with.

The Holy Spirit told me I must take one day off my week days. So, it's either we are not working on Mondays but work from Tuesday through Saturday or we work on Monday and take off Saturdays. His reason is for me to have enough time for family. My first daughter is in Covenant University and my son is in secondary school. I groomed them to a certain level where they can do things for themselves. My Business is in my Boys quarters. I think the Holy Spirit wants to encourage many wives and mothers out there, you don't need to be in a mall, a corporate organization or rent a shop before you can start a dream, a vision or a business. He wants me to equally to encourage other mothers to have alternative source of income to support the family. My husband is so proud of me. If he wants me to buy a car for him, I sure will.

I'm not just making money and lavishing, I have investments everywhere from this same NHN. I'm able to make good use of what we make and also save for the future. Even though my business is in my boys quarters, I don't abuse that privilege. Once I'm in my office, I can't enter the house no matter what till 5.p.m in the evening. Sometimes, when I feel drowsy in the office, rather than go to my lovely room to sleep, I either lie down on the couch or rest my head on the desk in my office. That's how disciplined I am. I don't joke with my business. Right now, as we all are here, the Holy Spirit is here with us.

As soon as I drop my son off to school, I resume NHN. I give my staff some work to do, then sit to take appointments. We don't take more than four appointments in a day. Even the four is too much especially when we have brides book for appointments. Brides are usually indecisive and they need lots of patience and attention. In addition to that, we don't take what we cannot deliver. So, I don't put myself under unnecessary pressure for any reason at all. Once NHN is fully booked, we don't hesitate to refer you to other fashion brands.

I run my counseling sessions on Saturdays. I give enough attention to these my beautiful queens on my

social media platforms calling me. Some of them call, and all they need is a listening ear. Some call and just cry on phone so as to feel better. They might not even share their problem with me that day, they call back after some days and feel much better. There are a lot of younger women out there that need mentorship and support. Saturdays and Sundays are my days for counseling sessions. If it is urgent, I equally counsel during week days but weekends are best for me to counsel and give my beautiful queens enough attention.

As for my kids, I have enough time for them. I drive my son to school and equally drive him home once school dismisses. I don't allow anyone do that for me. I cook for my family because I don't have a cook. On Sundays, we do a lot of bonding activities. We don't eat at home on Sundays. Immediately after Church service, we eat in a restaurant. It avails the ample time for us to dialogue, discuss issues that pertains to the home, deliberate on issues. It is a family tradition. We equally use that opportunity to teach the children etiquette, how to comport themselves in public and a whole lot of other things.

7) What is your perspective when it comes to the word "Submission"? Should a woman not have a say in her home, or bare her mind simply because she wants to be submissive?

I will stand with what the bible says. As a woman, we suppose to be submissive to our husbands. The issue we have in marriage right now is with these new modern young girls. I don't know where this feminism thing is coming from. I feel they are getting it all wrong.

For me to do it the biblical way and I'm winning, it means anybody can do it. That doesn't mean you're a fool, that doesn't mean you should not speak when you need to speak. Speaking and submissiveness are two different things. Submissiveness is a thing of the mind.

You need to remind yourself that your husband is the head and you're the neck. All I have to do is to abide to whatsoever he wants his family to look like.

Submission is all about obeying, agreeing. When you have questions, you ask. The problem we have in this generation is how we ask, talk and speak. That's the greatest challenge we have. You can communicate whatever you have in mind but do that properly and use the right words while on it. I can get my husband to agree to my suggestions simply because of proper communication. I prepare myself before going to talk to him.

Your manner of presentation, communication skills, the right choice of words is what really matters when you're discussing or suggesting something to your husband. Submission becomes a cheap thing for you. It's not an issue at all. Women, we talk too much.

That's actually one of the powers God gave to us. We can beat the man with our mouth. We don't have to use cane which is very terrible. When you nag and talk disrespectfully at the man, some of them now decides to enforce rules because they feel you are stubborn and you don't want to listen. When you communicate so lovingly, you have melted the heart of the man and brought the man to a place of weakness. He has no choice than to grant your request.

For instance, if there is a huge project your husband wants to embark on and you feel deep within your spirit that it won't work and he doesn't want to listen to you. Each time you tell him, he shouts and shut you up because he wants to feel like the man and take a decision all by himself and doesn't want to listen to your points. Some men even feel so slighted and after he ventures into the project, he crashes. Most husbands don't understand that their wife holds the financial breakthrough of the family. She is the centre of it. The Bible says., " He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord. Which means a man's prosperity is tied to his wife.

Observe this, any family where the man and the woman has chaos., it simply means they will also have financial problems because the man's blessings is tied to his wife. Until he makes his wife happy, he might not succeed in any project. It is our responsibility as a wives to let our husbands understand this. We need to teach them these things.

I used to be spiritually more hyper than my husband before but now, my husband is in another level. At the early stage, I was hotter spiritually than he was at that time. I brought my husband to the place of prayers and got him involved to play his role as our spiritual head. During our morning devotion, I allow him to be fully in charge.

If my husband is around, I don't wake up in the midnight to pray. He wakes to pray as the spiritual head of the family. Initially, it wasn't like but after sometime, he because more hyper spiritually than I am. Before, I pray at midnight because both of us sleeping means opening the entrance for the devil.

So, I was standing in the gap spiritually at the initial stage until things changed. After God, the next person is my husband. I see him as My Lord and I make him my priority. Any little thing he does for me,

I'm always grateful. Even when he forgets my birthday because of his very busy schedule in the Nigerian Navy, I don't quarrel over it. I jokingly call his attention to it and he loves me for that. I brought my family to that level where they feel very comfortable to tell me anything and everything, both my husband and my children. Being submissive to my husband has brought so much peace in my home and I give God all the Glory.

8) Has there ever been a time you felt disappointed in marriage as a result of high expectations especially at the early stages of your marriage?

The beginning of my marriage wasn't as rosy as it is right now. We faced the same challenges every newly married couples face. These are two different human beings, coming from two different backgrounds and different upbringing, trying to live and work together as one. I am a very organized person. You all can see how organized my office is. That's exactly how my home is too. Even as babies, my children are so organized too and don't touch anything when you keep anything in the house. That's why I can't even have a cook because I want to meet my utensils where I kept them, I want to enter my kitchen knowing my salt is where I kept it. That is how organized I am.

Getting married to a Naval officer who is also careful and their profession made them always wear white.

He is very careful too but sometimes act too carefree.

Some things irritate me and some things I do piss him off too. So, we began to study and learn each other in an amazing way. Also, what really helped me was the fact that I married my husband as a born again christian. I know love is patient, so I decided to endure.

I always correct him in love and respect. Men are very simple creatures if only you talk to them the right way.

Your husband must wrong you because he is human, but always love, forgive and endure. Try to ensure there is so much peace in your home. Even when it comes to the issue of "Side Chics", don't allow it get to you. Focus on the peace you really want to maintain in your home and keep praying for your husband and your family.

9) Are you a Clergy?

Many people ask me that (laughs) but I'm not. This year, ever since I spoke in a conference in Abuja, everybody now got it wrong. I am not a pastor and I'm not called to be one. Tell me give you reasons why God didn't call me into pastoral ministry. Firstly, there are certain things I minister to people on social media that no Pastor or Pastor's wife is gonna say because t

hey want to protect their members. They will not want to be blunt so that members will not run away. I say it the way God puts it into my mouth. Notwithstanding, every child of God as long as you're born again, you're ordained to answer the great commission which is to win souls for the kingdom. So, I am working in my calling as a child of God. I draw and reconcile people to God, but I am not a Pastor.

10) How would you address the issue of domestic violence in marriages?

Oh! That's really very sad. I have a lot of them that call me. The ďŹ rst thing I tell them is for them to leave or separate from the man for the meantime. If you don't leave, you are simply helping yourself to dig your own grave. The ďŹ rst thing they tell you is, "Where do I go to?" I have a case I'm handling and following up right now. She is in the states. I told her, "Babe, you have to go, pack your loads and go." Some don't want to leave because of their children, but if you happen to loose your life, what will happen to those children? Also, women should learn how to communicate properly with their husbands.

An Interview with

CEO, OREKELEWA ORGANICS

by Ada Onyeforo

1) Can you tell us more about yourself and what you do?

I am Yinka Osifeso. I am married to a wonderful man, my best friend, Ayorinde Osifeso, who is a legal practitioner. We are blessed with 3 beautiful children. I have a Bsc-Ed in Economics from the Lagos state University and a Masters in Management Technology from the same university. I am also a Chartered Credit Administrator. In the past, I have worked in the Banking industry, Hospitality industry and my last place of employment was CFAO, where I resigned as the Senior Credit Controller after 12 years. Today, I own the Orekelewa Organics brand, where we produce organic food and skin care products. Top on our list is the Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil and Orekelewa Organics Pure Shea butter.

2) As the CEO of Orekeorganics, What vision inspired your products?

Not to sound overly spiritual, I can say what inspired me was divine and wanting to bring solutions to problems around me . As a child till about 2 years ago, I always had tonsilitis (inflammation of the tonsils) which became severe with every new year. This was always very painful and any one who knew me associated me with the pain. Later, anytime I was on my menstrual cycle which was always very painful , the tonsilitis would come, meaning it came monthly. I was always on antibiotics and at some point they were not working. I was scheduled for surgery to remove the tonsils 3 different times and those 3 times something will always happen, Doctors were on strike, blood donated could not be found etc. My Mum suggested we stopped it. Many years later, I started to look for alternative solutions. I started to read online and then I stumbled on coconut oil and it's enormous benefits but I did not use it then. In 2016,like the previous year, I started getting restless in my spirit and felt there was more to me than what I was doing in paid employment. My birth month is May and a week to my birthday I started to fast and wait on God on what I was supposed to do when I leave paid employment. And He gave me some words and where confirmed by 2 other people unknown to them.

By May, I started to drink coconut oil I made and used it instead of the groundnut oil to cook, I also used it for my skin which by the way was very very dry.

I noticed in May, I didn't have tonsilitis and painful menstrual cycle. This continued till June. My skin texture had also improved tremendously, I knew I had found a solution and needed to share it with the world.

My experience with coconut oil inspired me to bring

solutions to issues of health and skin care,using products God Himself has provided through nature .

Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil has over 100 benefits to man. Research has finally uncovered the secrets to this amazing super oil: namely healthy fats called Medium-Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs). These unique fats include: Caprylic acid, Lauric acid, Capric acid Around 62 percent of the oils in coconut are made up of these three healthy fatty acids, and 91 percent of the fat in coconut oil is healthy saturated fat. This fat composition makes it one of the most beneficial fats on the planet.

Most of the fats we consume take longer to digest, but MCFAs found in coconut oil provide the perfect source of energy because they only have to go through a three-step process to be turned into fuel vs. other fats that have to go through a 26-step process!

What my continuous intake of coconut oil did was to boost my immunity. Coconut oil has antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Our vision is to be the preferred and go to Organic food and skin care brand in Nigeria.

3) What distinguishes your products from other products in the Market?

Orekelewa Organics range of products are 100% organic, without any additives or chemicals. We also pride ourselves of taking time to produce every bottle or jar. A lot of love, and excellence goes into every bottle.

4) When did you start your production?

We started our production in May 2016.

5) So, far where are your distribution outlets where people can gladly buy your products?

Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil, can be purchased at the following outlets : - Medplus pharmacy (All branches in Nigeria) - Invivo beauty and pharmacy at Abuja, Palm mall Ibadan, Leisure mall adeniran ogunsanya surulere, Novare mall sangotedo Ajah Lagos - Lapointe supermarket Victoria Island Lagos - Adiba Supermarket Lekki phase 1 and Victoria Island Lagos

- Ebeano Supermarket chevron branch and Oniru branch - Blenco Supermarket Ado road Ajah and Sangotedo branch Lagos - Hair advocate saloon, Bode Thomas surulere lagos - Mega plaza We also have distributors across Nigeria, there is still room for more distributors as we remain the preferred coconut oil brand! We take orders via our Instagram handle which is @orekeorganics or via our hotline 08023710095 6) How many range of products do you have? Can you mention them?

For now we have two; 1) Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil.

2) Orekelewa Organics Pure Shea Butter.

Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil comes in 4 distinct sizes 100ml, 250ml, 500ml and 1 litre. While Orekelewa Organics Pure Shea Butter comes in 250g for now.

7) How many challenges have you encountered so far in this competitive market?

So far the challenges have been getting the right manpower who share the vision of the brand, supermarkets credit policies, government's strict regulatory /compliance policies and epileptic power supply.

8) Do you supply outside the shores of Nigeria? Where are your outlets outside of Nigeria?

Not yet, we are however in negotiations with prospective business partners,and are open to business outside Nigeria.

9) How did you get the name "Orekelewa organics"?

What is the Inspiration behind the name?

I wanted something unique and indeginious with a deep meaning. `Orekelewa` is from the yoruba ethnic group which means the beautiful lady. My husband and I came up with the name, to us it means excellence which is what the brand stands for.

10) How would you describe your clientele base? Have there been an immersed increase in distribution in the past 12 months?

Our clients are informed and are conscious of excellent products. Men, women and children. Yes! Our clientele base has increased tremendously every month since we started. People love our brand, women, men, and mostly children, testimonies pour in daily from our clients on loosing weight using Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil, skin glowing, spots fading on skin, Hair growth and strength, stretch marks fading,etc Please follow us on Instagram @orekeorganics 11) Are you having a huge distraction in your career?

How did you cope with "Mum" lifestyle?

To a large extent I would say "Yes" initially. I had to work on my schedules, I work a lot with schedules for meal plans, house chores, work in the factory, delivery of products. Family time and leisure also has been given priority .I also have a great nanny who helps with the children when I have to be at work some times very late. I have a supportive husband and enjoy family support from my mum, parents in love and siblings.

12) What advice do you have for women who feel they married the wrong husband?

First, my question would be why do you think you have the wrong husband? Are you comparing your husband with another man? I am one believer in communicating. Most times, people don't express their expectations from their spouses outright. The other person needs to know your expectations concerning every area. My husband and I regularly talk about every thing and we 'compare' notes.

Usually during our wedding anniversary we vet the relationship and ask each how can I be better to you. It reveals a lot and a wise man or woman would adjust.

Get busy being the best version of you.

13) What are some of the challenges of Mums in this 21st Century?

I think it has been mostly the ability to balance every area of their life with limited ďŹ nance.

Being able to look and feel trendy in the midst of economic and physiological stress and meeting up with the demand of the business. However, the regular intake of Orekelewa Organics Virgin coconut oil can help alleviate stress level, and boost your immunity level. While giving your skin the glow it deserves naturally. You look and feel good.I tell people a lot if you can't eat it don't put it on your skin. Every thing we put on our skin goes into our system.

14) It's a man's world! Is this phrase entirely true? What impact has the patriarchal African society had on African Mothers?

My stand is its my world, even the men have challenges too. And we both have access to every thing, we must all be able to get it! I believe we all have to face the world and deal with the challenges it brings to us . Well, the impact the patriarchal society has on African Mothers is mostly making women dependent on men for ďŹ nances and even instructions in some cases.

Some ladies are unable to make a decision without the male ďŹ gure giving a go ahead.

15) Considering the harsh realities of the economy, would you encourage any woman to be a "House wife"?

It's a big no for me, I base my stand on the scripture that states that women are to be help meet to their husbands. To be able to help means that you have more strength and ability than the other person. This should apply in ďŹ nance too,women should be able to bring something tangible to the table. Your husband will respect you more in my opinion. Even if you're a stay- at -home Mum, you can have a business running right there in your house. You mustn't have a corporate 9-5 styled job. Right there under your roof, you can be earning a lot monthly. This is not a period for women to fold their hands.

An Interview with the

CEO,

AWESCO9JA Fashion World Contact us on 08030769230 Instagram: @Awesco9jafashion

By Esther Ijeoma Ogbuka.

1) Would you mind telling us more about yourself?

I am Miriam Wisdom, a native of Kwara State, CEO of Awesco9a Fashion World where we meet all your needs in fashion. I got married to an Akwa-Ibom man.

2) Tell us more about Awesco9ja Fashion World. What is it all about?

We do a lot of things in our fashion world. We have so many clients that we make outfits for. We do bespoke tailoring services for both male and female, coutour and we have a lot of students whom we are training.

Many students whom we trained have graduated and are doing beautifully well in their own fashion businesses. Some students have also enrolled for the next training sessions which you can see is ongoing.

We equally do home service. You can book us to come to your house and we even run personal trainings for people in their houses. I have one I'm working on currently at Park View Estate where I spend two hours everyday.

3) How many people are you training presently?

Six people 4) How long is their period of training?

The period of training usually last for one year.

However, we have some students that spend 6 months, three months to get trained. It could be they already have the idea and just want to learn one or two things. If you don't have any idea of sewing and really want to learn, a period of 6 months - 1 year is perfect.

5) How did you start Awesco9ja Fashion World?

I was running a boutique shortly after I got married. I went to stand in for one of my girlfriends in a job interview at Charisma Cosmetics, Lekki. She was to be interviewed for the position of a Personal Assistant to the CEO. They made me understand a lot of things about fashion as she was not able to make it to the job interview. That was the day I took a decision to groom my interest in fashion. I was truly inspired beyond words could say that very day.

6) How long have you been in this Fashion Industry?

I've been running Awesco9ja Fashion World for 8 years now. I had strong passion for fashion.

7) As the CEO of this top brand " Awesco9ja Fashion", what challenges have you encountered in the course of sailing this entrepreneurial ship?

It will be so inconsiderate of me if I say I have no challenges. Sometimes, the challenge could be from your students because there are some unserious students whom you have to keep teaching till they get to learn beyond the rudiments of the job. Also, there are a couple of challenges from clients but I rarely have challenges or complaints from my clients because they love Awesco outfits. I ensure they are satisfied to the fullest. Sometimes, you see some clients that doesn't have a particular style at heart.

When I meet such, I suggests styles to them based on their stature and most of them end up loving the style.

We also send clothes out of the country to our customers in different countries. The major challenge we face is meeting up with the deadline because sometimes, we finish making the outfits so early but the cost of shipping and other courier services makes it impossible for those clients to get it as at when due. I really thank God for making us overcome that challenge.

8) What are the things that distinguishes Awesco9ja fashion world from other fashion brands?

We are known for remarkable excellence and we don't photocopy. Our designs are original. We are very creative and full of ideas. From your idea as a customer, we can come up with a thousand other ideas that will make you feel overwhelmed and surprised. It shows we are innovative which is very necessary in an industry such as the fashion industry.

Our designs makes us stand out in our own unique ways.

9) You have achieved tremendous excellence handling Awesco9ja Fashion World for the past 8 years. How did you acquire your managerial skills?

I studied Sociology while I was in the University. I enrolled for Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM where I learnt about Brand and Strategy, Management, Financial Management.

10) How many students have graduated from Awesco9ja Fashion World.

Approximately 25 students and they are doing so well in their individual fashion businesses. Whenever we meet, they greet me with so much respect and they tell me, they can never forget me. I feel so happy knowing they are ruling their own world.

11) Would you describe your products as luxury?

No, our outfits can't be described as luxury because all fingers are not equal. It's not just for the rich alone. We cut across all strata of financial capacity. Both the rich and average can afford our outfits. We ensure you look good no matter your level. I believe in quality outfits.

12) In the course of our media chat right here in your office, it is obvious your customers really love you. How have you been able to create such a cordial relationship between you and your customers over the years? Customers are always right, Is it true?

Customers are not always right but managing them requires a lot of sensitivity and wisdom. I started this business from scratch and my work speaks for me. So, over the years, I've met people from all works of life in the course of this job. Sometimes, House maids bring clothes for me to sew for them. We give them awesome designs, such that when they get home, their Madam will ask where they sewed such nice outfits and end up bringing their fabrics for us to sew as well.

13) What advice do you have for women who doesn't have any skill?

I have a lot of advice for them. Gone are the days women just sit back at home to eat, raise their children and sleep. Times have changed and women need to brace up. It is great to have alternative means of income in the home. It helps in building the family to a large extent. When I wanted to venture into fashion business, I had so many discouragements from

friends. It was only my husband that encouraged me. I took that decision and stuck to it. Others might discourage you but you don't have to discourage yourself. I've always loved fashion right from when I was in the university as an undergraduate. So, every woman should own a business.

14) What advice do you have for women whose husbands are not supportive?

All I have to say is this, " They should always involve God in their decision making". I used to have a student whose husband wasn't supportive. After three months of training, she was still slacking and I became really bothered. I summoned her and inquired what her problem was. She told me how discouraged she feels without her husband's support.

I told her not to worry but rather, continue to perfect her skills and sew her daughter's clothes.

Immediately she started sewing her daughter's outfits, her husband became so proud of her and even bought a sewing machine for her.

Even though your husband is not supportive, never relent, keep working hard. He will surely be proud of you on the long run.