4/12/2011

Ile Omugwo

This is an age old Igbo custom.
When a woman is pregnant and her due date approaches, her mother comes in to 
stay with her for the birth and at least 2 months post-partum. Her mother (the grandma) bathes the baby, does all the cooking, and also bathes the new mother helping her massage the necessary areas with hot water.
A special delicacy the woman eats at this time is ji mmiri (mmili) oku uda i.e
yam peppersoup with 2 special spices called uda and uziza.
In Anambra area, it is called ofe nsala,  a very light thickner( e.g a piece of
mashed yam) is used and is usually eaten with pounded yam.
The soup is filled with dried fish (mangala), stock fish (okporoko) and sometimes
beef. It is hot hot hot and the hot pepper and uda and uziza they say is expected to
help the woman's body heal from the stress of childbirth.

The new mother is not expected to lift a finger during omugwo or go outside. She just eats and nurses her baby and others take care of the chores and she cannot have sex with her husband during this period.
How wonderful, how the forefathers knew even before medical science about postnatal.
Most of them put on weight at omugwo! :-)

Some new mothers who do not have the luxury of their mom being with them at
Omugwo struggle by themselves. A caring husband will cook the ji mmili oku  with uda and uziza and okporoko for his wife and bring it to the hospital each time
with plenty of left over at home.

Traditionally, after the mom leaves, the mother in law then comes to stay for her
own omugwo visit. Women whose mothers are bereaved usually have an aunt or older sister do the omugwo. When the visit is over, the grandma or whoever did the omugwo goes home with new wrappers, blouses and a lot of other goodies because it's assumed that the new baby has ruined all her wrappers with urine and feces.


10 comments:

  1. good job... it like you hv been with us(igbo's) all ur life. I like this......

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just randomly came across this and I love this!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was looking for nsala recipe when i came across this. This is lovely

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks to y'all. I am happy that you like it.
    Dalu.

    ReplyDelete
  5. REALLY COOL POST....LEARN A LOT FROM IT.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Am gonna be writing a project topic on this as regards to the changing trend in ile omugwo in Igboland. So if you got any helpful material please do well to e-mail me on chill4306@gmail.com.Thanks. meanwhile I loves this.

    ReplyDelete
  7. interesting.... you said it all, surfing the net and i just got stocked with this piece, i love it and at the same time wishing mine (omugwo) 'll be memorable, ndewo......

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do You Need A Powerful Africa Native Doctor? I Mean A Spiritual Herbalist
    With Great Spirit Connected To Ancestors. Call or WhatsApp +2349058774809 Dr Obodubu Monday Is A High Voodoo Priest Master. He is a Spell Caster, Native
    Doctor, Spiritual Herbalist, Powerful Sickle cell Healer, Spiritual
    Astrologer, Psychic Reader, Multi Guru, Witch Doctor, Priest Of Africa
    Money Ritual.
    Have You Been To Native Doctor to Native Doctor Without Any Solution To
    Your Problems Or Rather Add To it? Have You Been To Place To Place In View
    Of A Powerful Native Doctor That Can Solve All Your Predicament, You Must
    Understand That There Is A Native Doctor That Supersede All Native Doctor
    Among All Native Doctor, If You Are In Search Of A Powerful Native Doctor
    With Great Spiritual Powers, Then You Must Be In Search Of A Native Doctor
    That Derives Power From The Marine World. That Is The Spirituality Of The
    Greatest Africa Native Doctor Obodubu.
    Dr Obodubu Is Recognized All Over The World Of Marine Kingdom, As One
    Of The Top Fortunate And Most Powerful Native Doctor Of Charms Casts From
    The Beginning Of His Ancestors ship Until Now Dr who lives Strong
    Among All Other Native Doctors, There Have Never Been Any Form Of
    Impossibility Beyond The Control Of Dr Obodubu. It Doesn't Matter The
    Distance Of The Person With The Problems Or Situation, All You Have To Do
    Is Believe
    In The Native Obodubu charms Casts That Works, He Always
    Warns Never To Get His Charms Casts If You Do Not Believe Or Unable To
    Follow His Instruction.
    It Is The Assignment Of The Native Doctor Obodubu To Offer
    Services To Those In Need Of Spiritual Assistance Not Minding The Gravity
    Of Your Situations Or Distance As Long As Water, Sea, Ocean, Lake, River
    Sand etc. Are Near You, Then Your Problems Of Life Would Be Controlled
    Under Your Foot.
    If You Need Any Spiritual Help On Any of These:
    Get Your Lover Back
    Fruit Of The Womb
    Fibroid
    Business Boom
    Financial Breakthrough
    Get Rich Without Ritual WhatsApp +2349058774809
    Do As I Say
    Bad Dream
    Promise And Fail
    Epilepsy
    Spiritual Attack
    Land/Court Case
    Mental Disorder
    Political Appointment
    Visa Approval
    Cancer
    Examination Success
    Spend And Get Back
    Good Luck
    Natural Health
    Hypertension
    Diabesity (Diabetic+Obesity
    Stroke
    Sickle Cell
    Impotency
    Win Court Case
    Promotion At Work
    Commanding Tone
    Protection Ring
    Marriage Success
    Love Ring
    Favour Ring
    Recover Lost Glory
    Spiritual Power For Men Of God
    Travel Success Ring
    Job Success
    Lotto/Pool Win And Many More.
    Make Haste To Call or WhatsApp Dr Obodubu Monday +2349058774809. Or Mail Him to
    babadoctorobodubuspiritualhome@gmail.com For Spiritual Problem Today And
    You Will Surely
    Get Solution To All Your Predicament.
    Email: babadoctorobodubuspiritualhome@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I do not think I would have ever stop wiping if not for Dr Osasu When my lover left me the hole world was like hell I could not cope with it neither can I breathe like a real human. But all the-same I thank God for using Dr Osasu to restore my lose love and making the rest of my life full of joy and happiness by bringing back my ex lover back to me with his powerful spell. All praise and honor be onto you. if not for you Dr Osasu I don't think the rest of life would have been sweet, so all I will have to do now is to introduce you to people out there who are in similar problem or another to contact you and get there solution just like me.

    Here are his details
    (drosasu25@gmail.com) or call him : +2347064365391

    ReplyDelete