Nkuho Uman A beautiful Culture of Ibibio People
Hello friends! Greeting to my readers, I must salute you all, for making my stay on hive family a rewarding. I learned a lot being here and it has actually opened up my understanding in many areas. Today, I want to talk about the Nkuho Uman culture. It's amazing custom practiced for a longer time in most part of Akwa Ibom and Cross River State especially the Efik and Uruan people.
Nkuho Uman is one of the outstanding custom of Ibibio people in Akwa Ibom state and also practiced by Efik people in Cross River State of Nigeria. Nkuho Uman is a special care by mother (the bride mother) to her daughter who gave birth to her a very first child to ease her work and teach her how to resume a role of a mother in husband house. Nkuho Uman usually take the period of three to four months in which the daughter who delivers a baby recently is being taken home from husband house by her mother (the bride mother) and keep her in the house for these period.
The mother inlaw (the bride mother) during this period, will guides and teach the new mother how to ease into Sits-bath, the hot water therapy which they usually soak a cloth in a hot water to massage the new mother's belly. It is believed that the hot water and massaging will not allow belly fast to grow so that the new mother will not have big belly. During this period, all what the new mother have to do is to eat enough food and sleep, all the food and house chores are prepared by her mother (the bride mother), the more she eat drink a lot of water and sleep, the more she will have much milk production for the baby consumption. The older mothers in the community who has more experience will design the a clothes usually miniskirt which the new mother will wear and it'll covered only the chest part and the waist remember during this period, the new mother is not permitted to go outside, not going to the market, stream or church and people are restricted from visiting her except otherwise.
Moreover, the new mother will be taught how to carry the baby, breastfeeding positions and sitting positions. This will help the new mother to take care of every other babies she will gave birth to. One of the outstanding and recommended food during Nkuho Uman period is Ekpang nkukwo which is made from cocoyam, water yam and wrapped with fresh cocoyam leaves together with other spices and periwinkles, ikpa enang or kpomo (cow skin), fish with palm oil to relished the taste. Also, garri is soaked with much water in a basin or bowel for the new mother to drink after every two to three hours in order to generate fresh and much breast milk for the baby to suck.
After the new mother is bathe by the old mothers and the bride mother, they used Ndom (clay) otherwise known as White-chalk dissolved with water and rubbed on the skin as powder which helps to clean, smoothen and revitalizes the new mother's skin. Then used Mkpin that's miniskirt made by the old mothers from wrapper material to wear the new mother. It is believed that this Mkpin will enhance her free movement, ventilation and bodycheck in order to know how healthy she is.
Both the mother and the go through a thorough massage by the old mothers in daily basis to revive the body from inside to outside, to look flexible and have good body shape. This is for health benefits of both new mother and the baby.
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What a beautiful and amazing culture. Good bless Akwa Ibom people, God bless Cross River people. Thank you very much for being a part for visiting my blog to read my posts. I really appreciate your effort of love. your comment is a way of motivation together with your upvote. Thanks for being there for me. I'm @inibless.