Off the back of being named one of 2020’s 100 Most Influential Young South Africans, the highly accoladed media personality, businesswoman and philanthropist, Relebogile Mabotja, graces the inaugural cover of Batswadi Magazine, announcing her pregnancy.
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Batswadi Magazine, an online parenting guide focusing on pregnancy to early childhood, gets candid with Relebogile Mabotja who reveals all in her journey to motherhood – sharing her battle with fibroids and pregnancy complications.
“I’m honoured to grace the debut cover of Batswadi Magazine for the new role in my life. A true blessing indeed to also have a platform to share my journey and bring to light some of the difficult experiences women and mothers-to-be face in their lives. I hope my story can resonate and bring strength to others,” shares Relebogile Mabotja.
“This pregnancy is teaching me about patience and surrender. Because I’m an A-type personality who likes to be in control of everything and because I like to plan everything, for the first time in my life I’m forced to surrender. And that includes things like having to surrender to the fact that today I might have to get nine hours sleep, surrender to the fact that I’m too tired to continue this task, surrender to the fact that I can’t stay up as long as I used to, or that I can’t wake up as early as I used to. In terms of the transition, most of it is psychological in the sense that you’re so used to your body being able to do certain things, but I’m learning to just listen to what my body and baby just want and need,” says Relebogile.
In embracing these important principles of self-care, she’s also realised the significance of having a strong female community to help her come into mommy-hood and learn about the lows and highs of the pregnancy journey.
“Through this journey, I’ve come to realise that there are so many women who suffer from many complications like fibroids, miscarriages, difficulties with falling pregnant…and it’s not often we hear the painful side of pregnancy. We often hear the wonderful side and mine has been very difficult…Having a sense of community has been as important as having a partner’s support. It’s so important that we share information so we can continue learning from each other,” she says.
You can read Relebogile Mabotja’s Batswadi cover story here.
Image Courtesy: Supplied