Hello Everyone, most especially Pamela Gold, abeg relax, no need for insults.

This tread is not to debate on having househelps or not. It is a tread to share tips on how to simplify your life's if you decide not to have a househelp.

@ All those insinuating I am a bad woman cos I have had 3 househelps in a year. Thts ur opinion. I can't defend myself. The funny thing is that everyone tells me even a Pastor that I spoil my househelps too much! As such they think they have arrived and act badly. (My help sits on the dinning with us at meals times, join us for family outings even to d cinemas and dinners, family holiday, they go to driving school sef! Cos it's a policy for us incase of emergency). I guess my 1st help became a thief after she joined us to Dubai for a family holiday. So, I take it also that it is my fault my first house help is a thief (Funny is that she never stole from me, she kept stealing from this particular neighbour (and eventually stole weaveon from a salon. She got lynched that day and she was stripped naked and beaten publicly.

I guess it is also my fault that the 3rd househelp got pregnant for our gate man. I should keep a househelp tht blatantly refuses to shut her door while dressing up. Infact it was even my hubby tht gave an ultimately tht she must go (The 3rd) cos I was still willing to keep her even though she was pregnant.

Will u keep a house help (The 2nd) that sleeps so deeply and does not hear when ur child is crying? Or a help that just deeps ur child in a bucket of water and calls it a bath? Or a help tht simply refuses to join family night prayer or go to church.


I pay a lot for my sons day care (Abt 55k a month). The owner (Pastor's wife) of the creche lives in the same compound. (They own the building and it is a redeem creche), so I am very comfortable leaving him there till 7pm. He doesn't even like coming home. lolz.

Maybe I am sourcing my helps from the wrong agency and tribe! I can't mention the tribe so as not to start a tribal war.

I have a colleague that has a nanny, a housemaid and a driver (She has only a daughter) and yet she complains of stress. lolz.

The key is time management, and I have learnt to manage my time. It may even interest you to know that I have time to exercise at least 45 mins , 4 times a week.

Hello All,

Abeg, lets not derail the tread with argument.

If you live in cold regions, then you will understand why pple bath themselves once a day or even once in two days.

I scrub my son in the evening while hubby just uses liquid wash in the morning just to freshen him up.

@Mrs. Mansson, if a help coincides with an outsider to kidnap ur child, I guess u will forgive the help and look for ways to manage her short comings. It may interest you to know that all my help go on family vacation with us. I don't really want to blow my trumpet on how well I treated my helps.
@Baby.Me, sorry but that is child labor. I employ only adults who can make their own decisions and earn their money. I have children that I sponsor, I pay their fees and other stuffs. Let the kids be with their parents.
Am not trying to judge you, but I totally despise when I visit my family/friends and I see an under aged help. No matter how well u treat them or how u try to defend it, sweet heart it is child labor. My orientation is quite different from that of an average Nigerian, maybe cause I spent over half my current yrs on earth living abroad.
@Candy, I love your quote, " I'd rather be safe than sorry".
@Gaggi, ur so correct, I can't stand the whole drama of of helps.
@ Ewuro707, am so going to look for the crock pot.

Please keep the tips coming in.

Hello House,

2014 is round the corner, and the purpose of this tread is to share easy tips on how a working mother can survive without a house help in the YEAR 2014. (This is specially for Nigerian Working Mothers/Women. Mothers abroad pls share ur survival tips as u guys are used to DIY.)

Some say house helps are necessary evils. I had my first help in January 2013 and this year alone I have had 3 househelps! (The first was a thief, the second was so lazy & rude, the third had eye for my hubby and eventually got pregnant for our gate man). I got fed up and I have lived without them since September 2013. I am happy I do not have a stranger living with me.

I have a 17 months Son, and I am currently 3 months pregnant. The following tips will help anyone who decides to join me to say no to househelps in 2014.

1. You must get ur spouse involved. This is the most important o.
2. Get a washing machine. This is a saving grace cos my toddler can wear 5 different outfits in a day!
3. Get a deep freezer. This helps me to cook in bulk and store.
4. Ensure you have a generator that can power you freezer. (You do not want ur stored food getting defrosted and going stale cos of the erratic power supply in Nigeria.
5. Shop in bulk and store. In case you don't have time to shop, there are various online grocery shops. I love Madam Sabi. www.madamsabi.com You can also get ur office assistants/cleaners to help with ur shopping. For me, hubby does the toiletries and necessary provisions shopping (He buys from any supermarket, pack & shop/Shoprite/ebe ano), while I do the vegetables and meat.
6. Plan ur meals at the beginning of each week. I have a timetable.
7. If you have a toddler, get a Creche that closes 7pm around ur home, so that in case you are stuck in traffic, ur mind is at ease knowing fully well that ur kid is in safe hands. My baby's creche closes by 7pm, and in case my hubby/myself can't make it before 7pm. They take him home and I pick him from there. They also bath and fed my baby dinner and dress him in his night wear, so I just pick and put him to sleep in his play pen, while I make dinner. I take to bed when he eventually falls asleep in his playpen.
8. If you have older kids, get an after school facility, most creches offer this service. They bath, feed ur kids and help out with their assignment. They even help make ur female kids hair.
9. While doing house chores/cooking, my hubby baby sits our son.
10. Have a night schedule / specific bed time for ur children. My son sleeps by 7.30/8pm. so I have 2 hours to fix a quick dinner, have my bath, have dinner with hubby and watch TV.
11. Go for first service on Sundays. i.e if u are a xtian. I attend 7.30am service. Am back home before 10am, and have time to do loads of stuffs.
12. I use my Sundays to plan out all our cloths and shoes for the week. (Myself & son)
13. Get at least one good wig. For those sundays you are unable or too tired to make it to the salon.
14. Get ur hubby to help paint ur toe nails and do ur pedicure. Not only does it save u time, but also a bonding time for you both.
15. My hubby helps with the ironing and washing the toilets & bath.
16. Do not stack up ur dirty plates & pot. Try as much as possible to wash as u cook.
17. Get nice cartoons and sing along for ur kids. This keeps my son busy in his play pen / high seat while am busy with cooking/house chores. (In case hubby isn't around to baby sit.)
18. You do not have to attend / honor all weekend party invitations! I bet most don't even notice u are absent.
19. Hubby baths our son every morning. While I pack our breakfast/lunch boxes.
20. If u have an uncooperative hubby, pray to God and talk to ur hubby.

House, abeg add more tips.

I made FRONT PAGE!!!!

002, how far with ur weight loss maintainace?

The Amazing Benefits of the One-Day Fast.

Fasting is the oldest, simplest, and surest way to put your health and spirits back on track. Nothing else works like it. By fasting one day a week(no food whatsoever - water is optional) you are giving your body a much needed true rest and time to catch up on neglected repair or cleaning. Important note: fasting of any kind is not recommended if you are pregnant, infirmed, on medication, a child.
Fasting one day out of seven is not a huge sacrifice to make, especially when you consider the benefits or rewards. Begin your fast in the evening, right after your last meal. By the time you wake up, half the fast will already be over. Resume regular eating in the evening. The braver ones can extend it to thirty-six hours although I don't recommend this unless you've had previous experience or feel compelled to do so.

1. Fasting improves blood flow or circulation and the body's capacity to eliminate resulting in better overall health.
2. One-day fasting will teach you control or discipline. It will greatly help you to break those bad habits or addictions that are destroying you and help you start to acquire new and positive ones.
3. Fasting helps re-balance our unnatural cravings or desires by eliminating the chemicals or properties that cause them.
4. Weight Loss - When the body does not receive it’s minimum daily need for energy from food, it begins to burn stored fat cells.
5. It can also improve eyesight and hearing and the better functioning of your senses in general.
6. Fasting is also a powerful spiritual tool.

So go on and incorporate fasting once a week. For me, I fast from 7pm Saturday to 7pm Sunday.

@Aafulenu,

Then go on and starve. I know pple wld say it is unhealthy but starvation made me loss over 20kg. It was difficult for me to stick to a diet. I didn't know how to eat little & healthy. Why shld I eat without oil, when oil makes food look more appetizing, why shld I remove d skin from chicken, when d skin is the sweetest. why shld I take skimmed milk when whole milk tastes great. Why shld I take diet coke when normal coke tastes so nice. why shld I eat little eba, when I wld keep wanting more and more. Once I start eating, I cld not stop. So to save myself the stress of always counting calories & watching what I eat, I stopped eating entirely! I only pick on food in d evenings. I eat from my hubby or sister's food.

Now, I have lost a lot of weight and my tommy is so small that I can't even eat a wrap of eba, I eat only few spoons of rice & am satisfied. I drink loads and loads of waterrrrrr. The thot of adding back the weight I lost keeps me from eating & drinking junk. I love fruits now. I love my black & green tea.

Who says starvation does not work? Starvation got my confidence back, starvation made my old cloths fit me again, starvation makes me feel so good , my skin is glowing! Everyone at my work place & church are asking me what I did to get my body back within 3 mths of putting to bed. I simply told them nothing. Yes nothing. Not simply eating is doing nothing. Starvation made me to get my health back, Starvation makes me feel so sexy. Am so happy when my stomach starts to growl. It means am losing more weight.I simply drink ice water & green tea during the day. Evening time, I ensure I have some fruits and nibble on my hubby's dinner.

Good for pple that can stick to a diet, unfortunately I cldn't. Am happy staying off food. No one shld tell me that starvation makes ur metabolism to slow down. I hate being fat! I don't even like fat pple around me. I get pissed when pple can't simply develop a higher authority over food. Must you eat all the time? Show some strength and stay off food.

Give urself a target and ensure u don't eat above 500 calories a day. Eat just fruits like apple, strawberry, blue berries, grapes,carrots, oranges, green & black tea with loads of water.

Walk, walk & walk, dance dance & dance. Do ur sit ups, jump jacks, do push ups to tone ur arm, invest in dumb bells. tone up the flabby arms.

I was at the beach last weekend, I wore a lovely play suit. My hubby was so proud of me.

Easy Exercises For You

Indoor exercise's

Sit ups
Crunches
Jumping jacks
Jump rope
Walking up and down the room
Squats
Lunges
Housework
Dancing
Push ups
Singing
Well since a lot of people on here have fruity sex lives I'll put that! It burns cals anyway ;-)

Outdoor exercise's

Running
Jogging
Football
Walking
Rugby
Tennis
Cycling
Roller blading
Ice skating
Swimming
Baseball
Rounders
Vollyball

*
Tips & tricks #2 (:

1. fruits are amazing. 50 blueberries are 39 calories - that's so many for so little cals. An average strawberry has 2-4 calories, a grape has 2 calories, an orange has 35, a small sized apple 45.the list goes on and on.

2. stretching really helps - it gets rid of hunger pains and makes you feel more awake. also it does burn fat & cals and makes your body flexible.

3. look at thinspo (http://pro-ana-angels.wetpaint.com/page/Real+Thinspiration) all the time. this is an obvious one but you're much less likely to eat if you've just looked at it.

4. get naked and look at yourself in the mirror. this can be shocking if you're not thin, and you will NOT want to eat unhealthy.

5. repeat over and over in your head that you don't like unhealthy food, that you hate it. your brain will start to believe it if you do it for long enough.


6. make a list of safe healty foods

7. make a list of unsafe foods (high cal)

8. chew gum and eat mints constantly. this is one you already know, but it never hurts. make sure it's low cal though, or sugarfree.

9. Think about how much closer summer is getting, how little time you have until you have to wear a swimsuit. Think about tht lovely b.day dress u want to fit into. Think about tht bum shorts u want to rock to the beach. Think about that ex boy friend / husband tht u bump into? You want them to see u smoking hot, right?

10. Drink water, green tea, black tea. No sugar, just a little milk.

11. At lunch,parties. etc look at other people that are eating unhealthy and say to yourself, "I'm SO much stronger than them."

@ Aafulenu,

I understand ur not being able to exercise alone.

Do u dance?
Do u do house chores?
Can u skip?
Stop driving if u do and walk, walk, walk.

I walk everywhere, I do all my house chores myself, don's send that younger brother of ur's to buy u tht recharge card. Walk! Use the stair case.

Keep moving and refuse to be a potato couch!

i feel we shld start after d new yr celebrations. pls if u are interested in joining my whatsapp group, drop an email. mogbomoya@hotmail.com. cheers.

Am down with d weight loss challenge. But I wld rather prefare to form a BB group or whatssapp group. with tht, it's easier to monitor & encourage our self. I have lost a lot of weight, thru mostly crash diets.

i want a healthy diet now.

are u on whatsapp?

I have always been a fat kid. Everyone called me chubby cheeks. I went to a Nigerian Boarding school and lost some weight. After secondary school, the weights piled back on. At a tender age of 18 I weighed 95kg. I left the shores of Nigeria for my graduate & post graduate studies. I learnt how to count calories & exercise. I gradually reduced from a UK size 18 to size 16. A friend introduced me to the Cambridge diet were you are limited to a very low calorie diet of 450 a day. I loved the diet cause the shakes were already prepackaged and I didn't have to prepare any meals. The fats melted off & my confidence grew. I became a lovely UK size 12.

I got married & relocated back to Nigeria. I maintained my weight by eating once a day. I got pregnant after 2 yrs of marriage. I went from 68kg to 97kg. I got really depressed about the weight I had piled on. I suffered from post natal depression. I didn't loose any weight immediately after delivery (Mid August) and I even got more depressed. I started the indomie diet, eating one pack of indomie daily (120grams of indomie pepper chicken). (I had to supplement breastfeeding with formula cause the anti depressants reduced my milk supply)The weights melted off, it was like magic. By October Ending, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 68kg.

The diet combined with breast feeding made the weights come off fast. Everyone started complaining. I was shocked when my sister's size 8 dresses fitted me perfectly. I weighed myself last week & I was shocked to be weighing 57kg. Everyone begs me to eat but I just hate food now. The thot of being fat scares me. I live on water and coke zero and garden eggs and cucumber. I have resumed work and my energy level is really down. I fall sick easily. My milk supply has dried up. Am obsessed with loosing weight.

Please help me. I hate diets. They are difficult to keep up with. Starving & not eating is much easier.

before I had my baby, i said i wld never breastfeed in public. but my baby wails loudly in public & d only way to pacify her is breastfeeding. she has even learnt to pull my blouse. i express in bottles for her, but she still wld want to bosom feed.
but i cover up with d baby shawl since i have no nursing gowns.

i understand ur feeling. it is normal to develop a cold feet as d date approaches. mine was bad, i cried most nightes & then i starteed meeting some very hot guys. i thot maybe i hadd made a mistake. it was more difficult for me cos i had to relocate back to Nigeria, leaving behind my friends of 7yrs, good job, lovely apratment.
but now, i look back & laugh cos i worried for no cause. all will be well. trust God, pray & be a submissive loving wife.

I think so.

Each of ur offspring would have 25% chance of either being an AA or an AC. There is no genotype as CC, so am guessing AC $ AC are good to go.

very true. i sometimes miss being pregnant.

Hello Mummies, pls d rate at which am loosing weight is alarming. my baby is just 3mths & i am slimmer than pre pregnancy. i was a size 12 before pregnancy, then balloned to size 16 during pregnancy. 2 weeks after delivery, i noticed i wake each morning with my bed soaked in sweat. i lost all pregnancy weight over d next week. i was over joyed but thereafter, i have bn loosing weight consistently. all my cloths hang so loose on me. i was shocked when i tried my sisters size 8 cloths & they fitted perfectly. i am nt breastfeeeding exclusive.
my hubby & mum & everyone are complaning. i eat a lot. like 6 times a day . am really worried. pls is this normal? wld i gain back weight after breastfeeding? i cant imagine changing my whole wardrobe and my head it now bigger than my body.

@mightlove, how are you & ur LO?
@Dominique, kindly fully read d post.

@002, weigh urself at same time daily cos u weigh less in morning & weigh more in d afternoon/evening.

also u weigh more during ur periods cos of water retention.

just thot to share with all weight watchers tht d different indomie flavours all have different calories.

indomie pepper chicken has d lowest calorie, while d original indomie chicken flavour has d highest!

if you are on d indomie diet, stay away from d chicken flavour.

i ate only a pack of 120g pepper chicken daily. it has less than 500 calories. i have it with cabbage & cucumber & chicken/fish. total daily calorie consumptn was 800. i make it in d morning & divide it into 3 portions for breakfast,lunch & dinner with lots of water in btw. an apple a day too. i did this for 2 weeks in oct & lost 6kg.

pls note this is a crash diet & shld nt become a permanent diet. i had to do this cos i put to bed in august, & needed to quickly loose d extra 20kg i gained. (note, pls breastfeeding mothers dont try this diet o. am nt breastfeeding cos of some meditatn am taking).

lots of love deary.

I know what ur going thru cos I suffer from depression also. pls have positive family & friends around you all the time. also find time to carefully educate them what ur passing thru.
after d delivery of my son, i had another deep case of post partum depression. am still on anti depressant hence i cant breastfeed.

update us with ur progress.

am at cross road. pls i need testimonal on both brand.

@ house, my baby boy is 2 & half mths. Am returning back to work & decided to introduce formula. I bought Nan 1. He took the bottle happily. After 2days, he developed diarrhea. I stopped the formula immediately but still d diarrhea is persistent. I plan taking him to d hospital tomorrow but still any advice wld be appreciated.

NB: I prepared the formula & washed & sterilised d bottles, so I dont think its a case of hygeine. The diarrhea started on friday evening.

Alleluya, diamondlove is now a mummy! congrats darling. The lord is good. I remember those days of ur whinning & crying. Now d real work starts o.

@ house, mogbomoya & baby is doing great. he is 2mths & is so big. I cant stop praising God everyday for his mercies.

thank you all for your congratulatory messages. we are doing great. he keeps me busy all day & night. the joy is unexplainable. same God tht did mine wld surely do urs.

@udoka2: God is indeed faithful. he wld satisfy you early!

come & join me sing alleluya, Jehovah Jireh has done me well! mogbomoya is now a mother to a handsome baby boy! l started purging at about 5pm yesterday at work. i got home by 6.30pm & was feeling period like pains in my lower abdomen & back. i have bn having these pains for d past 1 week & did nt think i was in labour. i had dinner by 7.30pm, threw up by 8pm. went to bed by 9pm. woke up by 1am with strong contractns & pain. started walking around & confessing all my prayers plus sins! lol. i didn't wake hubby all these while. by 5.30am, hubby woke up. i told him it is time. he thot i was joking. i had my birth, packed my hospital bag into his car. packed cereal & apple. got to the hospital by 6.30am, just by the entrance, my waters broke! then d real pain began! i was on all fours, got examined by 7am, was already 6cm dilated. got examined by 8.30 was 7cm. by 9.30am was already fulled dilated! pushed twice & my prince came out by 10.17am! and was screaming out his lungs. i had no tear. he weighed 3.3kg. i am over joyed. he is soooooo cute. well, he has to wear all pink cos i wanted a girl & bought 80% pink! let me try & sleep.

@Diamondlove,

Thks for checking on me. I still dey here oh. Am getting so cranky by the day. I hope LO shows before this weekend.
I hope ur hanging in there.

@ Overkill, congrats.
@aigboma, congrats oh!

@sd-6,

Have you tested it? How is the performance.

@fantababy, so sorry to know what ur passing through. Do follow the advice from infogenius.
@Toyosi, The tablet works better than the tea. I would suggest you start taking one daily, with one cup of tea. From 37 weeks you can increase to 2 tablets with 2/3 bags of tea.
@House, I still dey push am oh. Am almost 39 weeks. Everyone is commenting how pretty am beginning to look again. I have lost a bit of weight.

I have learnt a lot. Please can you use any detergent with it?

@Diamond love,

Am still drinking the tea oh. It does not bring on labor but it helps the second stage of labor. Am really not depending on it, but am kinda addicted to it right now. I drink 3-4 cups a day. May be it's the tea that is making me loose weight sef. I have lost about 3kg btw July till now.

Hope ur still able to cat walk.