Posted by By Samuel Olatunji on
The entire household of Victor Olusegun Dejo-Richards and Monalisa Chinda, the Nollywood star actress, was full of people coming and going. Some were famous while others were unknown.
•Speaks on miscarriage, four years of waiting for baby
The entire household of Victor Olusegun Dejo-Richards and Monalisa Chinda, the Nollywood star actress, was full of people coming and going. Some were famous while others were unknown. But the two groups of people seem to have one thing in common: they came to celebrate and congratulate Monalisa and her hubby on the arrival of their first child - a baby girl name Kirejesu, Tamar, Lilly.
What is so unusual about the birth of a baby? You are wont to ask. But for Monalisa and her hubby it is. One, she has been looking for the fruit of the womb for over four years and she has had to endure two painful miscarriages. She is also one of the few star actresses that gave birth of late. All our actresses seem to be on maternity sabbatical. The joyous husband, a senior partner at Hitt Entertainment, shares with Sunday Sun, his experience of being in the labour room with his wife.
How was it like to be in labour room with your wife?
Well, I think everyman should be with his wife in the labour room. It does give strength to the woman and it shows you are in it together.
After seeing the pain, did you decide to put a full stop to child rearing?
The bible says the Hebrew women were stronger in their days. We have been confessing that and we asked God to give us strength to endure. God saw us through.
Who held the baby first?
We held the baby together for the very first time.
Did you notice any peculiar thing during the delivery?
The unusual thing was that the delivery was simple. It was stress-free. Look at the way she is looking like a babe despite the fact that she just gave birth. She was looking like a babe even during pregnancy.
Monalisa:
Are you looking forward for another baby now?
a new baby just came we are still celebrating this one first before we think of another celebration.
How was it like in the labour room?
I can't describe it. No mother can describe the labour room experience, it is indescribable.
What was on your mind at the height of the pain?
The fact that I know that my joy would be coming gave me the courage to go on. It was enough consolation and relief.
When you saw your husband standing and looking at you in the labour room, did you not feel like, ‘look at him, the man that put me in this trouble'?
No! He was not even standing, he was behind me and was saying words of prophesy and prayers to me. All I was hearing were words of prophecy and prayer. I didn't think about the pain as such, what I thought of was the joy ahead.
I heard you cried when you held the baby, why?
It's divine. You can't describe the joy of a mother when she holds her baby. No woman can describe it to you; it is divine. It is a holy thing.
So you are this spiritual?
I am by the grace of God.
Do you think another journey would be worth giving a trial?
Of course, yes.
How many more of this journey would you want to embark on?
As many as God and my husband want.
And hubby speaks
I should be considerate considering the fact that she has to go into labour room all the time. But I would love to have four. I would consult her though.
(We helped the husband to do the consultation free of charge.)
(To the actress) Would you want to have four?
No, was the word that came out of her mouth without hesitation. She reveals that a boy and a girl would be enough for her. However she also shows her consideration by saying she might change her mind for God and her husband.
Were there any uncommon occurrences during the birth of the child?
No, there was nothing unusual. It was normal.
Though Monalisa who has not been working for the past six months is presently on forced break occasioned by the delivery of her baby girl; Nollywood producers seem to be missing her badly, as most of them are speaking with her husband for permission to take camera and crew down to her Mende residence to shoot. The husband being a showbiz person obliged. And he says that is as far as he can take, 'she will have to be home for the mandatory 40 days before doing any other thing. I wouldn't want anything to disturb her from breast feeding our child," he says.
How does it feel to be a father?
'It makes me feel so responsible. As the day of her arrival drew, I stopped socialising. Every kobo I have now is toward her comfort and future."
On the delay, he has this to say: 'We were not under pressure all through our moment of waiting. You know when you get married everybody expects you to have a child. though we've been waiting we were not under pressure. My wife is very fertile. Even through all those time we had moments of crisis (miscarriage) we were sure the baby would come because our God is a living God. We have a covenant of fruitfulness with him."