Kenyan singer Jovial KE has opened up about her challenging first trimester, revealing that she went an entire week without bathing due to the toll pregnancy took on her body.Sharing her experience on Instagram, the expectant mother candidly wrote: “In my first trimester, won’t lie—I stayed one week without showering. I’d wake up, put on my body spray, and change my outfit.”
She went on to say that the extreme tiredness during the day, and the nausea made it difficult to accomplish anything as mundane as bathing or even brushing teeth. “Kuoga [bathing] in the first trimester, someone had to drag me to the bathroom. I used to cry like a child!” she testified, showing just how much of an insurmountable task this was for her.
Jovial even said that it was difficult to brush her teeth because of her sensitivity to toothpaste. “I didn’t like the taste… I would vomit, and once I vomit, I’m going to have a terrible day,” she said, explaining that she used salt and charcoal powder as substitute.Her honest confession has spurred a storm of mixed sentiments on the social media platforms, with the majority of them praising her for being frank and for bringing to light the mostly unspoken realities of pregnancy. Fellow mothers and advocates filled her comment areas with support, relating their own similar experiences and praising her for speaking up.
Pregnancy can be an emotionally and physically draining experience, and Jovial’s unvarnished honesty is helping to make it okay to discuss the difficulties pregnant women face—especially those that do not fall into the rose-tinted myths.
