Still A Mum Wellness Center: Wanjiru Kihusa’s campaign expands support for miscarriage victims

Giving motherhood another shot after a miscarriage is usually a daunting endeavor, well, at least for most women. Wanjiru Kihusa, having suffered two miscarriages, came out to demystify the myths surrounding miscarriages and infertility by openly talking about the hushed topic of miscarriage. Borrowing from her encounter, Wanjiru believes many women are suffering in silence for all the stigma and shame that come with miscarriages. Her experience inspired her to start a support forum in 2015 for women who have undergone similar loss dubbed Still a Mum. The campaign came from the desire to celebrate women who have lost babies and affirm them that they are still mums.

#StillAMum has grown over the years as an online campaign, and they have now opened a Mum Wellness Centre at Office C2, Branton Court on Ndemi Lane off Ngong Road where those affected by miscarriages can meet, comfort and learn from each other.

Still a Mum intends to use the centre to offer dedicated counselling throughout the week for those whom counselling services are financially inaccessible. Not only will they be offering their counseling services to those dealing with miscarriages but they will also offer loss and grief counselling for those who have faced loss and grief through death, divorce, employment, property or relationship. Their rates are:

Support groups are Sh. 500 per session Individual sessions are Sh. 2000 per session – Sh. 3500 for couple sessions Child/adolescent counseling – Sh. 1000 per session

Other than counselling, the centre will be offering physical support and individual therapy to parents who have lost a baby; support for women suffering postpartum depression; as well as community training on handling loss, grief and bereavement therapy. The group also has an initiative- Mama Zawadi- that seeks to educate pregnant women, new mums and their partners on the basics of pregnancy, labour, delivery, and postpartum care.

Wanjiru Kihusa made headlines when she went public with her inspiring story after two disheartening miscarriages.  She lost her first baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy and after three months decided to give motherhood another shot. Her desire to be a mother was again cut short when she miscarried her second child at only seven weeks.