'I develop vitiligo afta I give birth to my pikin'

Afta Winifred Aghanwa born her second pikin for 2021, she begin dey notice some skin patches for her body wey she bin tink say na eczema.

She unknowingly begin treat eczema becos she bin tink say na postpartum reaction “I no really tink say e go be dis vitiligo.”

Winifred na mama of two boys, wey bin dey age six and two.

Di mama of two pikin begin develop vitiligo skin condition afta she born her second son.

She explain say di postpartum skin condition dey strange to am, until she visit dermatologist wey come reveal to her say na vitiligo.

Wen Winifred visit dermatologist, di doctor begin explain vitiligo skin condition to am and give am treatment wey go fit suppress di skin condition as e no get cure.

Winifred tell BBC Pidgin say before she born her second pikin, her skin no develop vitiligo condition but na afta she born her pikin for June 2021 she begin see her skin develop vitiligo due to pigmentation.

'No be so I bin plan my life'

As Winifred begin narrate her postpartum journey wit tears dey roll down her face, she tell BBC Pidgin say no be so she bin plan her life becos she believe say childbirth na tin of joy.

“I dey very sad becos I no tink say na so my skin go turn out to become. Why I go born finish and I go come dey get dis kin tin? E dey very sad,” Winifred tok.

“I don take medicine but nothing dey work, sometimes e go be like say di tin wan go but den e go start again.”

Winifred say she don change her lifestyle including her wardrobe as she no fit commot for house wit short sleeves outfits.

She say she dey avoid too much sunlight and apply sunscreen for body everi time make she no begin develop sunburn.

“Before vitiligo wit dis pregnancy I don change shoe size. My voice don change, I don dey tok like man wen you hear my voice, and vitiligo come follow join di mata,” she tok.

“E no easy for me at all my whole wardrobe don change. I no dey fit wear short sleeve comot for house. I no dey fit stay for sun too long and if I dey comot, I need to carry sunscreen for hand becos I dey rub am for my skin all day make I no go get sunburn for body.”

Winifred say her friends and family dey supportive despite say she get skin vitiligo and e no dey affect di true reflection of herself.

She also explain say she no dey experience any societal stigmatisation wit vitiligo as strangers dey even encourage am make she begin dey do shakara wit her skin.

Winifred say she don begin medical treatment wey dey help supress di condition as she advise new mothers to cater for dia personal needs and mental health.

“My advise to mothers bin say, you be human being. Mothers cater to yourselves first, your mental health dey important,” Winifred tok.

Wetin be Vitiligo ?

According to di UK National Health Service, NHS, Vitiligo na long-term condition wia white patch dey develop on di skin. Na a lack of melanin, wey be di pigment for skin dey cause am.

Vitiligo fit affect any area of skin, but e dey commonly happen on di face, neck and hands, and for skin creases.

Vitiligo no dey infectious or contagious.

Experts tok say pipo wey dey live wit vitiligo fit dey affected psychologically, e fit cause anxiety, depression, low self-esteem for dem and dem even fit get suicidal thoughts.

Wetin experts tok about vitiligo and pregnancy?

Meanwhile some gynaecologists wey sepak with BBC Pidgin say pregnancy no fit be di 100% cause of vitiligo.

Oluwarotimi Ireti say vitiligo na auto immune disease but no be di reason for vitiligo during pregnancy.

E add say vitiligo disease dey different from oda skin changes pregnancy fit cause.

Anoda gynaecologist, Osas Edokpolor wey corroborate wetin im colleague tok say e no dey common for pregnant woman to develop vitligo becos e neva see am before.

Di doctor tok say pregnancy no fit be di only reason woman go develop vitiligo becos di hormones fit dey cause stretch mark but no be vitiligo.

"Auto immune no fit dey react to pregnancy hormones. E fit don dey body before becos di pregnancy dey cause stretch mark wey go weaken di skin and dat area go red but no be vitiligo," di doctor explain.