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Former Maria actress Dorea Chege is embracing a more compassionate approach to motherhood, and she’s encouraging other women to do the same.
The actress and content creator recently opened up about hiring a night nurse to help care for her newborn daughter—a move she believes should not be stigmatised.
Balancing bonding with rest
In a candid video shared on her family’s YouTube channel, Dorea addressed the chatter surrounding her decision, explaining that the night nurse works from 8pm to 6am. This schedule allows her to rest while still bonding with and breastfeeding her baby during the day.
“Things have been made easier for new mums. I have the whole day to bond with the baby. The night nurse just takes care of the baby at night while I rest,” she said.
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Her openness has been widely praised by fans who see her move as a bold step toward reshaping expectations around motherhood—particularly the unrealistic notion that women must bear it all, all the time.
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READ ALSO: 10 maternity looks by Dorea Chege to inspire your pregnancy wardrobe
Letting go of the guilt
Motherhood, while beautiful, comes with immense challenges—many of them invisible. Between sleep deprivation, physical recovery, hormonal changes, and emotional exhaustion, many new mothers silently endure mental and physical strain in an attempt to do everything right.
For Dorea, asking for help was not a weakness, but a wise act of self-care.
“There is no medal and price in suffering. If I’ve done it, you can also do it,” she urged other mums.
She went on to encourage women who’ve had particularly difficult first pregnancies to embrace whatever support they need during postpartum recovery.
Encouraging men to step up
Dorea also spoke directly to men, especially those working long or overnight hours, urging them to consider hiring night nurses for their partners to ease the demands of early motherhood.
“If your work takes you out at night and your wife has just given birth, do her a favour. Hire someone to help her at night so she can sleep,” she advised.
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Dorea and her partner, DJ Dibul, welcomed their daughter in March.
Redefining strength in motherhood
By choosing to speak out, Dorea is part of a growing movement of Kenyan mothers challenging the toxic culture of self-sacrifice that often surrounds new mums.