Nollywood actress Uche Ogbodo has sparked conversation online after urging mothers to prioritise their well-being and personal identity, even while raising families.
The actress shared a video showing her transformed body and used the moment to encourage women to invest in themselves.
“F*** dem kids. Mums invest in yourselves too. You deserve to look good,” she wrote.
Ogbodo spoke openly about the emotional and physical demands of motherhood, explaining that many women slowly lose themselves in the process of caring for others.
“Sometimes, in the journey of motherhood, we lose ourselves. We give birth. We nurture. We sacrifice. We pour into our children and our husbands until there is nothing left for us,” she said.
According to her, constant care for family members often comes with silent struggles, body shaming, exhaustion, stress, and declining confidence.
She warned that neglecting self-care can eventually affect relationships.
“It begins to affect your relationship. Communication shifts. Intimacy weakens. Distance grows. And sometimes… he, the man you’ve sacrificed everything for, walks away,” she stated.
The actress stressed that motherhood should never come at the cost of personal identity or mental health.
“Motherhood should not cost you your identity. It should not cost you your mental health. And it should not cost you your worth. You are still a woman. You are still beautiful. You are still deserving of care, healing, and softness. Take care of yourself, too. Pour it into yourself, too,” she advised.
She concluded with a message of empowerment for women everywhere:
“Because when a woman is whole, she shines, not just for others, but for herself.”
Her message has since triggered widespread reactions online, with many mothers agreeing with her stance on self-care and identity.