For Nollywood actress Joke Jigan, the joy of welcoming her second child has come with a sobering realization: she’s done having babies.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Yoruba movie star opened up about the toll pregnancy and early motherhood have taken on her. While expressing deep gratitude for her newborn son, Mateo, Joke didn’t sugarcoat the experience.
“Pregnancy is a blessing, but I won’t be doing it again. I tell you that,” she wrote. “Can’t remember the last time I had a good sleep. To even do business video sef na war.”
The post has resonated with fans and fellow mothers, many of whom applauded her honesty about the pressures women face especially in balancing parenting with professional life. It’s a rare moment of candor in an industry that often presents picture-perfect family moments.
Just last month, Jigan announced the birth of baby Mateo, her second child with husband Jegun Mah. The couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony at the Ikoyi Registry in July 2023, followed by a traditional wedding surrounded by loved ones.
Since then, the actress has frequently shared glimpses of her married life online, from receiving a brand-new car as a birthday gift, to showing off a collection of luxury wigs gifted by her husband. But behind the scenes, she admits, motherhood hasn’t been easy.
Joke’s latest comments hint at a broader truth many women face but few say out loud: that while children are a blessing, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal grind can be overwhelming. And sometimes, enough is enough.
Whether this is a permanent decision or a raw moment of exhaustion, one thing is clear, Joke Jigan is not afraid to speak her truth. And in doing so, she may have just started a conversation Nigerian society isn’t used to hearing from its female celebrities.
