‘Stop screaming’ – Julie Gichuru opens up about her first labour experience
By Valerian Khakayi, March 2, 2026Veteran journalist Julie Gichuru has opened up about the intense experience of giving birth to her first child, sharing a candid and emotional account of the moment that changed her forever.
Speaking during a candid conversation with Apostle Femi Lazarus, Julie, while talking about her first labour experience, revealed the panic she felt as her body went through the painful process of bringing a new life into the world.
She says she started screaming, not knowing whether she would survive it.
“When I had my first child, I was at the hospital; you know, your body opens to release a human being, it is not a joke, and so my body is going through these things, and I am screaming because I am in a panic. I do not know if I will survive it,” Julie narrated.
The former news anchor further disclosed that it was at that moment that a nurse or doctor intervened, telling her to stop screaming, adding that she was scaring other women who were in the labour ward.
“The nurse or the doctor said to me, ‘Julie, stop screaming. First of all, you are scaring every woman in this place. Some of them are still coming on this journey, and you are screaming like that, and they all think that they are going to die, stop it,” she added.
Advice at the labour ward
Additionally, Julie shared that the medical professional also gave her crucial advice on what to do instead of screaming.
“Then she said, ‘Julie, that energy you are using to scream, put it into pushing your child out,'” Julie disclosed.
Taking the advice to heart, Julie closed her mouth, focused, pushed and gave birth to her first child.
“I looked at her, I closed my mouth and I pushed. I pushed once, I felt my body rip, and then I pushed again, and my son came fwa with that second hard push,” she added.
Lesson learnt
Reflecting on the experience, Julie admitted that had she continued screaming, her labour could have been much longer.
Additionally, she described the moment as transformative, saying it taught her a powerful lesson about focus, resilience, and the strength of the human body.
“Had I kept screaming, how much longer would I have been in labour?” Julie stated.
“That was a powerful lesson for me.”