A Ugandan woman who gave birth to a boy and a girl at the age of 70, making her one of the world's oldest new mothers, has finally returned home six weeks later to introduce her “miraculous” babies to the world.
Safina Namukwaya gave birth to twins by caesarean section on November 29 at the International Fertility Center of the International Women's Hospital in the capital Kampala, where she had been undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment.
The hospital posted a photo of a smiling mother and her newborn baby who were finally able to take her home on Saturday, calling it a “70-year-old miracle.”
The photo's caption reads: “70-year-old Safina Namukwaya's maternal love works a miracle as she cradles her twins beside Dr. Edward Tamale-Sari.'' Shared on the hospital's Facebook page.
“In their hands they hold not only a baby, but also a jewel of hope, proving that a mother's love transcends time and age.”
A beaming Namukwaya is seen clutching her bundle of joy as the doctor holds up another bundle of joy.
“She can't stop staring at them,” says Tamale Sari told TODAY.com Namukwaya added that she is a “loving” and “playful” mother to two babies named Shakira Babile Nabagala and Kato Shafik Kangabe.
The doctor also announced on the program that she will be known in the village as Nalongo, meaning mother of the twins, and that her husband, Walusimbi Baduru, will be known as Salongo, or father of the twins.
Before welcoming her first child three years ago, Namukwaya said she was labeled a “cursed woman” in her village because she was unable to conceive.
At a press conference outside the hospital on Saturday, Tamale Sari recalled how Namukwaya woke up on almost the same day she gave birth to the twins, joking that she is now “mostly playing soccer.” Today.com reported.
Women's Hospital International Fertility Center
“She is healthy, her blood pressure is normal, she is not diabetic. She is a very healthy woman and the whole of Africa is happy for her,” he said.
“If you want another child, we're here,'' the doctor told Naumukwaya, only half-jokingly.
Dr. Gloria Rugnolo, the twins' pediatrician, described the twins as “miracle babies” and said they alternate between formula and breast milk.
“I feel great,” Namukwaya, who also has a 3-year-old daughter, told TODAY.com two days after giving birth.
“Some may argue that 70 is old, but God decided that I would have twins at 70 years old. No one can put limits on God's authority and power,” she said. told the same media.
“Because I am old, some families help me with laundry and taking care of the baby,” she said, adding that being pregnant at this age is not easy and that it sometimes makes her feel very ill.
Because of Namukwaya's age, she used donor eggs and her husband's sperm.
“We transferred four embryos and then of course she became pregnant with twins,” Tamale Sari previously told TODAY.com.
The twins were born prematurely at 31 weeks gestation and placed in an incubator.
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine says embryo transfer is “not recommended for women over 55.”
Dr. Brian Levine, director of fertility clinic CCRM in New York City, told TODAY.com that it would be “irresponsible” to impregnate a woman in her 70s.
“Data shows that women who give birth after age 50 have higher rates of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth,” Levine told the outlet.
“If a 70-year-old gets a blood clot, has a stroke, or has a heart attack, their children can experience developmental and even physical delays. Who will take care of the medically vulnerable children when they die?'' he said.
But Tamale Sari said she had no hesitation in treating Namukwaya because “it is her human right.” It's her body. She is physically healthy. ”
This is not the first time that a woman past the traditional childbearing age has become a mother.
In 2019, a 73-year-old woman in southern India gave birth to twin girls after undergoing in vitro fertilization.
