Ugandan Mom Welcomes Twins at 70 in ‘Miracle’ Birth Defying Age and Doubts

welcomed two precious babies — 70-year-old Ugandan woman gives birth to twins | The Citizen, Photo by The Citizen, is licensed under CC Zero

Prepare to be absolutely amazed by a story that truly underscores the incredible power and resilience of the human spirit! In a truly extraordinary event, a 70-year-old woman in Uganda has welcomed not one, but two precious babies into the world, becoming one of the world’s oldest new mothers.

Safina Namukwaya delivered a beautiful baby boy and a baby girl via C-section on a Wednesday back in November at the Women’s Hospital International Facility Center located in the capital city of Kampala. This is the very same facility where she had been receiving in-vitro fertilisation treatment, a cutting-edge medical process that made this remarkable achievement possible.

Arthur Matsiko, a spokesman for the hospital, shared wonderful news about Safina’s condition shortly after the birth, noting her incredible recovery and spirit. “She’s healthy. She’s talking. She’s walking around if they tell her to walk around the hospital,” Matsiko stated, highlighting her vitality.

Safina motherhood — Ugandan Woman Who Welcomed Twins at 70 Shares First Photos of Babies, Photo by People.com, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

This isn’t the first time Safina has experienced the joy of motherhood thanks to the dedicated team at this specialized hospital. She had previously given birth to a daughter at the same facility in 2020. At that time, she was in her late 60s, and that birth also followed successful IVF treatment, showcasing her persistent desire for children.

For these newest arrivals, Safina’s journey involved the use of a donor egg, combined with her partner’s sperm, to conceive the twins. Dr. Edward Tamale Sali, a fertility specialist at the hospital, spoke about the incredible nature of this event to BBC News, touting the babies’ arrival as an “extraordinary achievement,” a sentiment echoed by many.

The twins arrived a bit early, born prematurely at 31 weeks of gestation. Because of their early arrival, they were initially placed in incubators to help them thrive. Despite their premature birth, they were reported to be in good health and in a stable condition, a true testament to the care they received.

The babies were said to weigh more than 1.3kg according to one report from the BBC, while another from TODAY.com cited Dr. Sali stating they weighed more than 3 pounds. Later, upon her departure from the hospital, it was reported that the twins weighed over 5 pounds each, showing their excellent progress.

Safina Namukwaya ist die älteste Mutter Afrikas, sagte der Arzt Edward Tamale Sali, der Namukwaya während der Schwangerschaft und Geburt betreut hatte, am Donnerstag. | Heute.at, Photo by imgix.net, is licensed under CC BY 4.0

The Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre holds a special place in this story, as it specialises in helping couples who struggle with fertility. It is here that Safina Namukwaya made history, becoming the oldest woman to deliver a baby at this esteemed institution.

Safina herself shared her feelings about this incredible milestone with AFP, reflecting on the perception of her age. “At 70 years when I’m considered weak, unable to get pregnant and deliver, or look after a baby, and here is a miracle of the twins,” she said, clearly acknowledging the widely held beliefs about age and childbirth while celebrating her personal miracle.

Before she welcomed her first child three years ago, Safina endured immense hardship and unfair judgment in her rural community. She shared that she had been labeled a “cursed woman” simply for failing to get pregnant, a deeply painful experience.

This longing for children stemmed from years of being childless after her husband died in 1992. She met her current partner in 1996, but the desire for her own children remained a powerful force throughout her life.

Safina hospital stay — 70-year-old woman gives birth to twins via IVF, health officials say, Photo by USA Today, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Safina candidly expressed her disappointment regarding her partner’s reaction and lack of support during her hospital stay. She speculated that he might be upset that she delivered twins, sharing her heartfelt lament: “Men don’t like to be told that you are carrying more than one child. Ever since I was admitted here, my man has never showed up.”

While Safina’s story is undeniably rare and captivating, it highlights that she is not the very first woman beyond the traditional child-bearing age to become a mother. Advances in medical science, specifically IVF, have made such events possible, albeit still uncommon.

For instance, in 2019, a 73-year-old woman in southern India also gave birth to twin girls after receiving IVF care, demonstrating that age barriers are being pushed back through medical interventions. Other notable cases include a 66-year-old Spanish woman in 2006 and a 55-year-old woman in Singapore in 2022 who also gave birth after undergoing fertility treatments.

The hospital itself proudly celebrated Safina’s achievement, referring to it as a “miracle at 70” in a Facebook post shared alongside photos of the smiling new mom and her babies when she finally got to take them home after six weeks in the hospital. The hospital emphasized that this success was not just a medical triumph, but a testament to the “strength and resilience of the human spirit.”