The Sun
A MUM has set the new world record after giving birth to TEN babies when medics missed two tots during a scan.
Gosiame Sithole, 37, was left in shock after she delivered decuplets in a hospital in Pretoria, South Africa yesterday.
Her husband Teboho Tsotetsi revealed she gave birth to the seven boys and three girls via C-section at 29 weeks.
He told Pretoria News last night: “It’s seven boys and three girls.
“She was seven months and seven days pregnant. I am happy. I am emotional. I can’t talk much.”
The mum who also has six-year-old twins, had previously told the outlet that her pregnancy was natural as she was not on fertility treatment.
During an interview at their family home in Tembisa last month she said she was “shocked and fascinated” by the pregnancy.
She said she was in disbelief when the doctors told her she was expecting sextuplets – meaning six babies – before further scans revealed that it was in fact octuplets or eight babies.
“I didn’t believe it, I doubted it, I was convinced that if it was more, it would be twins or triplets, not more than that.
“When the doctor told me, I took time to believe it, even when I saw the scans I didn’t believe it.
“But, as time went by, I realised it was indeed true. I battled to sleep at night though,” she said.
The 37-year-old mum said that she was worried about her babies’ well-being but she was over the moon and looking forward to meeting her children.
“How would they fit in the womb? Would they survive?
“What if they came out conjoined at the head, in the stomachs or hands? Like, what would happen?
“I asked myself all these questions until the doctor assured me that my womb was starting to expand inside.
“God made a miracle and my children stayed in the womb without any complications.”
Her husband added that despite the initial shock, he was very happy and looking forward to seeing his children.
“I could not believe it. I felt like one of God’s chosen children.
“I felt blessed to be given these kinds of blessings when many people out there need children.
“It’s a miracle which I appreciate. I had to go do my own research on whether a person could really conceive eight children.
“It was a new thing. I knew about twins, triplets and even quadruplets.
“But after I found out that these things do happen, and saw my wife’s medical records, I got even more excited.
“I can’t wait to have them in my arms,” he said.
Professor Dini Mawela, of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, said her case was rare and usually caused by fertility treatments before adding that the babies will spend the next few months in the incubator.
“It’s quite a unique situation. I don’t know how often it happens. It’s extremely high risk (pregnancy).
“It’s a highly complex and high-risk situation. The danger is that, because there is not enough space in the womb for the children, the tendency is that they will be small.
“What would happen is that they would take them out pre-term because there is a risk if they keep them longer in there.
“The babies will come out small, chances of survival compromised. But all this depends on how long she carried them for.”
Gosiame broke the world’s record after last month, another mum gave birth to nine babies in Morocco.
Halima Cisse, 25, gave birth to five girls and four boys, even though she was expecting seven babies after medics missed two tots on the ultrasound.
According to local press reports, doctors had been concerned about Cisse’s health, as well as her babies’ chances of survival but all nine babies were doing well.
