An Abuja-based civil servant, Mrs. Oluwakemi Uduehi, who gave birth to quintuplets (five babies) at the National Hospital, Abuja last week, shares her labour experience with Punch's Friday Olokor.
What is your name and age?
My name is Oluwakemi Uduehi. I am 30 years old.
Where do you work?
I work with the National Population Commission.
What position are you in your family?
I am the third child.
When did you marry? I got married in 2015.
How did you meet your husband? We met at the University of Ilorin where we both studied Computer Science. We were in the same class.
When did you discover you were pregnant? It was in the first trimester.
Did you at anytime know you would give birth to more than one child at a time? Yes, because I asked God for twins. I prayed and when it was time, I didn’t rush it. I told God when I wanted to get pregnant. It’s just like when one goes to a camp in a church and the pastor asks one to make a prayer request. I prayed to have a set of twins, rest for a while and later have the rest of my children.
What was your experience like in the last month of your pregnancy? It was eight months actually because nobody can carry such pregnancy for nine months. Anything God does, He doesn’t add sorrow. Though it was stressful but with the help of God, I didn’t have any complication. I could move freely to wherever I wanted, except when my time of delivery drew near.
Did you do any scan? I wasn’t expecting pregnancy and I didn’t experience vomiting or any other form of early morning sickness. But I was having abdominal pains. I thus decided to come to the hospital because I don’t use any drugs without doctor’s prescription. That is the kind of person my husband is. When they told me in the hospital that it was morning sickness, I said I wasn’t sick but they insisted I should run a test. It was the test that revealed that I was pregnant. I did not know that I was until after the test. It was when I started ante-natal that we ran the scan.
It was in the second trimester that I knew I would have quintuplets.
How did your husband react to your delivery of five babies at once? He was happy because even when I asked for the sex of the babies, the scan didn’t show it. When I asked that we should run another scan, he said ‘for what? You don’t need it. I have handed everything to God.’ It was that day that we believed that the babies were five. We thought it might not be so because scan can give anything. I only believed they could be twins because that was what I asked from God.
What is the sex of the babies? They are all beautiful girls.
What names did you give them? They all have three names each; Yoruba, Esan and English names. They are Oluwanifemi, Oluwafemifayo, Oluwafifehanmi, Oluwaferanmi, Oluwafirefunmi. We also call them Ainose, Esose, Osejade, Obehi, Omose, which are their Esan names.
Their English names are Grace, Peace, Blessing, Goodness and Mercy. God showed me how much He loves me and my family.
Did you have a normal delivery? No, it was through Caesarian Section. The National Hospital prepared my mind for it.
What plans have you and your husband put in place to cater for them considering the numerous needs of children and the country’s economic situation?
The truth is that God has been faithful since we got married. If you get to our house today, you will understand. I have not for once thought about what they will eat because I know God is there for them. Whenever He does anything, He always does something extra to back it up. I have not for once worried myself because God does what pleases Him. Before I put to bed, He has been faithful and He can send what He wants to take care of them. We don’t know how but we believe in Him. As a Christian or a Muslim, one must always leave all situations to God to handle.
How has it been taking care of them? If anyone of them cries, I call her name and tell her I am coming. I think she listens because she will keep quiet immediately. But since I am still in the hospital, the nurses have been assisting. I do my best and God has been helping us.
How do you feel now? I am getting better. I will soon leave the hospital. I should be discharged this week hopefully.
How did your parents react to the news of the quintuplets? They were happy to be grandparents of five children.
What is your advice to women who also want to have children? They should look unto God and trust Him. They should tell God what they want. Even doctors often say that they only treat but only God heals. If God says it is time, it is time even when one is not ready for it. I was not in haste to have children. I wanted to enjoy my husband first before the children start coming.
What fertility drug did you take? I hate drugs. Even when I came to the National Hospital, they asked me what drugs I reacted to and I said I did not take any drugs. I would not know which drugs I might have reacted to because I don’t take drugs except if I am feeling very ill.
How do you feel being the mother of quintuplets? I am happy because even when they told me, I just looked at myself. I asked myself if it was possible because I can still carry myself to wherever I want. When they came out, they were fine and beautiful. It is the blessing of God and my case is different.
How many more children do you want to have? Before we got married, I told my husband that after having twins, I want only one child more.
Are you going to breastfeed them for six months? I will try my best since I am not going anywhere. It is just to eat and sleep. Thank God we have mothers and sisters that will come and do the job. I believe God will see us through.
Is there a case of multiple births in your family and your husband’s? Yes, there are twins in both families. My father is a twin. In my husband’s family, they have people who have given birth to twins about two or three times.
