When Jeanine Mukamazimpaka walked down the aisle with Etienne Cyishahayo two years ago, the couple had a lot of dreams. They looked forward to having children and a happy home. When she found out that she was pregnant for the first time, the now 37-year-old resident of Rwamagana was ecstatic. But the happiness was short-lived, because she suffered a miscarriage. Mukamazimpaka did not lose hope. She prayed for a baby and as luck would have it, she got pregnant again and carried the baby to full term, but unfortunately, she lost the baby at birth.

Despite these misfortunes, the couple kept hope alive and prayed that God answers their prayer to get a child of their own. Indeed, Mukamazimpaka conceived the third time, but she did not put her hopes high. She did not know what to expect and when she went to Rwamagana hospital for her final antenatal visit, last month she was shocked when she was told that she was carrying twins.

The expectant mother was referred to the Rwanda Military Hospital in Kanombe where she found out that she was actually carrying triplets and not twins as earlier thought. On June 8th, Mukamazimpaka gave birth to triplets after carrying the pregnancy for eight months and two weeks.

In an interview with The New Times, Mukamazimpaka said that the birth of her children was a blessing and God’s way of compensating her for the loss and pain that she has gone through.

"To say that we were shocked when we found out that we were having triplets is an understatement, but my husband and I were very happy because we were being blessed. I had had a miscarriage and also lost another baby immediately after birth, so I feel very blessed,” she says

Mukamazimpaka says that her husband has been supportive and has vowed to raise the babies in the best way he can.

"My husband is very supportive; he welcomed our babies whole heartedly and is willing to do what it takes to see that our babies get the care they need. He has always been there for me throughout all the depression that comes with losing your child and I am sure that even with this blessing, we are in it together,” she says.

The husband, Cyishahayo, 31, a farmer says that their children are a symbol of God’s promises. He says that the life of a farmer is a struggle but he isdetermined to do what it takes to see that his children get the best care.

"It is good news and we will forever be grateful but as a farmer who was already having issues making ends meet, this is going to be difficult but we are determined to raise our children by all means,” he says.

He calls upon the government or any Good Samaritan to help them with clearing the hospital bill because they cannot afford it.

"The babies were born tired and two weeks before the full term of pregnancy, now they are in incubators. All that calls for money that we don’t have. Besides the babies need formula milk as they cannot solely depend on breastfeeding, which is expensive too. We call upon the public to help us in any way they can,” Cyishahayo pleads.

Asked if they were planning on having more children, the couple said they think that what God has blessed them with is enough and they are now focusing on the way forward.

Marie Paul Dusabe, the couple’s relative says that the news of the triplets was exciting to the whole family.

"It was amazing and a new experience to our family. It was the first time, we ever see several babies born at once, not even twins but triplets. I am so happy for the couple because such children are great gifts from God,” a visibly excited Dusabe says

Mukamazimpaka advises other women who have had miscarriages not to lose hope because God is always in control. "I lost two children but God has given me back the two and added me one more, it’s a miracle and an amazing experience,” she adds.

What the experts say about a multiple pregnancy

Dr Philbert Ndahayo a resident gynecologist at Rwanda Military Hospital explains that a multiple pregnancy means that a woman has two or more babies in her uterus.

"The babies can come from one fertilized egg or from different fertilized eggs. Those that come from the same egg are called identical. This happens when one egg is fertilized by one sperm. The fertilized egg then splits into two or more embryos. Babies that come from different eggs are called fraternal. This happens when two or more eggs are fertilized by different sperm,” he says

He explains that when delivering more than one baby, one needs to be cautious, saying that delivering twins can be done normally provided the first baby’s head is facing down. For triplets, he explains, the safest way is a caesarian section.

Dr. Teckle G.Egiziabher, a gynecologist at Rwanda Military Hospital Kanombe explains that chances of one getting triplets are one out of six thousand pregnancies whereas for twins, the chances are one in eighty pregnancies. 80% of twins are non-identical whereas 20% are identical.

One can detect earlier that they are carrying multiple babies through different ways, for example by noticing if there is excessive vomiting during pregnancy, development of hypertension or checking by use of x-ray though it’s not recommended. The safest way is by use of an ultra sound and one can check at 16-18 weeks. Such pregnancies are more common in Africa.

"This condition is called high risk pregnancy because of the risks involved. It can cause perinatal mobility and mortality as well as maternal mobility. There are chances of fetal abnormality for example hydrocephalus where the head is unusually large. Situations of congenital dislocations for instance dislocation of hips, abnormal joining of the bodies like thoracopagus and others, are also likely to occur,” Dr Egiziabher says.

He adds that there are also cases of miscarriages resulting from the failure of the uterus to contain the fetuses. Excessive vomiting can also happen during pregnancy which can lead to dehydration whereas there can also be cases of excessive amniotic fluid a condition known as Polyhydramnios which can result into premature rapture of membranes.

Factors that lead to multiple pregnancy

He points out factors such as parity saying that where there is increased parity, that is when the mother has delivered more than five kids, there are higher chances of one birthing more than one baby.

Hereditary factors where a previous history of twins in the family increases the chances of one having more than one baby. For those who have had a helped pregnancy for example through Invitro Fertilization (IVF) carrying more than one fetus is possible. When one receives Infertility treatment like ovulation injection, there are chances of having multiple babies.