A woman has reportedly given birth to 10 babies at once, breaking the Guinness World Record for number of babies delivered in a single pregnancy.
According to a report from Pretoria News, 37-year-old Gosiame Thamara Sithole of Guateng, South Africa, claimed to have birthed 10 children on Monday. She reportedly had seven boys and three girls, all of whom were delivered via Caesarean section.
Sithole, a local retail store manager, told the publication doctors initially thought she was having sextuplets, before locating two more children in utero developing “in the wrong tube.” Two others reportedly went undetected through the whole pregnancy.
“I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. It’s still tough but I am used to it now. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough,” Sithole told Pretoria News. “I just [prayed] for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive.”
Sithole, who is already a mom to a pair of 6-year-old twins, struggled immensely with the news of eight more children on the way.
“I didn’t believe it. I doubted it,” she told Pretoria News. “When the doctor told me, I took time to believe it. Even when I saw the scans I didn’t believe it.
“I battled to sleep at night though…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?” Sithole feared.
“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.”
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Tsotetsi, who is currently unemployed, was also shocked by the news of so many children on the way.
“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,” he told Pretoria News. “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.”
Both Sithole and Tsotetsi claimed they did not use any fertility treatments in order to conceive, but acknowledged the pregnancy was physically difficult for Sithole, who dealt with intense leg pains and heartburn.
As Sithole was only 29 weeks along in her “high-risk” pregnancy, Pretoria News confirmed with the local hospital that the children will need to spend the next few months in incubators before they will be able to go home.
Newsweek reached out to Guinness World Records to confirm that Sithole had taken the record for most children birthed in a single pregnancy, and a representative confirmed they are “looking into” the matter.
“Guinness World Records is aware of the news that Gosiame Thamara Sithole has given birth to decuplets, and we send our congratulations and best wishes to the family,” the spokesperson said. “At the current time, we are yet to verify this as a record as the wellbeing of both the mother and babies is of top priority.
“Our records team, alongside a specialist consultant are looking into this and will provide any information as soon as possible,” she added.
The previous record of most children delivered in a single birth to survive was held by Halima Cisse, who gave birth to nine children in Malia just last month, according to a press release from the World Record Academy. Before Cisse, the record was held by Nadia “Octomom” Suleman.
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