‘My premature triplets are manna from heaven’

Lumbidzani Dima, Chronicle Reporter
THE Mashu family could not contain their happiness that came sooner than expected, after being blessed with triplets delivered prematurely through a Caesarean section at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) on Monday.

The identical girls add on to two of their older siblings, a boy and a girl born in the Mashu family of Emthunzini suburb on the outskirts of Bulawayo.

The sister-in-charge of the maternity ward at UBH, Ms Venencia Mbobo, said the babies were born prematurely at slightly over seven months.

“They were delivered at 31 weeks when by right they are supposed to be delivered at 38 weeks so their weight was not normal.

The triplets were born weighing 1 380g, 1 460g and 1 480g but they are coping well so far,” she said.

Sister Mbobo said it is indeed a special and rare case to deliver triplets, with UBH recording one or two sets per year.

Chronicle on Thursday caught up with the ecstatic mother and father of the triplets who appealed for help with diapers, clothes, supplementary milk and other materials or cash for their babies. The triplets’ father, Mr Innocent Mashu (48) said they knew that they were going to have triplets following a scan.

He appealed for help to buy essentials for the babies saying they do not have enough money considering that the babies came two months earlier.

“When my wife was pregnant with the other children, she could do household chores until she gave birth, but this time around when she reached four months of pregnancy, she could not do anything. We, therefore, approached the doctors and asked when she could give birth and they had given us April 12 which then became far, that is why she gave birth on April 4,” he said.

The mother of the triplets, Mrs Ipai Mashu (35) said this was her fifth pregnancy and it has brought her triple joy.

“My first child is a boy turning 16 this year, then I had a miscarriage, gave birth to the third one who passed away at the age of one, the fourth one is 11 years old now, and now our family has been extended by these three angels,” she said.

Mrs Mashu said she discovered that she was carrying three babies when she was three months pregnant, and she could not believe it.

As time went on, she began to feel it in her body that the pregnancy was different.

She expressed her joy with a smile telling the Chronicle that she doesn’t mind the challenges she might face in the long run as they grow, as she has become so fond of them.

“This is manna from heaven, and I cannot describe how happy I am. I cannot even feel the pain of the operation because of the joy. I know having three babies who are at the same age might come bearing challenges, but I am fully geared to withstand them. I do not know if I will be able to breastfeed them and how I will do it. I think they will need supplementary milk,” said Mrs Mashu.

She said they are still trying to figure out how they can differentiate the identical triplets who have not yet been named.

“We have not yet given them names. We are still overwhelmed, still thinking of rhyming names that can suit these cute little angels. We have also not yet found the differences between the three of them, we still call them Baby One, Two and Three, when the stickers are removed, we’ll be confused,” said Mrs Mashu.

She appealed for assistance from well-wishers saying the early delivery had disturbed their preparations.

To assist the family contact Mr Mashu on 0773362055.

Article Source: The Chronicle