A 70-year-old woman has recently welcomed twins after undergoing IVF treatment.
Safina Namukwaya gave birth via a cesarian procedure to a little boy and girl at a fertility center in Kampala, Uganda, following a lengthy IVF treatment.
According to the NHS, IVF (also known as in vitro fertilization), is one of several techniques available to help people with fertility problems have a baby. During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory.
The fertilized egg is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop. It can be carried out using your eggs and your partner's sperm, or eggs and sperm from donors.
The process can be long and difficult - not to mention expensive (each treatment can cost up to $6,300, and because there is no guarantee that the treatment will be successful the first time, many people have to try a few times before seeing a positive outcome.
Namukwaya was one of the lucky ones and has now become one of the oldest women to give birth.
Describing it as a "miracle," the 70-year-old faced little to no complications, despite the recommended age for IVF being 43 and under.
Posting to Facebook after the successful procedure, the hospital said: "We at Women's Hospital International and Fertility Centre would like to thank NTV Uganda for helping capture this historic event."
They continued: "At 70 years, Safina Namukwaya delivers twins today: Women's Hospital International and Fertility Centre Sets African Record! Celebrating our 20th anniversary, we've achieved the extraordinary – delivering twins to Africa's oldest mother aged 70! This historic event, a baby boy and girl, not only marks our two decades of leadership in IVF, but also sets us apart as the premier fertility center in Africa."
They concluded the post by saying: "Namukwaya delivered her babies today on Wednesday 29th November at 12:04PM. Mother and babies are all well."
The newborns were 31 weeks premature but the medical facility reported that they were in a "stable" condition.
Namukwaya joins an elite group of women who have managed to give birth in their 70s.
Mangayamma Yaramati, a woman in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, gave birth to twin daughters in 2019 aged 73.
The BBC reported that "The mother and the babies are doing well."
Yaramati's 82-year-old husband was also over the moon after witnessing the birth of his twin daughters stating: "We are incredibly happy."
Unfortunately, the father suffered a stroke just a few weeks later, telling the local outlet that, "Nothing is in our hands. Whatever should happen will happen. It is all in the hands of God" when asked who would look after his children if something were to happen.
For now, though, we're glad both families are doing well.
