Suubi Update Blog

Suubi Centre was a buzz with excitement yesterday when a heavily pregnant lady, Nakawooya Immaculate, and her family arrived at the Suubi Clinic.

With Suubi medical staff, Namwanje Florence (midwife) and Jjuuko Richard (doctor), carefully monitoring the mother throughout the day her labour steadily progressed. By mid evening she had produced a beautiful baby boy.

The Suubi medical team excitedly attend to the first baby.

But much to everyone's surprise Immaculate had not finished there. By 10pm a second bundle of joy, another boy, had arrived to join his brother. TWINS!

The very first delivery, at our newly established clinic in the village, was made even more exciting by the fact that TWINS had arrived.

It was indeed fitting that the very first arrival at Suubi Clinic produced twins. This is seen as an extremely special event in Uganda. Wasswa (1st born) and Kato (2nd born), the names traditionally given to twin boys in Uganda and their mum, Nakawooya Immaculate, will take absolute pride of place in our record books. (In case you are wondering, they would have been named Babirye and Nakato respectively if they had been girls.)

The fact that Immaculate had absolutely no prior knowledge that she was going to be having twins really highlights the difference between a mothers pregnancy journey in a third world country and the western world. Here in Australia, mothers would have had regular check ups with the doctor, multiple scans and been closely monitored right throughout her pregnancy. In Uganda, mothers rarely see a doctor during pregnancy, especially those living deep in a village like Lubanda. And to top that off, they often deliver their babies at home by themselves.

So to see Immaculate deliver two healthy (2.9kg) baby boys at a Suubi Clinic is a huge step in the right direction. Lets hope that many other expectant mothers around the area follow her lead.

Immaculate (left) and her husband were surrounded by extended family as they left the clinic with their beautiful, healthy, twin sons!

Check out more photos of the twins here.