CHAPTER 1 Happy mother of twins

It all started at dawn of 26/7/1999, when I heard a Sharp pain in my belly.I didn't release that it was labor pain but the waited day had come.After three hours the same pain reappeared,then I rushed to tell my neighbor to her how I was feeling..She told to prepare to go to the hospital.At mid-day I called my husband who was at work.He immediately returned home to check on us because I was carrying twins.One of the twin was breach and the doctor had instructed us to go to hospital as fast as possible when it's due time.

We were broke,no money to hire a vehicle to hospital which was far.My husband Nicholas started to call friends to help us with a car.Two of his friends their phones were offline.

He insisted we start walking as we look for other alternative .I wouldn't walk because of pain and my legs were weak.We managed to get to the hospital

by use of public vehicle.

At the hospital I was rushed to examination room, where the doc and nurse examined my condition and said the babies and I were doing well though it was false labor.I was admitted and stayed in pain throughout the night.When the doctor came for second examination he told me I will deliver at 5pm.

At 5:28 pm I was in labor ward and I had given birth to tiny first twin who was weighing 1.7kg.He was immediately taken to incubator.At exactly 6:00 pm the second twin was being wrapped in a baby towel as he cried a loud.He was weighing 2.4kg and he looked bigger than the first twin. I was happy to be a mother.

The nurses trolled me to the ward because I was weak but the inner person was strong and thankful to God.As I relaxed on the bed the second twin was sleeping next to me - innocent, relaxed , wrapped in new shawl .As I looked at him I felt like shouting Amen to God again.

The first twin was with his father in a room where the incubator was.His father was looking at him through those glass wondering what God can do, because facial features was resembling his father.

Three hours after birth the first twin started to cry until I was worried, their father was not around he had already left for work. I asked the nurse if can take him the incubator and breast feed him.She agreed and helped me because it was the first time I was breasting.He refused to suckle and kept on crying.My son looked as if he was in pain.As I looked at him tears started to roll on my cheeks.The more my child carried I cried too.The doctor can to rescue the situation.He took the child walked away towards nurse station,placed the thermometer in his armpit - the temperature was normal,checked heartbeat it was normal, skin color normal.'Mama'! the doctor said, follow me.I followed as he went towards the ward where my bed was.He told me to sleep and place the child near my chest but the child kept on crying.

He slept for six hours as we started the second day.

We named the first twin Robert and second twin Louis.I was learning alot on how to take care of infants.I did not know how to bath an infant because day one and two the intern nurses helped me.It was my turn to learn bathing my little boys.I prepared lukewarm water,as I started washing him ,he tiny that I was afraid.With Robert the doctor had advise me to be wiping him with a warm towel.

Robert stayed in incubator for 6 days after which the doctor recommended him join us in the ward with Louis.On the eighth day we were discharged.The family was now large and increased from three to five,l ,my husband and house help.On the tenth day Robert started to cry again.As I removed his clothes to bath him,I saw a swelling at the upper part of his penis.I called my husband who had gone to work,he was a teacher by profession.When I explained to him that Robert is crying and he has a swelling he told me to take him to the hospital.On the way to the hospital Robert was still crying and he would not breastfeed,I started crying too.The doctor examined him and said it was hernia.My son was only eight days old, tiny,under weight 1.7 kg,I thought.I felt sad.

The doctor encouraged me that it's well, that condition can be managed at home until Robert is six months old then they will recommend operation.The swelling used to appear as some times then disappears.I used to monitor him every moment as I hear him crying then the hernia is swollen.I would sooth him to be calm until the swelling disappears.

Robert stayed in that condition for five months then operation was done to remove the hernia.When we were still nursing Robert to heal from hernia, the father discovered that the son has only one ball instead of two.The left testicles was not descended in the scrotum.It was a big concern to us and immediately we went to the see the doctor again.In the hospital we were told it is a condition called cryptorchidism.It is normal corrected by surgery at age of 3-4 month.The doctor just cuts a small part and place the testicle in the scrotum. If is condition is not corrected one can have prostate cancer or can be examination was to be done to check if it was caused by genetic or hormones.We were booked after two weeks.At home we prayed to God for a good report as it is written in His holy book the bible a good report comes from Him.

Robert was operated on to correct the testicle.It was well done.Most doctors believe when one has one undescended testicle he can be fertile as men with two testicles.As from six months Robert grew up a healthy, active,ever smiling baby until eleven months then he developed another complications.