The world’s most fertile woman, Mariam Nabatanzi Babirye (born December 25, 1980), better known as Maama Uganda or Mother Uganda, gave birth to 44 children, 38 of whom are alive and six of whom have passed away. Her oldest children are 28 years old, while the youngest is 6 as of April 2023. She is a single mother because her husband left her in 2015 out of dread of the responsibilities of having several kids. She resides in the Mukono district’s Kasawo community in central Uganda.
After being forced into marriage at the age of 12, Babirye gave birth for the first time when she was 13 years old. By the time she was 36, she had given birth to a total of 44 children, including three sets of quadruplets, four sets of triplets, and six sets of twins, for a total of 15 births.
The prevalence of multiple births is attributed to a rare genetic disorder that results in hyperovulation due to larger ovaries. She underwent a surgical operation in 2019 at the age of 40 to avoid getting pregnant again. She has 16 female children and 22 male children.
Valentina Vassilyev, who gave birth to 69 children between 1725 and 1765, set an all-time record, according to Guinness World Records. Mariam is now the most fertile woman in the world and the fourth most fertile woman in history.
Mariam’s Story
At the age of 12, Mariam was forced into a child marriage with a violent 40-year-old man. In 1994, she gave birth to a pair of twins, and in 1996, triplets, starting on a journey to being the most fertile woman. One year and seven months later, she gave birth to a set of quadruplets, but because it’s genetic, she never regarded her procreation rate as unusual. “My father gave birth to 45 children with different women, and these all came as quintuplets, quadruplets, twins, and triplets,” she was reported as saying.
Mariam’s marriage was an example of the early child marriages that some tribes in Uganda practise, where a young girl is handed off to an older man in exchange for a dowry that typically consists of cows. She had 25 children by the time she was 23, but doctors recommended she keep having children since it would help prevent subsequent fertility. People with Mariam’s condition are frequently warned that not getting pregnant can have negative effects on their health.
According to Dr. Charles Kiggundu, a gynecologist at Mulago Hospital, Mariam underwent tubal ligation after giving birth to her last set of twins via cesarean section; her tubes were blocked as a long-term method of contraception, preventing any further births, though she would continue to have a regular menstrual cycle.
She witnessed the death of a child in her most recent childbirth, one of a set of twin boys.
After giving birth to 42 children, Mariam’s husband left her because he couldn’t support such a large family. After he eventually sold the farm where Mariam and her children were residing, her grandmother hosted Mariam and her family. She later discovered that her absentee spouse had abandoned her while she was expecting twins. Mariam’s grandmother passed away shortly after, leaving Mariam, the most fertile woman and other family members in a chaotic scramble for the homestead.
However, they eventually decided that Mariam could take full ownership of the home through payments in installments, and as of April 2023, she is still battling with some balance before she can take full ownership of the home. Mariam currently looks after her children on her own as a single mother.
Current Mode of Living
Mariam depends mostly on donations that occasionally provide food, beds, and other essentials for her family of about 66 people, which includes herself, her children, her grandchildren, and several daughters-in-law.
Mariam, now the most fertile woman works as a part-time herbalist, hairdresser, and tailor to pay bills. Since her husband allegedly stole the family’s money before leaving Mariam and her children, she is more dependent on charity.
Five houses made of cement blocks with corrugated iron roofs make up the complex where Mariam, currently known as the most fertile woman, resides with her family. According to reports, there are 17 rooms in the compound, 15 bedrooms, and two living and dining rooms with no tables or chairs.
Plans for Better Living
According to the reports, Mariam wants to pay the outstanding debt for her family’s home to her ex-family husband so they may gain complete possession, which will cost about 5 million shillings (approximately $1,400 USD).
In order to provide everyone with their own bed, she also plans to buy 66 new mattresses, 25 new double-decker beds, and new iron sheets to replace the roofs that are leaking.
Mariam also aspires to acquire some land so she may work with her family to raise animals and cultivate food there, providing for her dependents’ long-term survival. To keep her kids occupied and more productive, she also plans to open a café and a bridal salon in her neighbourhood.