Mama Uganda: The 44-Child Guinness World Record Holder living in five modest houses, against a backdrop of poverty
Mariam Nabatanzi Babirye, known as Mama Uganda, entered the record books by becoming the most prolific mother of our time—44 children by age 43. Today, only 38 survive, and the family lives in a cluster of five small houses where beds are scarce and some children sleep on the floor. Despite the hardship, she dreams of simple comforts: furniture for the children's rooms and a bed for every child.
In This Article:
A childhood stolen and a 12-year-old marriage
Mariam’s life began with unimaginable loss: her mother died when she was an infant, and her father quickly remarried. The stepmother openly resented her. At age 12 she was married off to a 40‑year‑old man, effectively sold as a minor for a price. The marriage brought domestic violence and forced endurance, and she believed it was tradition for a wife to be quiet and patient. From ages 13 to 16 she bore a rapid succession of children: twins at 13, triplets at 15, and then four more within a short period. By 16 she had nine children.
A rare biology behind the millions of pregnancies
The pattern continued, and by 23 she already had 25 children. Doctors later identified a rare genetic condition called hyperovulation, where multiple eggs mature in a single cycle and all are fertilized. A local doctor initially warned that continuing to bear children could be dangerous, but that claim was later debated. Charles Kiggundu, president of the Ugandan Gynecologists Association, explained that hyperovulation explains repeated multipregnancies but is distinct from the dangerous hyperstimulation of the ovaries. Her father, according to Mariam, had fathered about 45 children from different women, and many of these pregnancies were also multiples.
Love, abandonment, and the fight for a home
Her husband repeatedly vanished and refused to share in parenting or finances. After Mariam gave birth to the 42nd child, he left for good. Not long after, she learned she was pregnant again. He sold the family home, and the family moved to live with a grandmother. After the grandmother’s death, Mariam fought a long legal battle with relatives to keep a roof over her head. She has struggled to raise money to pay a heavy penalty she owes. She delivered the 43rd and 44th children by cesarean section; one of these children died. She later chose tubal ligation to stop further pregnancies.
Today’s life and a mother’s hopes for her children’s future
Of the 44 children, 38 survive. The oldest is 28 years old and the youngest is six. The family lives in five modest houses, and many beds are missing; some children sleep on the floor. Mariam supports them by cutting hair, sewing custom outfits, preparing herbal remedies, and doing makeup for brides. Education remains her greatest regret—she finished only two years of secondary school. Her dream now is to give her children a chance at university and to open a restaurant or a beauty salon one day. She counsel future mothers to remember themselves and pursue education.
