Doctors Told Her She Was Carrying Seven Babies, But When She Gave Birth, They Discovered Nine, And All Nine Survived!

When doctors first told Halima Cissé that she was pregnant with seven babies, she was already facing one of the most extraordinary pregnancies anyone in history has ever experienced. But what happened when she finally gave birth left the medical team amazed.

On May 4, 2021, the 25-year-old woman from Mali gave birth to nine babies at once in a hospital in Casablanca, Morocco. There were five girls and four boys, and all nine survived, making them the first known nonuplets in recorded history to survive birth.

Her extraordinary journey began in Mali, where doctors discovered that she was carrying an unusually large number of babies. Initial medical examinations suggested that she was expecting seven children. However, the pregnancy was considered extremely high-risk, and local medical facilities were not adequately equipped to handle such an unusual delivery.

Concerned about the safety of both the mother and her unborn children, the Malian government intervened. On March 30, 2021, authorities arranged for Halima to travel to Morocco, where she could receive specialised medical attention.

She was transferred to a specialist clinic in Casablanca, where doctors could provide the advanced care required for her pregnancy.

It was there that another astonishing discovery was made.

Further examinations revealed that Halima was not carrying seven babies, as previously believed. She was actually pregnant with nine children.

Two additional babies had gone undetected during the earlier examinations.

Her husband, Abdelkader Arby, was still in Mali during this period, looking after their older daughter, Souda. He followed his wife’s condition from a distance as the family waited for the delivery.

On May 4, the moment finally arrived.

Because of the enormous risks associated with carrying nine babies, doctors performed a Caesarean section. The delivery took place approximately 30 weeks into her pregnancy, considerably earlier than the usual 40 weeks.

One after another, nine tiny babies were delivered.

There were five girls and four boys. Their weights ranged from approximately 500 grams to one kilogram, meaning some weighed barely as much as a small bottle of water.

The medical team immediately transferred the newborns into incubators, where they received specialised neonatal care.

The situation was particularly delicate because babies born this prematurely can face serious breathing difficulties, infections and other complications. Carrying nine babies also placed enormous physical demands on their mother’s body.

But against extraordinary odds, all nine babies survived.

Mali’s health minister, Dr Fanta Siby, announced shortly after the delivery that both Halima and her newborn children were doing well.

She Gave Birth to Nine Children, A Medical Record That Had Never Been Achieved Before

The birth immediately attracted international attention because no previously documented case had involved nine babies from a single pregnancy surviving beyond the first few hours of life.

The babies were named Adama, Oumou, Hawa, Kadidia and Fatouma, while the four boys were named Oumar, Elhadji, Bah and Mohammed VI.

Their survival required months of specialised medical attention. A team of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals worked tirelessly to monitor their development, feeding and general health.

In fact, the family remained in Morocco for approximately 19 months after the birth because the babies needed continued medical monitoring and support.

Their father eventually reunited with them, and in December 2022, the family returned to Mali.

The achievement was officially recognised by Guinness World Records. The recognition came under the title of most children delivered at a single birth to survive.

The previous record belonged to Nadya Suleman, an American woman who gave birth to eight surviving babies in 2009.

But the story did not end in the hospital.

On May 4, 2026, the nine children celebrated their fifth birthday. Their mother, Halima, shared an update confirming that all nine were healthy, active, and growing well.

The children are now preparing to begin school, marking another important chapter in a journey that began with one of the most extraordinary pregnancies ever recorded.

Now think of it this way: nine children who were once so tiny that they needed incubators to survive are now five years old, playing together and growing up alongside their older sister.

What started as a high-risk pregnancy that left doctors astonished has become a remarkable story of medical achievement, family strength and survival.

For Halima and her husband, Abdelkader, raising nine children of the same age is certainly not going to be an easy responsibility. But they now have something very special to celebrate: all nine of their children made it through.