A 23-year-old mother from Valhalla Park is looking for answers after going into hospital pregnant with twins but leaving with just one baby.
The young mom says she was never informed of what had happened to her other baby, and nor did she receive his little body.
Fatimah Rademeyer, a mom of three, says she gave birth to twin boys in February at the Mowbray Maternity Hospital.
“I went into labour on 23 February and headed straight for False Bay Hospital. They did a scan again showing both my babies, just like before.
“I was rushed to the Mowbray Maternity Hospital because one of the babies were lying breech, but both were still alive.
“We could see their hearts beating,” she explains.
She gave birth to twin boys on 24 February via a Caesarian section.
“The following day, nurses and patients came up saying congratulations on the healthy baby boy, ‘but sorry for your loss’.
“I was confused. Where was my other baby boy? Nobody answered me,” the distressed mom says.
But Provincial Health spokesperson Bianca Carls says they have no record of a second baby.
She says Fatimah booked late and went for antenatal care only once.
“She first booked for antenatal care at False Bay Hospital on 12 December 2016 and was clinically 31 weeks pregnant. She defaulted on the subsequent follow-up, and only visited (again) on 23 February, already in spontaneous labour.
“There, a possible twin pregnancy was queried on ultrasound, and for this reason, she was transferred to Mowbray Maternity Hospital (MMH).
“On admission to MMH, only a single fetal heartbeat was detected, and as the heart rate tracing indicated the baby was in distress, the mother was rushed for an emergency Caesarean section.
“A single baby boy weighing [3kg] was delivered. No second baby, alive or otherwise, was present.
“There is no indication in the notes during this time that she had sought any information regarding a second baby,” said Carls.
But an adamant Fatimah says she was pregnant with twins and that the hospital has since called her for a meeting.
“I just want my child and I want the death certificate so I can find closure.”