Mali Mother Sets New World Record for Giving Birth to Nonuplets
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Halima Cisse broke a world record that stood for more than 10 years when she gave birth to nine babies who all survived in May.

The previous record holder was Nadye Suleman, who became known as Octomom.

Halima Cisse’s and Kader Arby’s nonuplets are pictured in a Moroccan hospital. Photo: dailymail.co.uk

Cisse, 26, gave birth in Morocco on May 5 away from her husband Kader Arby, who is a sailor with the Mali Navy. The couple weren’t together with their nine infants until July due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

And as the nonuplets approach six months of age, they and Cisse are ready to return home to Mali safe and healthy. To celebrate, the couple released the first photos of them with all the newborns; they also have a 2-year-old daughter.

“Giving birth to one child is hard enough, but having nine is unimaginable,” Cisse said in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail UK. “It’s astonishing the amount of work that is involved in looking after them. I’m grateful to the medical team that are doing all the hard work and the Government of Mali for funding this.”

The family’s medical bills for the birth and care of the babies is approaching more than $1.3 million, according to the Daily Mail report. The nonuplets were on incubators until August, and Cisse nearly died from blood loss during childbirth.

“It seemed as if there was an endless stream of babies coming out of me. My sister was holding my hand but all I could think about was how would I look after them and who was going to help me?”

Doctors at first informed Cisse that there were just seven babies, and providers feared there was a 50 percent chance any would survive.

“I am also very happy and very thankful for everything God granted us with,” Cisse said.

Her belly weighed more than 66 pounds. The mother’s strength is starting to return, as the babies at one point went through 100 diapers a day.

There are five baby girls and four baby boys. The family currently lives in a modest three-bedroom home, but they have a hunch an expansion is on the horizon.