For many women, motherhood begins with expectation. For Ingrid Kaneza, it began with prayer, patience, and faith. A devoted Christian, Kaneza held firmly to her faith while hoping and praying to become a mother. ALSO READ: Mother's Day: What does a supportive home, workplace look like? Kaneza and Munanura eventually received news that would completely change their lives: she was pregnant with four babies. “It was a shock. You are not prepared to hear that you are carrying four babies. People immediately start telling you scientific things, risks, worries, and fears,” she recalled in an interview with The New Times. Carrying the weight of uncertainty The pregnancy demanded everything from her, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She remembers wondering about the future, whether the babies would be healthy, whether she would carry them safely, and whether she would be strong enough for what lay ahead. “A multiple pregnancy is very different. You forget yourself because all your focus is on protecting the babies,” she says. Still, amid the uncertainty, one thing anchored her. “I was spiritually strong. I believed that nothing would happen to my babies.” When motherhood began When the babies were finally born, Kaneza said she immediately changed as a person. “The lioness in me came out. I became a totally different person, very protective,” she says. ALSO READ: Supporting mothers beyond celebration The quadruplets were discharged from hospital separately, forcing Kaneza into a difficult routine of moving between home and hospital for more than a month as each baby became ready to come home. “Some babies were home while others were still in hospital. You are trying to manoeuvre everything, create routines, and stay emotionally strong,” she said. Despite the fatigue, she remembers one overwhelming feeling, gratitude. “The first thing I enjoyed was seeing my babies alive, healthy, and strong. Even the doctors were amazed.” Becoming fiercely protective In the first months, Kaneza personally handled almost every aspect of their care. While housemaids helped with cleaning and household chores, she did not allow anyone else to fully care for the babies. “No one touched my babies until they were around one year old. I bathed them myself, fed them myself, I wanted to do everything,” she says. ALSO READ: The cost of motherhood Looking back now, she admits the first months tested her mentally and emotionally in ways she had never imagined. “The fatigue was too much. Sometimes, I would just burst into tears,” she says. The exhaustion came not only from caring for four infants at once, but also from the emotional weight of first time motherhood. Her husband was often away for work, leaving her to carry much of the daily responsibility herself. “At some point, my mental health really went down. I felt overwhelmed and like no one truly understood what I was going through,” she says. The family eventually developed routines for feeding, sleeping, and managing daily life with the four infants. “You have to be consistent. That is how we managed,” she says. ALSO READ: Life after birth: How mothers should cope with postpartum depression Motherhood also forced Kaneza to temporarily step away from her professional life. She stopped working entirely to focus on raising the boys full time and only returned to work after the children had started kindergarten. “I wanted to be there for every stage,” she says. Finding joy in the chaos Today, the quadruplets are 10 years old, energetic boys who keep their parents constantly busy. “They are only boys, you can imagine the energy,” she says laughing. But even amid the chaos, Kaneza says she is enjoying being a mother. “Seeing them at this age and remembering where we came from gives me so much gratitude,” she says. For her, motherhood changed understanding of purpose and faith. “People sometimes see motherhood as a burden, but for me it is the highest purpose God gives us in this world,” she says. “You do not fully know yourself until you become a mother. That is when you understand sacrifice, love, and responsibility differently.” A message to other women Kaneza also speaks passionately about the emotional bond between a mother and her children. “They are the flesh of your flesh and the bone of your bone. There is nothing more beautiful,” she says. ALSO READ: What are your fondest memories of mom? Her story also carries a message for women struggling with infertility, a journey she says remains close to her heart. “I know how painful infertility can be. Women who go through it are always in my prayers,” she says. While she avoids presenting motherhood as the only path to fulfillment, she says her own experience taught her the power of hope and faith. “After getting my boys and seeing where they are today, there is nothing that scares me anymore,” she says. Although she jokes that raising four boys at once is enough for a lifetime, she still speaks with humility about the future. “For me, I feel done,” Kaneza says with a smile. “But if God said otherwise, who am I to say no?”
