Woman pregnant with 'a bag of air'

A Victoria Falls woman has endured a painful nine-month pregnancy only to be told by doctors her bulging tummy is just a bag of air.

Twenty-seven-year-old Future Sibanda claims she is now confused as she suspects she could have been bewitched. She said after being in labour for three days, she was told by doctors that there was nothing in her womb.

A seemingly worried Sibanda told of her horrific tale of nine months pregnancy that has given her sleepless nights.

As if that is not enough, Sibanda, originally from Jambezi under Chief Shana, says for three nights she has dreamt carrying and breastfeeding a new-born baby and that's haunting her.

Health experts tell her she is carrying a balloon when all along she believed she was carrying a baby.

"I fell sick sometime last year and I went to a clinic in Jambezi where they told me I was four months pregnant. Since I didn't have money I registered for maternity at the clinic.

"According to the dates, I was supposed to deliver last month between March 25 and 27 but to my surprise doctors say there is nothing in my womb," she said.

Sibanda said her troubles started when she went to Victoria Falls Hospital and was told that she was not pregnant.

A mother of an 11-year-old daughter, Sibanda said she visited different clinics, private doctors and even consulted spiritualists but to no avail. She said she now fears for her life.

"They told me they couldn't feel anything despite the fact that I could feel some movements in my stomach and I was convinced I was carrying a baby. I went to a different nurse who advised me to buy a pregnancy test kit which proved negative. My worry is that my tummy kept growing and I was convinced I was pregnant," Sibanda added.

"It was at Victoria Falls Hospital where they told me that my tummy was filled with air."

Sibanda said when she had labour pains last month, she passed blood-stained urine that stopped after she was given medication.

"I still feel some pain in my stomach and back yet the scan reveals I am not pregnant. I still feel something moving in my stomach as if there is a baby and I do not know what is happening to me," Sibanda said.

She said her husband Cornwell Nkomo had been supportive and encouraged her to pray hard.

Sibanda has had prayer sessions with pastors from her church, The National Apostolic Faith Mission of the Holy Ghost.

"She came saying she was pregnant but health officials kept telling her there was nothing in her tummy. We held some prayers with her and we noticed she was in great pain. That is when members contributed some money and we took her to a private doctor for a scan which also said her womb was filled with air.

"We are seeking help from well-wishers so she can be attended to by specialists because she has suffered," said the church's senior evangelist based in Victoria Falls, Paul Mashevedzanwa.

A scan report from one of the doctors Sibanda visited shows that a left ovarian cyst measuring about 2.5cm by 2.7cm by 2.9cm is seen on the low level internal echoes of her womb.

When Chronicle caught up with her at her Aerodrome rented house yesterday, she looked pregnant but said her tummy had subsided a bit after she started taking medicines prescribed to her a few days ago.