By Bianca Williams
A Cape Town mall was a hive of activity after a young woman went into labour with triplets in a toilet.
People flocked to the mall to see the woman who had unexpectedly given birth to three tiny baby boys.
The birth was totally unexpected because the mom was two months away from her due date and didn't know she was having three babies.
Alvina van Wyk, 22, who is already mother to a nine-month-old baby, went into labour on Tuesday morning shortly after she arrived at her work in the Shoprite Mall in Kuils River.
Bosveld Spenz store manager Rhona Skrush Matta said Alvina began complaining of severe pains and started crying.
"Someone took her to the chemist where they told her she needs to go to hospital," said Matta.
"Alvina came back and when she told me she wanted to go to the toilet, I sent her cousin Christa with her.
"After quite some time Christa came back and asked me for some paper towels, saying Alvina was in labour."
Meanwhile, several employees from shops in the mall rushed to the toilet to help her.
Mandy Bruintjies, 27, who works in a hair salon opposite the toilets where Alvina gave birth, says there was quite a commotion as news of the birth spread.
"One lady rushed into the salon asking for towels and I went with her to offer some assistance," said Bruintjies.
She added that she has never seen anything like it even though she had helped her neighbour give birth a few months ago.
And while Bruintjies and some other women prayed for the mother, another stranger helped Alvina deliver the first baby.
Matta said she was quite shocked when someone came back to inform her that a second boy had been born.
"I hurried to buy some nappies, vests and a bottle but when I heard that Alvina gave birth to two more babies, I was too shocked to go back for more stuff," she recalls.
Matta wasn't the only one in shock. She said Alvina was still visibly stunned and crying as she waited to be loaded into the waiting ambulance.
"Poor Alvina was very shaken because she only planned to start shopping for the baby when she left for maternity leave at the end of March," said Matta.
"She expected to give birth to one child, so this came as quite a shock."
While all this was taking place, Alvina's neighbours and friends in Happy Valley were totally unaware of what was happening.
Louise van Staden, 47, shook her head in disbelief when the Daily Voice informed her about the triplets' birth.
"Alvina isn't in hospital, she left for work this morning," she said.
But after seeing photos of the young mother and triplets, Louise and her neighbours were convinced of the births.
"Alvina's stomach wasn't even very big and nobody knew that she was expecting triplets," she laughed.
"It is such a big shock because it isn't her due date yet and she also has a nine-month-old baby."
Mary-Anne Bulana, 24, who looks after Alvina's baby son Levandre, was bowled over by the shocking news.
"Alvina dropped her son off by me this morning and she never complained of pains," she said.
But she added that an old lady had informed Alvina a week ago that she was expecting more than one baby.
"Alvina got very angry when the ouma told her she has more than one child in her tummy," Bulana said. "She prepared for one child but now she will have to buy more stuff."
And as an afterthought, Bulana added: "Now I am going to have to look after four babies!"
By late Tuesday Alvina and her three premature sons were doing well and recuperating in hospital.
The babies' dad, known only as Leroy, or "Gummies", couldn't be reached for comment. - Daily Voice