Romanian, 67, pregnant with twins

[GHOSTDANCER]

Romanian doctors say a 67-year-old woman is seven months pregnant with twin girls after fertility treatment.

If the pregnancy comes to full term, it is believed that Adriana Iliescu, an author and academic, will become the oldest recorded mother.

Mrs Iliescu told local television she had always wanted to be a mother but had been unable to conceive naturally.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4133693.stm>

[aquart]

1. Okey dokey.

[clydefrand]

2. Wonder why she didn't try earlier in her marriage?

Guess she needed to retire first so she would have time to care for the little one properly.

More power to her! Better woman than I am.

[Demeter]

3. donated eggs--not "natural"

all women over 50 may start breathing again

[Liberal Veteran]

4. I wish them the best, but....

I have to say, that people becoming parents at an advanced age (whether they are male or female) troubles me somewhat due to difficulties in keeping up with a child at that age and the dramatic increase in the probability that the child will be orphaned before reaching adulthood.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

15. But she's not homosexual, so it's all right.

</sarcasm>

[Skidmore]

5. I'm sorry, but I just

think this is so wrong. There is a reason why our peak childbearing years are in our youth when we have the health and energy for the care of young children. It's one thing to be a grandparent taking over in an emergency, but to put those fetuses (babies when they are born) at risk and her own health at risk is just plain selfish.

Flame me if you want, but I've come to believe that just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[0007]

6. I'd never flame that logic, cuz I think your so right.

[shawcomm]

8. No flame here...

I've come to believe that just because you can doesn't mean you should

That was exactly my first thought.

[GHOSTDANCER]

12. But...... but......... but..... With one of these...............

<>

And a medicine cabinet full of these...........

<>

Anythings possible? The almighty-one fuqed up when he created humans Glaxo-Smith-Kline and Honda will improve you!!! Are you due for an upgrade? whahahahaha

[sleepyhead]

29. "just because you can doesn't mean you should"

I agree wholeheartedly. I say this all the time.

[LisaL]

32. Well, shoot, not long ago average life span was what, 30 years?

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:
Just cause there is a peak in child bearing years, doesn't mean nobody over 30 shouldn't have children.

[bleedingheart]

37. I don't think that anyone is against women over 30 having kids..

however this woman didn't have this child naturally and to be honest her time came and went...I will be amazed if she carries the child to term without suffering problems...

I was 26 when I had my first and I suffered severe preeclampsia which resulted in a temporary case of cardiomyopathy...but I was a very fit and healthy 26 year old...this woman is 67...

A good friend of mine had her first at 41 (naturally..not fertility)...but she got preeclampsia and ended up in a temporary coma.....she had high blood pressure before the pregnancy started but it got so much worse while she was pregnant and she had even more long term problems afterwards...

as my sister has said...children try killing their parents from conception...(it's a family joke about the myriad of little problems pregnant women suffer...)

[LizW]

7. Jeez

That's really unfair to the child. I hope this woman has a young husband, or is very rich. She'll be heading for a nursing home about the time the child is a teenager.

[KlatooBNikto]

9. One of these days I expect to read a news item that goes like this:

A newborn baby barely one week old is found to be pregnant.And the newborn's newborn is expected to be 67 years old! The way scientific miracles keep coming anything seems to be possible.

[sakabatou]

11. In other news

Heads of fundamentalist christians blow up without reason.

[aikido15]

19. Wouldn't that be nice...

I'm a bit ashamed to say that I WOULD LOVE IT IF THAT HAPPENED!

I am so sick of their hateful BS! :puke:

[bleedingheart]

10. As the daughter of older parents, I have to say this is a bad idea

my parents didn't use fertility treatments but my dad was 50 when I was born and my mom was 38. Now my mom's age wasn't as big an issue as my dad's age and health... he died when I was 10.

After he died...I would creep into my mother's room at night just to be reassured that she was breathing...

Now I know that some kids have young parents die...but when people have children in their later years..it almost seems selfish.

I have a cousin right now who is struggling with fertility problems..but the real kick in the head is that for the first 15 years of her marriage she didn't want kids...then one day she wakes up at 37 and decides that was a really bad idea. Now she cries everytime she gets her period...I feel awful for her but I can't help but wonder if she had possibly changed her mind 10 years earlier she may have had better luck with even the fertility treatments...I hope and pray she has a baby but this "change of course" has really disturbed her marriage.

[abelenkpe]

13. what?

I am 37 and just had a child. I do not feel as if I am too old to keep up with him in any way. Many women are waiting until their thirties to have children. Out of twelve couples in my Lamaze class only one woman was younger than me. After attending college and graduate school it took quite a while to become comfortable enough in my career to the point where I felt I could afford to have a child and provide a decent life for him. Maybe your cousin simply did not feel comfortable having a child earlier? I hope she does have a baby. I confused as to why she needs fertility treatment though. Thirty-seven in young.

Besides, people tend to live longer than they used to. My father does statistics for the government and people are living healthy lives into their 80s and 90s so there is no reason to assume that someone who has a baby later in life is going to abandon them. As long as one eats right, stays active and healthy they can live for a long time.

OK 67 is pushing it. But I am surprised to see so many people declaring that couples who have children in their thirties and forties are too old.

[bleedingheart]

14. I speak from my own experience...it sucked growing up without a dad

and as for my cousin...I don't think 37 is too old but I think some of her fertility problems are due in part to her age. It is absolutely devastating for her because she knows that she started later and now has had two miscarriages and the new fertility treatments aren't working...and her own Fertility Doctor told her that her age is a factor...

edit: the miscarried pregnancies were due to the first set of fertility treatments...

second edit:...here are some links to articles that discuss the decline in fertility as women age...

http://health.discovery.com/centers/pregnancy/americanbaby/fertilityandage.html

“How Old is Too Old?
According to the Mayo Clinic, a woman's fertility peaks between the ages of 20 and 24. However, fertility rates remain relatively constant through the early 30s, after which they begin to decline:
At age 30 to 35, fertility is 15 to 20 percent below maximum. From age 35 to 39, the decrease is 25 to 50 percent. From 40 to 45, the decrease is 50 to 95 percent.
Technically, any woman who has not gone through menopause, and who does not have other reproductive problems, can become pregnant. Successful pregnancies have been reported in women as old as 59.
“

http://www.advancedfertility.com/age.htm
“Many people are not aware of the decline in fertility as the age of the female partner increases:
There is a slow decline in pregnancy rates in the early 30's. This decline is more substantial in the late 30's and early 40's. Few women over 45 are still fertile.
Miscarriage rates also increase substantially as the mother ages “

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/04/30/fertility/
“LONDON, England -- A woman's biological clock starts ticking even earlier than was previously thought, according to new research carried out across Europe.
Doctors have found that a woman's fertility starts declining as early as her late 20s -- not, as had widely been assumed, in her mid-30s.”

[shrike]

16. Shame about your cousin

And about your own experience; I'm so sorry. I loved my dad beyond all measure and couldn't imagine having grown up without him.

This example -- 67-year-old having children -- is extreme to say the least. But on the other hand, plenty of teenagers, fifteen and younger, are having babies and are certainly "young enough" to have children -- but are they fit parents at that age?

Every case is different, I suppose. Some people are old at 30 and others remain young into their 50s and 60s. Some teen-agers are extremely mature and responsible, though I have to wonder how many in that category would be ready to parent. I suppose ultimately the decision lies with the parents involved -- and I should butt out.

[abelenkpe]

26. Yikes!

Your poor cousin. I hope she's able to have a baby eventually. Those articles are scary. I guess I better get busy and give my son a sibling, huh? I feel very young but there is no way to know when one is going to die. My hubby's mother passed away when he was 16 (she was only 45) so I'm sure it was even more devastating for you at age 10. At least you turned out OK. Is your Mom still around?

[bleedingheart]

27. mom is still around..

in fact I was joking with her about this..(see thread below)...

I also hope my cousin is eventually able to have a baby, but I hope the stress of trying to have one doesn't break up her marriage.

As for fertility, I know of a few women who have had babies well into their 40's without any type of fertility treatments, however in two of those cases the pregnancies were unexpected (wanted but unexpected..) One woman had four older children when she got pregnant and to be honest she wasn't prepared..(she had given all the baby stuff away...thinking all she was going to be doing was waiting for grandchildren eventually)...I recall the one woman thought she was entering menopause...and so she went to the doctor because she had stopped her period and had breast tenderness...only to have the doc say..."nope...your pregnant"...she nearly fainted...

[serryjw]

35. I agree I'm 54 now

and MY parents were 35 & 45 when they had me. I lost both when I was 23/24 and I have never been the same. This is totally selfish

[Miami Liberal]

17. Holy mother of God!

I hope my grandma doesn't get any ideas from this.

[bleedingheart]

18. I called my 72 year old mother and said.."I want a new bro or sis"

she told me to shove the phone up my rear...and then I told her about this woman and she told me "she must have rocks for brains"...

[ashmanonar]

20. LOL

my parents just have pets instead...(and i swear, they act more like new parents with them than they ever acted around us!)

and yea, that's about the way my mom would react, and she's only 42...:7

[lawladyprof]

24. Pets are children who never grow up

I think that's why I, along with many other folks, find it so satisfying to love them. They need you to "parent" them, and unlike human children (I have two--adults now) they will never outgrow their dependence on you.

[aikido15]

21. If I hear of any evangelicals....

...praising God and calling this a miracle, I think I will have to throw-up!

[amazona]

22. people are crazy

Considering normal human life expectancies and her chance of raising their children to adulthood being fairly nil...I just don't understand people. Why do doctors facilitate this madness? Just for the $$$ and the publicity?

[BadGimp]

23. I can't believe someone actually hit that :o

[Miami Liberal]

25. LMAO!

In some parts of the world she's considered a babe. :7

[Fleshdancer]

28. I think this is extremely selfish

Having babies at 67? I feel sorry for those babies who will ultimately lose their mom too early in their lives.

[Dem2theMax]

30. Romanian, 67, pregnant, and absolutely nuts.

67? Who's gonna chase the kids when they are heading for danger?

Nuts I tell ya. Nuts.

[LisaL]

33. Better at 67 when she is well off and can take care of them financially,

then at 16 when she got no money, no home, no nothing.

[bleedingheart]

36. Yeah cuz at 70 you are in just the shape to chase a 2-3 year old around

While I don't know that most 16 year olds are able to handle children I do want to point out that there is a happy medium...plus...I had my children shortly after being married to my husband (got preggers with the first 8 mos after the wedding)...and even though we weren't in the best financial shape...we made it work..and are still working...

[mtnester]

31. THE only word I have on reading this is

WHY?

As a woman, who has had a child, WHY WHY WHY at 67?

I give up, humans baffle me :)

[Chicago Democrat]

34. She had sex and then it just happened!

That's why!

;)

[Jackie97]

38. I'm all for a woman's right to choose....

but I'm also for a person's right to their own opinion.

My opinion is that it's irresponsible to give birth to a baby at that age. How long with the mother even live?

[WildClarySage]

39. I'm 36 and not wanting to do the baby thing again

well, probably not- I did want more kids but fert treatments did not work out for us over the last 10 years of trying, I think by 50 or so I'd just give it up as a pipe dream.

But having said that, as much as I am pro-choice, my decisions the business of me and my doctor- and I'm all for the extending of fertility options for all women- wow they must be making serious progress to knock up a 67 yr old woman- then I will not sit in judgement of her. If it's my choice to get pregnant when I want, well, it's her choice too. Not the choice I'd have made, and possibly not the best one the dr could have made, but it's hers and I'll honor her by saying congratulations to her.