Monday, September 15, 2008

Baby Boomer Woman Gives Birth to Triplets

Here I am---a 51-year-old baby boomer grandmother who has her hands full trying to help raise my two-year-old grandson and now I learn that another baby boomer woman has actually given birth to triplets.

A 59-year-old French woman has given birth by Caesarian section to two boys and a girl, and according to a Paris hospital spokesperson, everything went smoothly.

The woman, of Vietnamese origin, is thought to have resorted to a private Vietnamese clinic willing to overlook the age limit for egg donation and in-vitro fertilization (IVF), set at 45 in Vietnam, according to press reports.

This woman has become the latest in a strong of older women who feel the need to become mothers at midlife. In 2001 a 62-year-old Frenchwoman gave birth to a child conceived through IVF, and earlier this year, an Indian woman said to be 70 years old gave birth to twins after receiving IVF treatment.

I don't guess having a baby in your 40s is a bad thing. After all, look at this list of celebrity moms who did it:

Jane Seymour Twins at 44
Susan Sarandon 46
Madonna 41
Lisa Hartman-Black 44
Iman 44
Jerry Hall 41
Annette Bening 41
Cheryl Tiegs Twins at 52
Beverly D'Angelo Twins at 49
Geena Davis Twins at 44
Helen Hunt 40
Holly Hunter Twins at 45
Halle Berry 41
Nicole Kidman 41
Sarah Palin 44

But how old is TOO OLD to have a baby?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is an interesting post! I can't imagine at 59 taking care of triplets. I have my hands full with my 6 month old son. :-)

Anonymous said...

Interesting post, Bev! A friend of mine just had twins at age 53....and she is a wonderful mother! As many life choices, my belief is that it depends on the people involved and the circumstances.

Love your blog!

Anonymous said...

Ack! A baby at 59? Just thinking of the amount of energy this requires makes me want to take a nap!

Let's remember those celebrity mom's have the "wherewithall" to afford full time nannies!

Betty Lynch said...

This is interesting. My OBGYN says the trend is for women to wait until they are older, and established before starting families.

Not sure I could do that myself. You need the energy for youngsters and I just don't have that these days.

Thank you for your time in posting this article.

Melodieann Whiteley said...

Just dealing with my grandchildren wears me out - and I get to send them home. I can't imagine dealing with children full time now. I guess it depends on your circumstances. Like PopArtDiva said - these ladies can afford nannies. Might make a difference if we could share the childcare duties.

Parents Rule! said...

Holy cow! I am with Betty! Having my grandchildren here occasionally wears me out. I love being with them, but I also like having my time for me.

Having said that, if I was having a child for the first time at this age, it would have been okay because I would have felt a void without children.

One thing that should be considered is the child. Most of these women wanted a child, but did they think about the child?

Children need a parent who will be there for them. One who can go to ball games or concerts; one who will still be alive when they graduate from high school; one they will not have to care for as they try to start their adult lives.