After almost three decades of marriage, spent in the harrowing embrace of barrenness, and with three husbands, 52-year-old Alhaja Owolabi Kareem against all odds and human expectations not only got pregnant but also gave birth to a bouncing baby girl.

For the couple, Alhaji and Alhaja Owolabi Kareem of Ajah in the Eti Osa Local Government Area Lagos State, November 26, 2010, will forever be remembered as a day of celebration of miracles.

It was the day on which the 52-year-old Alhaja Owolabi Kareem put to bed a bouncing baby girl. It was the first in her life.

Like most women of her age, Alhaja Ajah as she is fondly called by her fellow members at the Saints Gospel Church of Christ Hand of Fire, Ago along Igando-Ikotun Road, Lagos had entered menopause. Some derisively call it meno-stop!

After being married for about 30 years and with no fruit to show for her conjugal labor, she had lost all hopes of ever having a baby but for her newfound faith.

Five years earlier, the 52-year-old businesswoman had been introduced to a new faith by a friend who had watched as she struggled desperately and in despair but in vain for a child.

Prior to this, it had been one long struggle filled with anguish, fears, tears, humiliation and even desperation.

According to Alhaja, she had visited all known hospitals and medical practitioners both orthodox and unconventional, local and foreign all to no avail.

It was after she had reached menopause and lost hope, she decided to heed her friend's advice of seeking further spiritual help at a particular worship center where she worships currently.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on CompassNewspaper.com
Originally posted on December 5th, 2010.
Photo credit: CompassNewspaper.com - All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

The Infertility Cure

The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies
by Randine Lewis

-- Infertility affects one out of six couples today.

Dr. Lewis presents a groundbreaking alternative approach to infertility, explaining how she used traditional Chinese medicine to treat her own infertility, successfully conceiving and giving birth to two children.

In Lewis's experience, women who have undergone three to six months of the dietary changes, herbs and acupuncture treatments become pregnant with no further effort.

Lewis intersperses her somewhat technical examination of the program with anecdotes about her patients, weaving in discussions on diet, herbal supplements, acupuncture, older women and problems related to infertility.

📚 Paperback: 320 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Infertility Cure

April 2, 2012 - You may know Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer from her stint on Saturday Night Live or for her cameos on 30 Rock...

But the 46-year-old comedian has more stories to tell than the standard ex-SNL-er's behind-the-scenes yarns.

There was this crazy twist that happened in my life, and I thought maybe I should start writing about this, she says.

Dratch, at 43 years old, after having given up on the idea of being married with kids someday, unexpectedly got pregnant and decided to make that midlife miracle, as she calls it, the centerpiece of her book.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Metro.us
Read more: Rachel Dratch: To SNL and back
Originally posted in April 2, 2012.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Girl Walks into a Bar

Girl Walks into a Bar...: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle
by Rachel Dratch

-- Her career at a low point, Rachel Dratch suddenly had time for yoga, dog-sitting, learning Spanish - and dating. After all, what did a forty-something single woman living in New York have to lose?

Resigned to childlessness but still hoping for romance, Dratch was out for drinks with a friend when she met John.

Handsome and funny, after only six months of dating long-distance, he became the inadvertent father of her wholly unplanned, undreamed-of child, and moved to New York to be a dad.

With riotous humor, Dratch recounts breaking the news to her bewildered parents, the awe of her single friends, and the awkwardness of a baby-care class where the instructor kept tossing out the f-word.

Filled with great behind-the-scenes anecdotes from Dratch's time on SNL, Girl Walks into a Bar is a refreshing version of the happily ever after story that proves female comics - like bestsellers Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler - are truly having their moment.

📚 Paperback: 272 pages
Click to order/for more info: Girl Walks into a Bar...

📚 Start reading Girl Walks into a Bar... on your Kindle in under a minute!

📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The intense debate surrounding a very touchy subject.

In a fascinating article that recently appeared in New York Magazine, writer Lisa Miller outlines and ultimately defends the current boom of men and women becoming parents at age 50 and beyond.

The article begins with an anecdote - a couple meets and falls in love when she's 47 years old, and he's 54 years old.

Through a donor egg and her husband's sperm, the woman gives birth to her first daughter at age 50.

Two years later, she attempts to get pregnant again.

This time, she has to be brought out of menopause with hormones before she is able to become pregnant.

Shortly thereafter, she gives birth to her second daughter.

This anecdote is only one of many, and they're on the rise. Birth rates among women ages 45 to 49 have risen 17% in just the past three years alone. Reproductive technology, of course, accounts for this sharp increase.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on TheMortonReport.com
Read more: Giving Birth After 50: Miraculous or Morally Wrong?
Originally posted in September 27, 2011.
Photo Credit: TheMortonReport.com - All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Acupuncture and IVF: Increase IVF Success by 40-60%
by Lifang Liang

-- The information in this book can increase your success rate with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) by as much as 60%.

Research has shown that acupuncture alone can increase the success rate of IVF by 35%. By also adding Chinese herbal medicine, it is Dr. Lifang Liangs experience that you can almost double that increase.

In this book, Dr. Liang describes her extremely successful step-by-step protocols for combining acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine with IVF.

Whether you are a Western MD specializing in infertility, a Chinese medical practitioner, or a couple experiencing difficulties in conceiving, this book is sure to give you new hope and a new approach to dealing with this all too common and difficult condition.

📚 Paperback: 224 pages
Click to order/for more info: Acupuncture and IVF

Photo credit: MARTIN POPE / Telegraph.co.uk - All rights reserved

Jacqueline Gold likes to joke she has lived her whole life backwards.

At 48 years old, at the peak of an enormously successful career – she is CEO of Gold Group International (which owns Ann Summers) and one of the most powerful women in British retailing.

She is about to fulfill a dream she put on hold as a young woman.

Finally, at an age when most women are approaching menopause, Jacqueline is settling into her first pregnancy.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Telegraph.co.uk
Read more: Jacqueline Gold: I'm just so lucky to be pregnant at 48
Originally posted on January 12, 2009.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

IVF: A Patient's Guide

IVF: A Patient's Guide
by Rebecca Matthews

-- The perfect companion book for anyone considering or currently undergoing fertility treatment.

Reduce your stress and improve your chance of success by arming yourself with the facts.

Written by a respected, caring and practicing expert in the field, not a patient!

Inside these pages, you'll get answers to the most common questions, but even better, get answers to the critical questions not asked often enough; some could even save the life of your baby.

Understand the most up-to-date, cutting-edge techniques utilized in IVF and genetic testing.

See exactly what happens under the microscope.

Learn how to choose the very best clinic and what, exactly, you should be asking your doctor.

Follow specific case studies and hear from a variety of patients in their own words as well.

Packed with charts, tables, graphs and photos, this easy to navigate guide is the next best thing to having a best friend in the field of reproductive medicine.

📚 Paperback: 174 pages
Click to order/for more info: IVF: A Patient's Guide

📚 Start reading IVF: A Patient's Guide on your Kindle in under a minute!

📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Photo credit: © David Cooper / Toronto Star - All rights reserved

Max, a chubby-cheeked, eight-pound boy with a shock of strawberry blond hair, arrived on a crisp November afternoon.

Just shy of nine months earlier, 45-year-old Daryl Peddar had given motherhood one final chance.

For the past six years, Peddar and her husband, Andrew, had been struggling to start a family.

They had gone through five failed rounds of assisted reproduction, two painful pregnancy losses and at one point, given up altogether.

It is very disheartening when nothing seems to be working. We had basically decided this was the last time we would try for a baby, Peddar said of their final attempt through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

We thought, if it did not work, then it was obviously not meant to be.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on TheStar.com
Read more: Long journey ends in first-time motherhood at 45
Originally posted on January 3, 2012.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Long-Awaited Stork: A Guide to Parenting After Infertility
by Ellen Sarasohn Glazer

-- Parents who have wondered about the long term impact of infertility on their self-image will find the answers in this insightful book by Lois Melina, author of Raising Adopted Children and Making Sense of Adoption.

Finally, here's a book that's sensitive and responsive to the unique emotional experience of parenting after a long, arduous course of infertility diagnosis and treatment.

The Long-Awaited Stork gives you all the information, advice, and support you need to adjust to and cope with the special problems of parenting after infertility.

📚 Paperback: 368 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Long-Awaited Stork

November 10, 1992 --- DEAR ABBY:
This is for Found Love Late who wonders if she's too old to have a child in her mid-40s:

I was 45 and my husband was 50 when I became pregnant. We had been childless for 22 years and it was a great shock, to put it mildly. My doctor assured me that my age was no problem because my health was excellent.

I had an uneventful and easy pregnancy and was thrilled when I delivered a beautiful baby girl.

We had some adjustments to make to our lifestyle, but we handled them well.

Chris has been the joy of my life. She is 32 years old now, happily married and has given me four beautiful grandchildren.

I am now a widow - 78 years young.

Is it fair for a child to have a menopausal mom? I will let my daughter answer that question. I'm enclosing her letter...

---

DEAR ABBY: My mother gave me an assignment I am accepting happily.

She asked me what it was like having a menopausal mother. I never knew I had one. I suppose most kids think their parents are "old" - but I never thought mine was any older than the rest.

In fact, I always thought my parents were pretty cool - especially my mom. She was always up on the latest fashions, styles, and trends, and she dressed accordingly. (She still does.)

My mom is my best friend. We talk on the phone every day and get together at least once a week to go shopping. She can run circles around me. I have to ask her to stop so I can rest.

I want to tell those women who found love late and had children later than most women:

Don't worry about looking like a grandmother at PTA meetings. You will see women of all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors there. Lots of moms are
also grandmothers from their older children. Besides, with today's lifestyles, many children are being raised by their grandparents, so I
doubt that you will be the oldest mother there.

But most of all, please don't worry about what your children might think about having an older mom. I had one, and it never even crossed my mind at the time. I had the most wonderful childhood a kid could have, and the best parents in the world and your children will probably think the same.

-- IDA'S DAUGHTER: CHRIS KNIGHT, VERO BEACH, FLA.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Google News
Read more: Letters show older moms aren't new
Originally posted on November 10, 1992.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Enhancing Fertility

Enhancing Fertility: A Couple's Guide to Natural Approaches
by Chris D. Meletis and Liz Brown

-- This book is dedicated to the millions of couples who are trying to get pregnant without success.

Rather than assuming that you are infertile, you can try the many reliable natural remedies and resources in this book.

Barring physical problems beyond your control, you have the power to take charge of your health and boost your fertility.

The authors' goal is simple: to provide a clear guide to conception based on natural, safe, well-researched therapeutic approaches.

Nutritional, environmental, botanical, and physical medicines, as well as traditional Chinese medical practices and homeopathy, all offer ways to promote fertility.

Both men and women will find a wealth of helpful information on what to do-individually and together--to fully realize their fertility potential.

Even if infertility isn't a problem, and you are simply planning to get pregnant and want to deliver a healthy baby, this book will help improve your chances.

Anyone seeking to become a parent will benefit from this book's practical, time-tested wisdom.

The healthier a woman is, the greater the likelihood the seed of life will find fertile soil and grow into a healthy baby.

📚 Paperback: 202 pages
Click to order/for more info: Enhancing Fertility

📚 Start reading Enhancing Fertility on your Kindle in under a minute!

📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Photo Credit: © Chloe Dewe Mathews / Telegraph.co.uk - All rights reserved

Sarah Briggs, 50 years old, is the mother of three children, Alexander, eight, Isabella, six, and Edward, one year old.

She is married to David, 37, an accountant, and lives just outside Carlisle.

In the past 10 years, Sarah Briggs, a chartered surveyor, has fallen in love, got married and become a mother of three.

What is surprising is it has all happened when she was in her forties.

Edward, her youngest, was born when she was 49 years old.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Telegraph.co.uk
Source: Never too late: life begins at 50
Originally posted in April 14, 2012.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
How to Get Pregnant Fast: Crucial Knowledge for Getting Pregnant
by Hillary J Lowndes

-- Discover the keys to getting giving yourself the best chances of getting pregnant.

Don't surround yourself with information about what not to do.

Instead, you can take proactive steps to make sure that everything is just right.

If you feel you can't get pregnant it may be because you're not taking the right approach.

The best way to get pregnant doesn't have to be stressful.

You can take control once you learn some of the science and some of the secrets passed down through time.

📚 Paperback: 124 pages
Click to order/for more info: How to Get Pregnant Fast

Baby can wait

Fran Watson gave birth to Angus when she was 43 years old, having waited 20 years to find the right partner, get married and then have a child.

What I feel like a mom who waited a long time is 'My God, I'm happy,' said the longtime publicist.

And what can possibly be wrong with that wonderful feeling?

A fitness professional in Calgary, Helen Vanderburg said she delayed having children mostly because she wasn't in a committed relationship until she was older; building her career played a secondary role.

She underwent a full complement of testing to rule out any genetic abnormalities and, at 45 years old, gave birth to her daughter, Sage.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Calgary Herald
Read more: Baby can wait
Originally posted on February 15, 2009

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Yes, You Can Get Pregnant: Natural Ways to Improve Your Fertility Now and into Your 40s
by Aimee E. Raupp

-- The complete guide to getting pregnant and improving fertility naturally even if you've been told your chances of conception are low.

A nationally renowned women's health and fertility expert, Aimee Raupp has helped hundreds of women optimize their fertility and get pregnant, even after age 40.

Here, she provides her complete program for improving your chances of conceiving and overcoming infertility, including the most effective complementary and lifestyle approaches and the latest nutritional advice.

Her remedies help you how to get in tune with your body, eat the best fertility-enhancing foods, and avoid environmental toxins to achieve a healthy and stress-free pregnancy.

📚 Paperback: 248 pages
Click to order/for more info: Yes, You Can Get Pregnant

📚 Start reading Yes, You Can Get Pregnant on your Kindle in under a minute!

📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

January 13 2009 - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's unmarried Justice Minister Rachida Dati gives birth to a baby girl on Friday January 2, according to reports.

It was unknown who fathered Dati's child.

Smiling broadly, dressed to the nines and looking for all the world as if she had never been pregnant, 43-year-old French Justice Minister Rachida Dati returned to her high-profile job just five days after giving birth to baby Zohra.

She attended her first cabinet meeting since the birth of her daughter surrounded by a throng of television reporters and photographers.

Dati's life story of grit and determination has always fascinated the French press. One of 12 children of Algerian-Moroccan parents, who grew up in a gritty, French suburban housing project, Dati is a rare immigrant success story — and the very symbol of emancipation.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on NPR.org
Read more: Minister Sparks Maternity Leave Debate In France
Originally posted on January 13 2009.

Photo credit: independent.ie - All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Boost Your Fertility: New Solutions for Conceiving Quickly and Having a Healthy Pregnancy as Soon as Possible
by Marilyn Glenville Ph.D.

-- The definitive one-stop resource for couples who want to have a healthy pregnancy as soon as possible.

Based on leading women's health expert Dr. Marilyn Glenville's highly successful program, Boost Your Fertility presents an 8-step integrative approach including nutrition, lifestyle, removing environmental toxins, and medical screening for getting and staying pregnant.

Dr. Glenville outlines in detail what may be hindering pregnancy, what you and your partner should be tested for and when, and how to tailor the program to you based on particular factors such as age, medical history, and lifestyle.

📚 Paperback: 240 pages
Click to order/for more info: Boost Your Fertility

📚 Start reading Boost Your Fertility on your Kindle in under a minute!

📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Sandy, 49, Wichita, Kansas, US 

I have been posting on this board for years since my last successful over 40 pregnancy.

I must say there have been plenty of moms 44+, so do not give up hope!

The oldest woman I know personally, had a natural oops at 48 years old!!

She delivered a healthy baby boy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I had my first (and only so far) child at 43 years old.

I am 47 years old now and TTCing [trying to conceive] baby number two.

My theory has always been we will keep trying until the very last egg drops.

And based on my older sisters, I have until at least age 54.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Ordinary Miracles: A Journey through Primary and Secondary Infertility
by Krissi Marie McVicker

-- We had trouble conceiving and it was shocking news. When we found out that in-vitro fertilization would most likely be our only chance for success, our anxiety grew. But, with the help of my husband's amazing insurance, after three cycles, we were able to have our daughter, Ella.

And after three more cycles, our twins Logan and Mia graced us with their presence and we were truly blessed. I know that we were one of the lucky couples. Many people can't afford one IVF cycle, let alone six. And, I've never taken that for granted.

After my daughter was born, I started writing Ordinary Miracles. I wanted to share my story with others because I remember hearing success stories when I was in the midst of my struggle and it inspired me to believe that if it could happen to them, maybe, it would happen for me too.

After my twins were born, I started my blog: Stress-Free Infertility. I wanted a place on the Internet where couples could go to and read about others, get solicited advice, and be inspired by other success stories; a place to ease the stress of infertility, at least a little bit.

📚 Paperback: 216 pages
Click to order/for more info: Ordinary Miracles

📚 Start reading Ordinary Miracles on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

I wanted to thank you for this wonderful program!

After years of trying to conceive and a failed IVF [InVitro Fetilization] and a failed FET [frozen embryo transfer], I ordered the Pregnancy Miracle book, by Lisa Olsen.

According to my infertility doctor, it was very unlikely that I could become pregnant with my own eggs.

But here I am, pregnant for the first time in my life.

I got pregnant naturally just two months after my failed FET, and after following the Pregnancy Miracle plan.

I am now seven months pregnant (see photo above).

I am spreading this miracle story to whomever I meet and who suffers from infertility.

Kind regards and thank you, Lisa!

-- Martha Francis, July 2009 (UK)

Photo credit: pregnancymiracle.com
All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Sperm Meets Egg Plan: Getting Pregnant Faster
by Deanna Roy
-- The Sperm Meets Egg Plan is a step-by-step guide to achieving pregnancy without taking invasive tests, charting temperatures, or making mistakes in predicting your ovulation that result in mistimed attempts at fertilization.

Designed by Deanna Roy after months of trying made her believe she had a fertility problem, the plan will help you time intercourse whether you have a typical or atypical cycle.

It includes adjustments for common fertility problems, what to do if you are over forty, and considerations for trying again after a pregnancy loss.

This booklet includes 40 pages of instruction plus a 10-page sneak peek of Deanna's book Baby Dust. It should be a free download.

This FREE booklet is a THANK YOU to all the women who have supported Deanna's web site since the loss of her first baby in 1998.

Start reading The Sperm Meets Egg Plan on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

August 2, 2012 -- British actress Saffron Burrows revealed her advanced pregnancy on a night out in Los Angeles.

The actress, 40, made headline when she embarked on a relationship with fellow British actress and True Blood star Fiona Shaw, 54, a few years ago after a string of high-profile flings with the opposite sex.

Former Law and Order star Saffron was seen leaving upscale restaurant Madeo in West Hollywood, with one hand resting on her huge baby bump.

The actress looked fabulous in a simple blue sleeveless V-neck dress, which she paired with beige sandals which had a feminine bow at her ankles.

Saffron wore her auburn hair loose around her shoulders and appeared to be wearing little if no make-up, her natural pregnancy glow on full display.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on DailyMail.co.uk
Read more: Saffron Burrows, 40, unveils her baby bump
Originally posted in August 2, 2012.
Photo Credit: Dailymail.co.uk - All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Long-Awaited Stork: A Guide to Parenting After Infertility
by Ellen Sarasohn Glazer

-- Parents who have wondered about the long term impact of infertility on their self-image will find the answers in this insightful book by Lois Melina, author of Raising Adopted Children and Making Sense of Adoption.

Finally, here's a book that's sensitive and responsive to the unique emotional experience of parenting after a long, arduous course of infertility diagnosis and treatment.

The Long-Awaited Stork gives you all the information, advice, and support you need to adjust to and cope with the special problems of parenting after infertility.

Paperback: 368 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Long-Awaited Stork

As Paula Lackie strokes her swollen tummy she admits she is counting the days until the arrival of her unborn baby.

In her 20s, tests revealed she could never fall pregnant naturally.

Rather than giving up on her dream of becoming a mum, Paula and her then-husband adopted two children they adore.

For most of the next two decades, she admits she secretly hoped doctors had got her diagnosis wrong, only to be left shattered each month when she failed to conceive.

And only after finally giving up hope of ever falling pregnant naturally did she discover she was expecting.

Paula, 43, of Haddington, East Lothian, said: At first I thought I must be starting the menopause.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on DailyRecord.co.uk
Read more: Delight for woman as she falls pregnant after 22 years of trying
Originally posted in April 15, 2012.

Photo Credit: DailyRecord.co.uk
All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Long-Awaited Stork: A Guide to Parenting After Infertility
by Ellen Sarasohn Glazer

-- Parents who have wondered about the long term impact of infertility on their self-image will find the answers in this insightful book by Lois Melina, author of Raising Adopted Children and Making Sense of Adoption.

Finally, here's a book that's sensitive and responsive to the unique emotional experience of parenting after a long, arduous course of infertility diagnosis and treatment.

The Long-Awaited Stork gives you all the information, advice, and support you need to adjust to and cope with the special problems of parenting after infertility.

Paperback: 368 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Long-Awaited Stork

Three years ago, the 47-year old rural Minnesota woman went to an herbalist to treat the first symptoms of menopause.

Instead, she got pregnant with Jack, now two years old.

It was a wonderful surprise for Marion Dressen and her husband, who were about to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

The couple had given up trying to have a baby long ago. After all those years, it was a bit of a shock, Dressen said.

But we were excited at the same time.

On June 28 of 2006, Dressen gave birth to Megan, selecting the name for her daughter they picked out when trying to conceive 20 years earlier.

She said she sees many advantages of being a mom in her 40s.

Being older, I hve learned what's really important in life, Dressen says. I'm more patient and I don't sweat the small stuff.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, older moms like Dressen are becoming more common.

With a toddler and a newborn, Dressen said she is glad she's fit enough to have the energy she needs.

She jokes while she can keep up with the kids, she makes some different choices than younger moms who put the kids to bed and then go out on the town.

When the kids go to bed, we go to bed, Dressen said.

Dressen said she stays active so she can maintain the physical health she'll need to be the mother of teens in her 60s.

This will help us to keep young, she laughs.

Life has changed for Dressen. She used to go on mission trips to Africa, spend time gardening and take plenty of time for herself.

I used to get up in the morning, and do my hair and makeup right away, she said. Now it's good if I get a shower some days.

Still, she says she'll trade the weeds in her garden any day for her two children.

No flower that blooms gives me the feeling of seeing these two little faces, Dressen said. It Is a change for the better.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on ArgusLeaderOnline.com
Unfortunately the link no longer works.
Originally posted on June 18, 2012.
Photo credit: argusleaderonline.com - All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Couple's Guide To In Vitro Fertilization: Everything You Need To Know To Maximize Your Chances Of Success
by Liza Charlesworth

-- Despite the fact it is an expensive, complex, emotionally draining, and often last-ditch fertility treatment, there are now over 250,000 couples who consider in vitro fertilization (IVF) every year; more than 125,000 couples decide to undergo it.

While dry, clinical information is available, there is a gaping need for sisterly advice from someone who's been through the process herself.

From evaluating care and preparing for the complicated process to understanding egg retrieval and embryo transfer; from tips on taking medications and coping with hormonal surges to dealing with the emotional aspects of the grueling IVF process, Liza Charlesworth's The Couple's Guide to In Vitro Fertilization offers knowing, sensitive counsel.

Full of hard-won personal wisdom and the most up-to-date medical information explained in layman's terms, this invaluable guide is sure to become recommended reading for couples trying to conceive and their families alike.

Paperback: 312 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Couple's Guide To In Vitro Fertilization

Adoption Success Story by MomAtLast.com

I never ever in a million years thought I would say I am the VERY PROUD mother of a 11 month old little boy.

I was married for 23 years, and during this time we had tried several avenues to adopt.

Unfortunately, I was the breadwinner and unable to be a stay at home mom - which ruled out several agencies.

Adopting an older child was an option, but again we ran into roadblocks.

By my late 30s, I had accepted the fact I would never be blessed with Motherhood.

In May 2011, my husband of 23 years announced he was leaving the marriage to pursue a young woman he met on the internet.

My world was shattered...

In August 2011 the phone rang. It was a call to changed my whole life.

My brother was on the line. He said I have a friend who is having a baby boy and placing it for adoption. Are you still interested?

I had a hard time breathing when I spoke to the birth mother on the phone. Was she serious?

Was this all real? Would she like me? Would she care I was a 44-year-old single Mom?

Once a 44-year-old divorce' who had given up hope of becoming a mother, I am now a 45-year-old mother of a bouncing baby boy!

This Mom Over 40 story was found on MomAtLast.com
Read more: Never in a Million Years | Adoption Success Story
Originally posted October 2012.

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Pregnancy After 40: 40 Things No One Told You About Being Pregnant Over 40 (Pregnancy Plan Series)
by Jill Conrad, Pregnancy Support Institute

-- So you're over 40 and you've decided to get pregnant. You are not alone.

A growing number of women are waiting to have a baby until they are over 40.
This book will reveal:

♥ How you can have a healthy baby in your forties (in spite of all the warnings).
♥ What the biggest risks are and what you can do about them (it may not be as bad as you think)
♥ The 3 most important things you can do to have a healthy baby after 40 (you might already be doing some of them)
♥ Why older mothers often make better parents (the surprising reason)
♥ The one thing you should do every night to keep you fertile and able to conceive naturally (it takes 5 minutes)
...and Much More!

So get started and discover how to have the safest pregnancy and the healthiest baby when you are over 40 and pregnant.

Start reading Pregnancy After 40 on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Monday, my nurse practitioner [NP] called, and while we were discussing my instructions, she thought to tell me about another patient she had seen today (without revealing the patient's name, of course).

Her 45-year-old patient is pregnant -- naturally.

This woman had her first child, now three years old, at age 42.

Her FSH in July 2005 was 16.

About 3 months ago, my NP also mentioned to me a BFP [big fat positive - pregnancy test] she had called in today to one of her 42-year-old IVF patients.

I asked yesterday how the woman was doing and was told she had made it through her first trimester and is doing fine.

~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~

My midwife has a patient who is pregnant and 47 years old... 48 years old at delivery.

I asked if next time I'm pregnant, would my age be a factor in whether she could take me as a patient or not?

That's when she told me about this woman she'd just seen today.

I told her I knew some people who will want to hear about this one!

She also told me this is the woman's FIRST pregnancy!

I thought that made it even more spectacular.

~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~

Some encouraging news! My dear friend from college, 43 years old, had her baby last night.

A healthy perfect 8 lb little girl!

She has a 7-year-old daughter, has suffered numerous early losses, and a stillbirth 2 years ago.

She had testing done about a year ago and was on Folic Acid throughout her pregnancy.

But, other than a lot of close monitoring, her pregnancy was uneventful.

~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~

I am now 49 years old (almost), and my daughter will be 3 years old in March.

I got pregnant accidentally (can you believe it, a woman of my age getting pregnant accidentally, oh my,) and the father only lasted about 6 months or so before he left.

So -- single, going through menopause, with an almost 3-year old -- many tough days for sure.

Would I change any single thing?

No, my pregnancy was wonderful. I loved it, I love remembering it.

Wish I could do it again over and over.

I was perfectly healthy (and I was a smoker), and I had the healthiest smartest (of course), most beautiful baby girl.

Even thinking about it now, I get tears in my eyes.

She has not suffered because I'm older -- there was no way I would have been the parent I am when I was younger.

~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~

I am 45 years old and discovered I am pregnant the day before Thanksgiving.

Last year I had a miscarriage after seven weeks, and we've been trying again for 15 months!

( I never wanted children until my 5-year-old nephew appeared!)

I was just about to change my insurance coverage when I took the test.

I know there is a 50/50 chance of miscarriage again, but I want to encourage you to try since I squeaked by at the 5 percent rate!

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Brotherhood of Joseph: A Father's Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the 21st Century
by Brooks Hansen

-- Offering men a chance to be heard and women a rare opportunity to view the struggle with infertility from a male perspective, The Brotherhood of Joseph brings to life the anger, frustration, humor, heartbreak, and sense of helplessness that come to dominate the husband's role.

As his remarkable account reaches its finale in Siberia, however, Hansen's once again becomes the story of a husband and a wife who, even after years of medical frustration and fruitless paperwork, still must take one last risk together and trust in their most basic instincts before their new family can be born.

Start reading The Brotherhood of Joseph on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.