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:
 |
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: Programmes.STV.tv -- All Rights Reserved |
Having settled down with her husband Richard, who is ten years her junior, Juliet has always been determined to have children.
I was quite a determined person, I'd met my husband and thought 'I really want to have a family with this man',Juliet said.
I was pretty sure I wasn't able to conceive naturally, so it had to be some form of assisted conception.
The proportion of women in the UK having children in their forties is the highest it has been in decades.
Fertility rates for women aged 30 and over has gradually increased since 1980, with more women having children between 30 and 34 than those aged 25-29 since 2002.
This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Scotsman.com
Read more: Joy of Scotland's oldest mother, aged 50
Originally posted on November 27, 2008
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
| Right Time Baby |
by Claudia Spahr
-- There couldn't be a better time for motherhood than after you've explored some of your own dreams and ambitions.
Studies show later mothers to be more secure emotionally and financially than younger mothers and nearly a quarter of all women in the UK are now having babies after 35.
Packed full of useful tips from top medical experts, scientists and world authorities, including Dr. Michel Odent and Dr. Marilyn Glenville, this book is a complete guide for the woman who's lived a life before giving birth.
It covers: preparing for pregnancy and motherhood; how to improve egg quality and prolong fertility so you can get pregnant naturally; exercises, relaxation techniques, mind-body connection for conception; how to increase your chances of success at IVF; making the most of your pregnancy, month by month; ways to avoid pregnancy loss; pregnancy yoga and natural remedies for common pregnancy ailments; how to have the best birth possible; from me to mum - adjusting to lack of sleep, relationship changes and that other job; parenting secrets and concepts from around the globe to inspire new mothers; and, the latest research in neuroscience, nutrition and psychology.
Get ready to embrace the biggest, most exciting transition of your life!
📚 Paperback: 320 pages
Click to order/for more info: Right Time Baby
📚 Start reading Right Time Baby on your Kindle in under a minute!
📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
December 3, 2002 - Jane Kaczmarek, the screaming mom on Malcolm in the Middle, just had a child last fall.
Jane and ex-husband Bradley Whitford had all of their children after 40 years old -- Frances Genevieve in 1997, George Edward in 1999, and Mary Louisa in 2002.
She had her 1st at the age of 43, second at age 44 and the last one at the age of 47 (just before her 48th birthday in December.)
The Associated Press reported the baby weighed in at 10 pounds, 3 ounces, according to publicist Melissa Kates, who said of the newborn:
Everything went wonderfully, she looks amazing.
In a statement, the couple said,
Mother and daughter are resting comfortably.
Father is struggling with hair loss.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
Ruth Pointer, of The Pointer Sisters, gave birth to twins at age 47 through IVF.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
Singer Roseanne Cash had her last child, a daughter, with husband John Leventhal in 1999 at the age of 44.
She has three other daughters from her marriage to Rodney Crowell, the youngest of these three is currently 15, the other two are adults.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
Actress Susan Sarandon had a daughter with Franco Amurri in 1985 when she was 38 or 39 years old.
Has two children with longtime partner Tim Robbins......
...a son born in May 1989 when she was 42 1/2 years old
...and a daughter born in May 1992 when she was 45 1/2 years old.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
Actress Marcia Gay Harden was born on August 14th, 1959.
She has three children with her husband Thaddaeus Scheel who she married in 1996.
A daughter, Eulala Grace Scheel, born in September 1998 when the actress was 41 years old.
And twins, a boy named Hudson Harden Scheel and a girl named Julitta Dee Harden Scheel, born on 22 April 2004 in New York - when she was 44 1/2 years old.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
 |
| The Long-Awaited Stork |
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
Elizabeth -- I am 45 years old, having my fourth child...
I was 35 years old when I had my third child...
During my third pregnancy, I tried out at five months for women’s professional baseball, and I made it!
Three months after the baby was born, I was in spring training.
I now just finished a season in the men's baseball league in September, and I'm due again in June.
Baby is fine, two times above a normal baby's arm and leg length, very active and healthy.
Right now I'm coaching Fastpitch softball, helping out with my son's baseball, and practicing (only) baseball...
Just finished coaching kid's basketball, and I have to be in shape by November for the Women’s Baseball World Series.
Plus organizing girls baseball, and I also work 40 hours a week.
Whew, I feel great! and healthy... no problems.
The key is to stay active, healthy, don't smoke... Maybe a social drink now and then, and plenty of exercise... Drink a lot of water.
You're only as old as you let yourself be!
Charlotte -- Hi, I had my fifth (son) in January of 2000, when I was nearly 41 years old.
Now I am pregnant with my sixth child, and I will be 45 years old at the time of my baby's birth.
Going for an ultrasound tomorrow, to see if there is more than one baby.
I've been reading that age of mom along with many pregnancies can result in multiples.
This will be my sixth baby, but my ninth pregnancy, which also increases the incidence of multiples - anyone also hear that and/or expecting more than one?
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
by Alice D. Domar and Alice Lesch Kelly
-- Infertility is a heartbreaking condition that affects nine million American couples each year. It causes tremendous stress, can trigger debilitating sadness and depression, and can tear a marriage to shreds.
In Conquering Infertility, Harvard psychologist Alice Domar — whom Vogue calls the
Fertility Goddess— provides infertile couples with what they need most: stress relief, support, and hope.
Using the innovative mind/body techniques she has perfected at her clinic, Domar helps infertile women not only regain control over their lives but also boost their chances of becoming pregnant.
With Conquering Infertility, women learn how to cope with infertility in a much more positive way and to carve a path toward a rich, full, happy life.
📚 Paperback: 320 pages
Click to order/for more info: Conquering Infertility
📚 Start reading Conquering Infertility on your Kindle in under a minute!
📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
My eggs were all mine, and this is my first child.
First pregnancy at 44 years old, two more pregnancies at 45 years old, last one and only one to term conceived at 46 years old.
But I do know what you mean, it's MUCH more usual to have a last, late, or surprise pregnancy with your own eggs at 48 years old.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am 47 1/2 years old now and will deliver this baby two weeks before my 48th birthday.
So I guess nothing is impossible!
My husband and I lie in bed each night stunned.
After 20 months of seriously TTC [Trying to Conceive], we backed off... and then I got pregnant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a recent article in the UK press, they were talking about how many 'older' mothers there were now in the UK.
In fact, in 2005, there were 23,000 women over 40 years old who gave birth.
So that is 23,000 success stories!!
Who says 'older' eggs don't work!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also - there is a programme on UK TV about tracing your family tree.
One I watched, had women over the generations having babies in their 40s.
In my own family, my Grandma had my father 17 years after her last baby - at the age of 42!!
I think it is only in the modern era, people have thought over 40 is OLD!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had my first at 43 1/2 years old, and I am pregnant again.
Should this one go to plan, I will be 47 1/2 years old when this one arrives!
OK, so I admit I also did Donor Egg both times (in Spain).
I know quite a few ladies aged between 40 and 48 years old, who also did Donor Egg to add to those stats.
But I also know quite a few ladies who fell pregnant naturally well into their 40s.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
| Ready |
by Elizabeth Gregory
-- Over the past three decades, skyrocketing numbers of women have chosen to start their families in their late thirties and early forties.
In 2005, ten times as many women had their first child between the ages of 35 and 39 as in 1975, and thirteen times as many had their first between 40 and 44.
Women now have the option to define for themselves when they're ready for family, rather than sticking to a schedule set by social convention.
As a society, however, we have yet to come to terms with the phenomenon of later motherhood, and women who decide it makes sense for them to delay pregnancy often find themselves confronted with alarmist warnings about the dangers of waiting too long.
In Ready, Elizabeth Gregory tracks the burgeoning trend of new later motherhood and demonstrates that for many women today, waiting for family works best.
She provides compelling evidence of the benefits of having children later -- by birth or by adoption.
📚 Paperback: 336 pages
Click to order/for more info: Ready
📚 Start reading Ready on your Kindle in under a minute!
📚 Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
 |
| Maria cradles her new baby boy with her husband Enzo look on. Image credit: Australscope |
-- A 61-year-old Italian woman became a mum for the first time.
Maria Rosaria Veneruso delivered a baby boy, Elia Francesco, weighing 3.5kg, at a hospital in the Campania region in the south-western part of Italy.
Maria did not have any reproductive treatment to fall pregnant and her doctor Stefano Palmieri described her pregnancy as
peaceful.
Read more: Mum gives birth to first child at 61 after conceiving NATURALLY
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
-- The oldest recorded natural pregnancy in the US was a woman who was 57 years old in California in the late 90s.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
-- In the UK, Dawn Brooke gave birth at 59 years old, without the aid of fertility treatment breaking the previous world record for a natural pregnancy by two years.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
Many of the spontaneous conceptions after age 45 result in multiple births.
Take Arcelia Garcia for example -- triplets at age 54 in 2000. Natural conceptions.
Also in 2000, a 53-year-old gave birth to twins (natural conceptions), her story was a bit eclipsed by Mrs. Garcia's however.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
My name is Terry, I am 47 years old, my husband is 50 years old (this week). I am pregnant, again, without TTC (trying to conceive), seven kids (28-6 years old) and four pregnancy losses in past four years.........
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
I just read on a site a 50-year-old woman is nine weeks pregnant after doing an IVF (in vitro fertilization).
This was in Europe, no donor eggs were used, and the parents-to-be are just delirious.
She got pregnant on her very first try.
She got married when she was 45 years old.
She wanted kids as soon as she did get married, but never thought about alternative treatments.
~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~
Because of her poor responses to ovarian stimulation, inferior oocyte grading and prohibition of donor oocyte usage in Japan, the couple decided to discontinue further IVF treatment at age 48 years, 10 months.
One and one-half years later, at age 50 years, 3 months she presented to our clinic eight weeks pregnant.
At term she delivered vaginally a 2740 gram healthy infant at 38 weeks gestation; Apgar scores were 9 and 10.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
How to Get Pregnant Fast: Crucial Knowledge for Getting Pregnantby 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
I have been posting on this board for years since my last successful
over 40pregnancy.
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
oopsat 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:
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 was in your shoes about six weeks ago. I just turned 12 weeks today.
I am 46 years old, going to be 47 when the baby is born.
I already have eight children, the youngest of whom will be six years old.
I sure thought I was done with all this!
I was shocked and not too happy for the first month, a little less shocked and a little more happy the second month.
After the shock wears off, I think you will become more excited about the new life within you.
I too am very nervous about carrying a baby at this age, and also the repeat cesarean (this will be my 8th cesarean, and the last one was a little tougher to get over because of all the scar tissue and trouble getting Steven out).
So I am very nervous about this one.
But I figure that God put me in this boat for a reason, and He will take care of me.
Having faith is the only way to get through this life-altering experience, believe me!
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Ready: Why Women Are Embracing The New Later Motherhood
by Elizabeth Gregory
-- Over the past three decades, skyrocketing numbers of women have chosen to start their families in their late thirties and early forties.
In 2005, ten times as many women had their first child between the ages of 35 and 39 as in 1975, and thirteen times as many had their first between 40 and 44.
Women now have the option to define for themselves when they're ready for family, rather than sticking to a schedule set by social convention.
As a society, however, we have yet to come to terms with the phenomenon of later motherhood, and women who decide it makes sense for them to delay pregnancy often find themselves confronted with alarmist warnings about the dangers of waiting too long.
In Ready, Elizabeth Gregory tracks the burgeoning trend of new later motherhood and demonstrates that for many women today, waiting for family works best.
She provides compelling evidence of the benefits of having children later -- by birth or by adoption.
Paperback: 336 pagesClick to order/for more info: Ready
Start reading Ready on your Kindle in under a minute! Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
I just decided I'd give you some positives.I am 44 years old and have a 7-month-old son, a 3-year-old son, a 4-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter.
I also was pregnant three additional times (between the birth of the 3-year-old and my most recent addition), but lost them due to miscarriage (all flukes, at different stages of development).
All children were conceived on the first or second attempt; all pregnancies were easy without complication; all births also without complication. The risks are so overstated.
Yes, they exist and yes, they are greater than at a younger age, but the increase is not dramatic and the odds are still very much in your favor of having a baby that is happy, healthy and wise!
Even though it may sound impossible, it's entirely probable to get pregnant during menopause - although the chances of a woman getting pregnant are decidedly slimmer during middle age compared to during her 20s and 30s.
Egg production naturally decreases by 50-percent by the time most women reach the age of 40. The percentage continues to decline every year after.
Yet, women are not completely infertile until menstruation has stopped for 12 months straight.
In fact, almost 70-percent of women between the ages of 40- and 44-years old ovulate regularly during the perimenopause stage.
In fact, about half of perimenopausal women between the ages of 40- and 49-years of age don't use any contraception, which results in more than 60-percent of unplanned pregnancies and abortions in women over 40.
There you have it - it is possible to become pregnant during menopause!
So if you don't want to become pregnant, continue using a reliable birth control method.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Birth Begins at Forty: Challenging the Myths of Late Motherhood
by Elizabeth Gregory
-- More and more women are giving birth in their forties, and for some, it will be their first baby.
What was unusual is now becoming quite common, yet little has been written on this dramatic shift.
This book tells all and is the result of honest and revealing interviews.
The book covers a range of topics, including the trend to late parenthood; how do you decide?; how easy is it?; the risks and differences with late motherhood; combating age prejudice; getting life back on track; having another baby; fathers over 40; and the benefits and delights.
Paperback: 203 pagesClick to order/for more info: Birth Begins at Forty
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 Successby 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 pagesClick to order/for more info: The Couple's Guide To In Vitro Fertilization
We had Eddie late in life. Bruce is 52 and I’m 48 years old.
The funny thing is, I expected people to think we were his grandparents.
Instead, I'll see people my age with a child and assume they're the parents.
I took a long time to get engaged, to get married and to come around to the idea of having children.
For a long time, I thought I didn't want any. I changed my mind.But by that time, my body had gone to seed, like a stalk of dill, or parsley. Yellowed. Spent.
So at 45 years old, I decided to try in vitro fertilization.
My first attempt was with eggs generously donated by my sister. It didn't work.
So at 46 years old, I tried again – this time with eggs from a 20-year old ballerina.
By veteran journalist, Caren Chesler, mother at 47, author of the blog:
The Dancing Egg — An IVF Story for the Over 40 Crowd.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Fertility Wisdom: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Overcome In-fertility-- At Wu's Healing Center in San Francisco, miracles are happening.
Women and their partners come to the clinic -- often from across the country -- to fulfill a passionately held yet fragile dream: to conceive and deliver the healthy baby that mainstream doctors have told them they cannot have.
Using traditional Chinese medical techniques, sometimes integrated with Western fertility treatments, Dr. Angela Wu is helping these couples experience the miracle of birth.
At a time when one in five U.S. couples is struggling with fertility problems, this practical and uplifting volume, filled with the inspirational stories of Dr. Wu's grateful patients, will be a godsend.
Paperback: 256 pagesClick to order/for more info: Fertility Wisdom: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Overcome In-fertility
Start reading Fertility Wisdom on your Kindle in under a minute!Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Ann Conlon-Smith, a mother in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA who lost a lot of blood after her cesarean delivery of twins at the age of 47, found herself with a low milk supply that lagged for three months.
It was an awful time and I was terrified - I didn't know if I was 'too old to breastfeed' or just what had happened. I used lots of milk bank milk, pumped continuously, and put the babies to breast all day and all night.
Many factors can affect milk supply, including conditions such as hypertension, anemia, and severe postpartum bleeding.
Nonetheless, with hard work, good guidance and support, and lots of patience, an older mother will, in most cases, be able to build up her milk supply.
Determined for her twins to receive no less than their singleton siblings did, Ann persevered and her milk supply did improve.
While she and her family were grieving deeply and endlessly the drowning death of her two-year-old son, Gregory, Ann Conlon-Smith recalls how desperately she wanted one more child.
I had no idea that suddenly I would no longer be able to become pregnant, when four times previously, I got pregnancy exactly when I wanted to, and even when I did not intend to!
I wish my doctor had told me that because of my advanced age (46) I might need to work with a reproductive endocrinologist or fertility clinic. We finally did just that and conceived our precious twins.
Reflecting on the eventual weaning of the last children she intends to have, Ann states,
I wonder what it will be like to miss seeing their eyelids flutter and close in rest and to feel that deep relaxation and rest that I never feel in any other way. I think I will always miss it.
It will remain the most cherished memory of my young children's lives and their connection to me.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Fertility Codeby Dermot O'Connor
-- The Fertility Code program delivers a powerful and practical step-by-step approach for those who wish to give themselves the best chance of starting a family.
As many as 500,000 couples in the UK and Ireland actively seek help with fertility, such as IVF treatment each year. While some are legitimate candidates, many have been proven to just need proper lifestyle and fertility advice and assistance in order to conceive.
The Fertility Code is designed for these people, and for those who need more serious intervention, to optimize their fertility. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to preventing a couple from having a baby.
This is why it is important that a fertility plan should address as many of these potential issues as possible. Through many years' experience of helping thousands of couples to become parents, Dermot O'Connor knows that such a plan must be easy to understand, easy to implement and genuinely effective.
The Fertility Code combines the best of both Eastern and Western medicine to provide a comprehensive guide to conceiving successfully and carrying a baby to full term.
It details the optimum plan to enhance fertility, and delivers a proven strategy, incorporating the key elements consistently utilized by the couples Dermot has helped:
• Fertility Awareness Strategies
• The psychology of fertility
• Optimum nutrition for conception and pregnancy
• The importance of detoxification
Paperback: 224 pagesClick to order/for more info: The Fertility Code
Start reading The Fertility Code 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: CLARA MOLDEN | Telegraph.co.uk - All rights reserved |
From some of my female friends, there was immediate hysterical laughter – they would say it was their worst nightmare. Others were very jealous.
At that stage in life, the choices are being taken away from you. I became aware that quite a few women I knew had a secret yen for another child,she says.
But that was nothing compared with the response from her doctor.
My GP said: 'I've never met anyone as old as you who have given birth.' That was really not helpful,says Mrs de Lange, laughing now, eight years after Benjamin was born.
There was one more tricky audience to face.
She and her husband, Matthew, had to tell their three sons – then aged between 15 and 20 – who were, she says,
pretty disgustedby the thought of what their parents had been up to.
This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Telegraph.co.uk
Read more: Motherhood is easier if you're older
Originally posted in March 4, 2012.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Pregnancy Miracleby Lisa Olsen
-- A 279-page, instantly downloadable e-book presenting a 5-step, sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, clinically proven holistic and ancient Chinese system for permanently reversing your infertility and your partner's infertility disorders and getting pregnant quickly, naturally and safely within 2-4 months without drugs, dangerous surgeries, side effects, or expensive infertility treatments.
It's probably the most powerful infertility reversal system ever developed, and currently the best-selling e-book of its kind on the entire Web!
Here's what the author Lisa Olson had to say about her incredible program:
After 14 years of trial, error, and experimentation, I finally discovered the answer to infertility and developed a fool-proof system to getting pregnant the natural way - no drugs, or surgery necessary.
It took a lot of research to get to where I am today, to know exactly what works and what doesn't. Yes, after desperate trial and error, countless of useless treatments, disappointments, and agony, a simple holistic system opened the door to my new and much brighter life of motherhood.
I was also excited to see that my other infertility related symptoms had diminished. After years of waiting, I was finally free from Infertility! I have become a proud mother of two.
And now I'm finally revealing my secrets in this new 'encyclopedia' of pregnancy called, Pregnancy Miracle.
I will be your own personal coach, take you by the hand, and lead you through the lousy advice, hype and gimmicks... and directly to the sort of inner balance perfection that will end your battle with infertility forever and help you become a proud mother of your healthy children.
Click to order/for more info on this helpful program:
Pregnancy Miracle
November 22, 1999 - Any baby is wonderful, and I speak as one who had her fourth baby when she was 47 years old.
(Not that I'm trying to compete here in the elderly mother stakes, at which I plainly win, just establishing my credentials to speak on the subject).
Having a baby late is no problem.
Apart from anything else the system gets flooded with natural oestrogen, which stands you in good stead for at least another 10 years.
If nature says you can, and gets you pregnant, then you can.
The
empty cradlelonging gets finally laid to rest: that strange restless feeling that you're only whole if you have a baby in your arms.
It's nothing to do with having
more childrenthat's rational, this is instinctive and truly powerful.
You may have more trouble than you expect from other women, who somehow feel that it isn't right, that there are only so many babies to go round, and you have nabbed another one out of turn.
They can get envious and peculiar.
On first suspecting this untoward event I went to a doctor and said
other women tell me I shouldn't go through with this, my eggs are too old,as if I were some aging hen, to which he briskly replied.
My mother was 47 when I was born, and there isn't anything wrong with me,which put an end to that discussion.
This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Independent.co.uk
Read more: A little advice from another older mother
Originally posted on November 22, 1999.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Fathers of a Certain Age: The Joys and Problems of Middle-Aged Fatherhoodby Martin Carnoy
-- A father and son interview dozens of men in their 40s and 50s to discover why these men have decided to delay parenting or start over, and how they feel about fathering children in late middle age.
The result is a timely assessment of the challenges and rewards older fathers face, as seen through their own eyes and those of their wives and children.
Men are becoming fathers at 40, 50 or more, but there is very little information on what issues they will have to deal with or how to cope with the new life phase.
Lots of anecdotes of from families with either delayed or remarried fatherhood.
It offers glimpses of societal changes as we are all living longer and healthier and as a result, may have children later.
Discusses step-kids, May-December marriages, adoption, fathers-at-home, and more.
Paperback: 192 pagesClick to order/for more info: Fathers of a Certain Age
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 Centuryby 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.
Many women have written to Dear Abby to ask about their over 40 pregnancy...
The Kansas City Star - Aug. 01, 2011
Dear Abby;
My parents had a
bonus babywhen they were in their early 40s. I was 17 years old, and my brother was 13 years old when we found out.
-- Proud Big Sister in Chicago
Dear Abby;
I was pregnant with twins at 45 years old, and my then-18-year-old daughter was furious with me, going as far as banning me from her high school graduation. It hurt, and I agonized over the decision, but in the end, I waddled in any way. I am so glad I did.
-- Unexpected Surprise in Texas
Dear Abby;
I was 42 years old with children ages 12 and 17, when we were surprised by an unplanned pregnancy. We were concerned, of course, with the statistics for a complicated pregnancy, so we had the testing done and trusted everything would be OK. My pregnancy and delivery were the best of all three, and my little girl has been a blessing to everyone.
-- Another Old Mom in Richmond
Bangor Daily News - Dec 19, 1997
Dear Abby;
At 44 years old, my mother announced to her doctor she might be pregnant with her seventh child. Without bothering to examine her, he informed her she was going thru the change. A few months later, Mom returned and said,
If I am not pregnant, what is moving around in my stomach?That was me!
The Deseret News - Nov 10, 1992
Dear Abby;
I was 45 years old and my husband was 50 years old when I became pregnant. We had been childless for 22 years, and it was quite a shock, to put it mildly.
Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal - Nov 21, 1986
Dear Abby;
Fifteen years ago, when I was 43 years old, and pregnant with my seventh child...
St. Joseph Gazette - Mar 30, 1979
Dear Abby;
After 24 years of marriage, my mother became pregnant. She was 47 years old and my father 55 years old. They were thrilled and are now the proud parents of a baby girl.
Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Apr 9, 1974
Dear Abby;
I am 44 years old and pregnant, but that's not my problem. I have had 27 children.
The Deseret News - Jan 9, 1969
Dear Abby;
Tell that 44-year-old woman who cried her eyes out and blamed her husband when she discovered she was pregnant, she should dry her eyes and thank God. I was 46 years old when the same thing happened to me. And my own mom was 48 years old when I was born.
-- San Diego
The Evening Independent - Nov 30, 1968
Dear Abby;
I am 44 years old, and always worked to help with
extrasand to assure our children of a college education — then discovered I was pregnant! ...
St. Joseph Gazette - Jul 17, 1963
Dear Abby;
Many women are able to bear children in their 50s - and have the children to prove it.
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
How to Get Pregnant Fast: Crucial Knowledge for Getting Pregnantby 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 that have been passed down through time.
Paperback: 124 pagesClick to order/for more info: How to Get Pregnant Fast
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