S/O World's Oldest Mother Dies

[BabyMine]

There was another post about a woman who wanted to be a mother at 72. I don't think women should have children after a certain age. It is to much stress on their bodies. I feel sad for the kids she left behind. Why are IVF clinics doing this? I think back to the octuplets.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31921390/ns/health-womens_health/?GT1=43001

MADRID - A Spanish woman believed to have become the world's oldest new mother when she gave birth at 66 has died at 69, leaving behind twin toddlers, newspapers reported Wednesday.
Maria del Carmen Bousada, who reportedly died Saturday, gave birth in December 2006 as a single mother after getting in vitro fertilization treatment at a clinic in Los Angeles.

[lilycat88]

I was just getting ready to post this. How sad for those kids.

[Wife_and_mommy]

That's really sad. Hopefully she had a good plan in place for who would raise the kids.

Re: the age limit....who would decide that? We all agree that 66 is too old. I think I could say with confidence that 50 is too old but could everyone? The forties gets extra dicey IMO. I know almost nil about infertility but thought that docs base whether they treat a patient on the success rate they estimate.

I wonder if the docs that impregnate these women are doing it out of selfish pride. I have to say if I knew a doc I was using was doing that, I'd think twice about trusting my care to that person.

[nov04]

I remember the pic so well, can't believe she died.

[vonfirmath]

That's really sad. Hopefully she had a good plan in place for who would raise the kids.

Re: the age limit....who would decide that? We all agree that 66 is too old. I think I could say with confidence that 50 is too old but could everyone? The forties gets extra dicey IMO. I know almost nil about infertility but thought that docs base whether they treat a patient on the success rate they estimate.

I wonder if the docs that impregnate these women are doing it out of selfish pride. I have to say if I knew a doc I was using was doing that, I'd think twice about trusting my care to that person.


I know plenty of people who have had kids into their 40s (with no medical help at all). I don't think the 40s are dicey at all.

[fivi2]

I certainly would not want to have children at that age, but I do have an issue with outlawing it... Unless we are going to start making it illegal for men to father children past a certain age? Sure there are some differences, but in either case the child is likely to be left without one of his or her parents at a young age.

[Ceepa]

I certainly would not want to have children at that age, but I do have an issue with outlawing it... Unless we are going to start making it illegal for men to father children past a certain age? Sure there are some differences, but in either case the child is likely to be left without one of his or her parents at a young age.

There is a difference to me in a person naturally conceiving a baby, like a senior father having a child with a younger woman, and a doctor agreeing to implant an embryo in a single senior citizen to grow a baby. Sure, sounds like sexism and ageism, but to me there is a difference.

[memphismini]

The woman lied about her age to get the treatment.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I know plenty of people who have had kids into their 40s (with no medical help at all). I don't think the 40s are dicey at all.

I do too. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be dicey to choose an arbitrary age to cut off IF treatments.

[momof2girls]

I think once the numbers spike as far as the rising risk of birth defects is concerned, it may be too old.

[MartiesMom2B]

Maybe it's not safe to take the drugs/hormones for IVF after you go through menopause. There is a big controversy over taking estrogen after menopause and causing cancer. They said that the mom got a big tumor shortly after giving birth.

[BabyMine]

I know it said she lied about her age but they should have checked ID. I know everythime I go to the doctor they copy my ID.

I just think it it selfish on the part of the mother. I don't why it bothers me so much.

[Snow mom]

I think once the numbers spike as far as the rising risk of birth defects is concerned, it may be too old.

But isn't any pregnancy beyond 35 years old considered high risk? Putting off having kids into your 30s is becoming very common and there are lots of moms here in their 30s and 40s. I think it's a huge risk to try to legislate a firm cutoff in terms of age or procedures needed to conceive. I'm sad for those kids, but having a young healthy parent today does not guarantee a child that they will have a parent tomorrow.

[kijip]

But isn't any pregnancy beyond 35 years old considered high risk? Putting off having kids into your 30s is becoming very common and there are lots of moms here in their 30s and 40s. I think it's a huge risk to try to legislate a firm cutoff in terms of age or procedures needed to conceive. I'm sad for those kids, but having a young healthy parent today does not guarantee a child that they will have a parent tomorrow.

I agree with this.

For me this falls into the "not all the likely to happen, sure won't happen often" category so I don't figure I can waste a lot of time worrying about it. There is not a huge swell of women past menopause that are either seeking to or able to become pregnant.

[Ceepa]

There will always be some doctor willing to implant anyone with a baby if the money is right. So even if the practice is illegal in this country a woman could travel. The 72-year-old from the other thread traveled to different countries for IVF procedures.

[jren]

IF clinics typically have an age cutoff to when they'll do IVF with your own eggs, you can still use donor eggs, though. So no increased risk of birth-defects. I actually have a friend (old boss) who conceived via IVF using a donor egg - she was near 50. I consider her my peer, she's healthy, not likely to die any time soon. Her DH is much younger than her and is the SAHD. They are a happy family.

I was denied IVF (w/out a donor egg) b/c my FSA #s were too high. Even though I was 30. So I agree with what the PP said - the clinics are just looking out for their stats when setting standards of who they'll treat. They don't care about the social ramifications, just what will be successful for their books.

It's unfortunate what happened in this case. I feel for the kids losing their mother so young - and no dad? So sad... OT, we had an employee (I was in benefits, and she was an employee of the company) who got ovarian cancer at 25 and it took her life in less than 6 months, leaving behind 2 young children. So sad and scary. So I guess there are no guarantees. Sorry, feeling a little down. BIL is in hospital now getting chemo in prep for for bone marrow transplant (from my DH, actually), so a little worried. He has two young kids 3 and 5. He's so young, too. Just 32.

[Snow mom]

IF clinics typically have an age cutoff to when they'll do IVF with your own eggs, you can still use donor eggs, though. So no increased risk of birth-defects. I actually have a friend (old boss) who conceived via IVF using a donor egg - she was near 50. I consider her my peer, she's healthy, not likely to die any time soon. Her DH is much younger than her and is the SAHD. They are a happy family.

I was denied IVF (w/out a donor egg) b/c my FSA #s were too high. Even though I was 30. So I agree with what the PP said - the clinics are just looking out for their stats when setting standards of who they'll treat. They don't care about the social ramifications, just what will be successful for their books.

It's unfortunate what happened in this case. I feel for the kids losing their mother so young - and no dad? So sad... OT, we had an employee (I was in benefits, and she was an employee of the company) who got ovarian cancer at 25 and it took her life in less than 6 months, leaving behind 2 young children. So sad and scary. So I guess there are no guarantees. Sorry, feeling a little down. BIL is in hospital now getting chemo in prep for for bone marrow transplant (from my DH, actually), so a little worried. He has two young kids 3 and 5. He's so young, too. Just 32.

It's wonderful that your DH is doing that for his brother. :hug: Sorry you're feeling down but hopefully thing will turn around soon. Sending your BIL and DH lots of PT.