Karen Wilson, 53, had twins in 2022 using in vitro fertilization. This was 21 years after she had her son.After waiting until she was 50 to find love, Nancy Zepada, also 53, gave birth this year to her first child.I’m 38 years old and have never been married, but I’m already the father of 25 kids.Written by Dailymail.com’s Health Reporter, Caitlin Tilley Time of last update: 9:44, September 4, 2023 EDT
More and more American women are having children in their forties and fifties, putting both their health and that of their offspring at danger.There is a 30% monthly risk of pregnancy for women in their early to mid-20s, but by middle age, that chance lowers to 2%. However, with the popularity of IVF, the game has shifted.Karen Wilson, a 53-year-old Floridian, had a son in the 1990s and conceived twins in 2022 with the use of in vitro fertilization. She commented to DailyMail.com:The best part of having a baby when you’re older is that you’ll never take giving birth or being pregnant for granted again. I consider it a tremendous good fortune to be the father of two healthy, lovely children at my advanced age.Tennessee native Nancy Zepada, also 53, became a mother for the first time in February. Although she didn’t meet her future husband until she was 50, she had the epiphany that “I really, really knew that I needed to have a baby” when she was in her 40s.
According to the most recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 1,041 births to women 50 and older in the United States in 2021. When compared to the 144 births reported to women in this age group in 1997, this number is ten times higher. When surrogate mothers are counted, the total might be several thousand higher. Some mothers can no longer afford to have children at a younger age due to the rising expense of living.
Some women put off having children so they can pursue other goals, like advancing their jobs or finding a companion.Hollywood has normalized older mothers by depicting stars like Naomi Campbell, who had her first kid at age 50 and her second child at age 53. Halle Berry, at age 47, and Gwen Stefani, at age 44, both gave birth to their youngest sons.Being a mother at a later age is not without its dangers. Women between the ages of 35 and 40 have a 20-30% chance of miscarrying, and that number increases dramatically after age 40.
As women get older, their babies are more likely to be born with disabilities like Down syndrome.From a 1 in 1,250 chance for a mother of 25 years old, the probability of having a child with Down syndrome increases to 1 in 1,000 at 31 years old, 1 in 400 at 35 years old, and 1 in 100 at 40 years old.New York internist Dr. Stuart Fischer told the website DailyMail.com: Problems with microtubules in dividing cells result from abnormal chromosomal division.
He explained that during mitosis, the cell divides in two and the chromosomes separate into two halves, with the help of tiny threads called microtubules. After a certain age, they stop functioning properly, and instead of developing two sets of two chromosomes, you end up with three sets of one. That’s just part of having a hereditary disorder.Because “the human body seems to have been designed to reproduce at a younger age,” he continued, “older women also have a higher risk of having children with birth defects.”Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine) and gestational diabetes (abnormally high blood sugar during pregnancy) are both more common in women over the age of 40, and both can lead to low or abnormally high birth weights, premature and difficult deliveries.
Ms. Wilson, who already has a son, age 21, ‘always wanted to have additional children,’ and so in April she gave birth to twins named Lily Rose and Luke Ray.To be able to have children at a mature age is a great privilege and a blessing, she remarked. The only people I know are grandparents.Ms. Wilson did point out a disadvantage of being a mother in her 40s: “the knowledge that I’m an older mom and I’m not going to have as much time with them on this earth that I would have if I were a younger mom.”
I’m 53 years old and just lost my mom, so I can see the impact it’s had on me. I’m sad for my kids since we won’t be around forever. However, in my opinion, the most important factor is whether or not you are physically and mentally fit to care for infants.Ms. Wilson laments that she “just didn’t find the right opportunity” when she was younger. There was no one right for me to meet.Ms. Wilson used the sperm of her 66-year-old spouse, who had four children from a previous relationship, ranging in age from 39 to 21. Now that his twins have arrived, dad has grandchildren younger than his own children for the first time.Jokingly, Ms. Wilson said:
Don’t bother asking me how that’s going to pan out.The single mother was well into her forties when she made the decision that she’really wanted [more] kids.”Time was passing me by, and I thought to myself, if I don’t do it now, I’m never going to be able to do it,” she said.Even though she was ‘too old,’ she tried to become a foster parent.In vitro fertilization (IVF) is just one option among many in the field of reproductive medicine. An egg is collected from the uterus and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. This developing embryo is subsequently placed inside the uterus of the female host.Because more than one embryo is transplanted during IVF, multiple births (twins or triplets) are more likely to occur.Ms. Wilson had a C-section in April, not too far from Tampa, Florida.
Her healthy twins are almost five months old, and she is continuing to breastfeed both of them.She said on DailyMail.com, “‘I never in my wildest dreams expected that I’d be a mom to two adorable young babies. Wow, am I lucky!’I have a lot more tolerance than I did when I was younger, and things like the baby crying and everything doesn’t upset me as much as it did when I had my [first] son,’ she continued.Ms. Wilson has received some hostility from those around her despite her excitement at becoming a mother to twins at a later age.
In the words of your friends: “You’re crazy, why would you do that?”In my opinion, you should do whatever you want with your own leisure. A automobile accident can be fatal at any age; a 25-year-old mother is not immune. There are those who wonder “What are you going to do when you’re not there?” But, as you well know, everything ultimately rests in God’s hands.According to Ms. Wilson, “the opportunities for women are so much greater than when I was younger,” which may explain why there are more “old moms” now. Mrs. Zepada, meanwhile, conceived with the help of a donor embryo from a friend and gave birth to her first child, Jason, in February.Ms. Zepada got married at the age of 18, but she and her husband eventually divorced and had no children. It wasn’t until she was far into her 50s that she found her current husband.’We’re both really thrilled, very joyful,’ she gushed to DailyMail.com.
He brings us much happiness.Mrs. Zepada’s pregnancy went smoothly until the third trimester, when she developed high blood pressure and needed medication.I am quite proud of my performance. I didn’t expect that at all. It wasn’t hard for me to find my way around. I experienced some little shortness of breath throughout pregnancy, but unlike most women, I was able to deal with it very effectively.’Some of the most well-known fertility clinics don’t work with women of a certain age,’ she said. The doctor I saw has helped women of all ages, even the elderly. One of his customers, he informed me, was 59 years old.I’m happy with the results.
I’m well aware that there are some women who are openly hostile to the idea of a woman my age having children, but in reality, [my kid] is really fortunate. My husband is retired, so we can take turns being with him instead of hiring a caregiver, and we have more resources than younger families. He will have a wonderful upbringing in a loving family.Mrs. Zepada has always hoped to start a family.
“I’ve wanted to be an adult and a mother ever since I was a little girl,” she remarked.I knew I wanted to have a baby, but I didn’t know when until about a decade ago.Mrs. Zepada has found that she is better prepared for the role of mother now that she is older.She explained that their age and experience gave them more to share with their younger sibling.’As I get older, I’ll be less active, but I’m healthy, and I hope to live long enough to be there for his grandkids and help take care of them, too,’ she said.
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