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73 year old woma has given birth

(38 Posts)
Chewbacca Fri 06-Sep-19 09:32:28

A 73 year old Indian woman has given birth to twin girls. She and her 82 year old husband hadn't been able to conceive naturally and have waited until science has enabled them to have children. Mother and children are healthy and well, although the father had a stroke. Whilst I'm sure they're absolutely delighted with their new family, I cant help but wonder how on earth they're going to manage, especially in the toddler years. I find running around after 2 very young children absolutely exhausting and that's only for 2 days a week and I'm only in my mid sixties!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49575735

MawB Fri 06-Sep-19 09:35:29

In medicine as in so many other things, just because you can, does not necessarily mean you should

Lessismore Fri 06-Sep-19 09:36:36

Absolutely Maw, hideous.

Anja Fri 06-Sep-19 09:36:41

I wish them well

Luckygirl Fri 06-Sep-19 09:37:40

Let us hope they have plenty of money for nannies, cooks etc. And plans for the children's care when they die.

M0nica Fri 06-Sep-19 09:45:57

Those children are as good as orphans already. People that age will not be able to cope with two small childrena nd it will undermine their health and bring them to an 'early' death.

As the parents have no other children, who will take care of the children when they die? Indian families are usually built around descending generations, not parallel generations, so collateral family will be less willing to take them in when their parents die, unless they can be made use of.

An utterly selfish act all about the parents and without regard for the welfare of the children.

seacliff Fri 06-Sep-19 09:56:47

Poor babies. Especially being girls. I fear for their future.

sodapop Fri 06-Sep-19 10:03:23

Exactly Maw I find this extremely selfish with no thought given to the lives and future of the children.

Sara65 Fri 06-Sep-19 10:10:24

It certainly seems like madness, there surely has to come to a point when you’re simply TOO OLD!

annodomini Fri 06-Sep-19 10:12:07

Is this true?

Chewbacca Fri 06-Sep-19 10:20:04

Certainly seems to be anno. I found it on the BBC world news. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49575735

And apparently, in 2016, a 70 year old woman gave birth to a healthy child in another part of India, so today's news isn't unique!

DancesWithOtters Fri 06-Sep-19 10:57:36

Horribly selfish parents.

fizzers Fri 06-Sep-19 11:43:46

if that happened to me I'd slit my throat....

Lessismore Fri 06-Sep-19 11:48:21

Mother Nature knew what she was about when she arranged menopause.

sunseeker Fri 06-Sep-19 11:55:09

As the average life expectancy in India is 69 this does seem a bit selfish. I hope the parents are wealthy enough that they can make arrangements for the children to be well taken care of after their deaths.

annsixty Fri 06-Sep-19 12:27:32

Father has already had a stroke, the day after the birth according to the news.
What hope for the children.
The photo of the mother showed a very old lady.

BradfordLass72 Sat 07-Sep-19 09:15:35

How wonderful for them.
Fancy having to wait all those years, desperate for a baby and seeing everyone around them with their own. It must have been heartbreaking.
Now she can say: "this is the happiest time of my life."
Bless her heart.

Indian families usually raise children communally (especially in villages) and I am sure they will have discussed this with their own.

After all, it is a huge and controversial step to take (not to mention expensive) so they must have been encouraged to take it by loving nephews and nieces who promised to step in when needed.

It's stories like this which make my day happy. smile

trisher Sat 07-Sep-19 09:23:43

I'm happy as well-just so grateful I will never have to do anything so desperate. I assume they have money or they couldn't have afforded the treatment. If it is good for children is entirely another question. They will have the oldest parents around and possibly not for long. My sympathy is with them.

Gonegirl Sat 07-Sep-19 09:25:23

It's crazy. It's not as though the babies are biologically hers. An egg from another woman was used. She just put her body through all that stress on her own whim alone. Babies are not playthings.

So wrong.

quizqueen Sat 07-Sep-19 09:27:52

There's too many people in India ( and the rest of the world) as it is. I expect the woman was also very disappointed to have not had a son!

annsixty Sat 07-Sep-19 09:28:53

I read that all the private treatment was free to them as the clinic wanted to prove it could be done.
It was a feather in their cap.
The mother was in hospital throughout her pregnancy.
Hardly sustainable for others to follow.

Cherrytree59 Sat 07-Sep-19 09:29:09

And the rights of the children?
Nephews and nieces etc, may well be ready to step in,
but those children deserve much younger parents.

Imho extremely selfish.

PamelaJ1 Sat 07-Sep-19 09:33:25

From the Times-
Aware that a world record was on the line, it was reported that the clinic paid for most of the treatment.

- so no evidence of lots of money being left for the children.

WadesNan Sat 07-Sep-19 09:33:51

Apparently her husband is a farmer - not exactly a well paid occupation in India. She has said she wanted children because of the way other villagers were looking at her (great reason to have a child!).

When asked what will happen to the children when the parents die the father said "It is in God's hands", I hope that isn't the limit of their forward planning.

I fear for the future of those children once the parents die, bearing in mind the attitude towards girls in India.

EllanVannin Sat 07-Sep-19 09:45:20

This seems very cruel to me. Those poor children.
I was " sort of okay " at 73, but by jove, 6 years down the line has made a heck of a difference !

Blimey, there'd be a hoo-ha in this country if for some reason the ageing GP's were looking after new-borns. Social services wouldn't be best pleased.