In December, a 66-year-old Spanish woman named Carmela Bousada gave birth to premature twins in Southern California.

Bousada, a retired department store clerk who's now 67, lied about her age when she went to the fertility clinic. has said that the time wasn't right for her previously to bring children into the world.

"It's something I've always dreamed of," she told a British newspaper.

Now she's become the world's oldest new mother, joining a batch of other recent moms in their mid-50s and early 60s.
Biology and destiny long ago parted ways, and not just because women are in charge of their own fertility, deciding when, if and how to participate in the reproductive process.

It was a decade ago that medical science figured out how to circumvent the natural closure of menopause and prolong women's ability to bear children conceived using donor eggs.
Fertility specialists would have us believe this is good news, but let's not fool ourselves. Millions and millions of women across America are relieved and thrilled to move beyond their childbearing, child-rearing years.

When men father offspring late in life, no one seems particularly upset about it, mostly because the kids' mothers are clearly young enough to raise the children alone should their partners die first.

Some people are quick to congratulate golden-age dads on their continued vigor -- but others quietly consider them old goats who've condemned their new children to never having the chance to know them as real people, not just as fathers, when they're grown.

Bousada, on the other hand, is a geriatric single mother by choice. She has said she hopes to meet a younger man who'll serve as her twin sons' father.

Good luck to those little boys, who likely face a parentless life at an early age.

Now Bousada's fertility clinic doctors are upset about her blatant manipulation of them, and medical ethicists are once again debating the morality of treatments that allow women past menopause to give birth.


Peace & Blessings,
Beverly Mahone
Author, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age
http://www.talk2bev.com
“We are Strong…We are Invincible…We are Baby Boomers!”

Personally, I think cut-off should be around 35.

Hmmm, that's a tough one. It doesn't say if this new mother has the financial resources and/or partner or family to care for these children when she dies. However, a young mother might die in a car accident, so you never know.

I went to a baby shower last night for my friend, who's due to have her first baby in three weeks. She's 44 years old. However, she looks and acts like she's in her mid 30's at the most. She's very healthy, everything seems fine for the baby so far, and she has a partner that will help her with everything. I, on the other hand, would never think of having another one at my age.

I guess if the older person has the resources and help lined up, then who am I to say she's too old to have the baby? My only issue, I think, would be the extra risk for the babies - as women age the risk for the baby grows.

Kathy

For a 60+ yr. new mother, guess it would depend what her physical health is like. It does take energy to raise babies.. unless she has someone to help her regularily.

I actually don't quite understand why push the limits to give birth to babies into 40's and beyond. The risk to the baby is real...ask a doctor...if they are willing to lay out the bare facts.

I knew a boy who's father was already in his late 70's when he was 15. It was a 2nd marriage... He thought his father was too old.

Last year, I was amused to hear my niece and nephew (now 22 & 20) pronounce their parents as young. My sister is 46 and her hubby is 47.

Times change I guess.

Personally, I don't like to put limits on people. If its natural and doesn't violate any of Gods laws, why not?
Its amazing to me how we keep pushing back the clock...after all Sara (Biblical.Abraham's wife) had a baby when she was way beyond child bearing years and he became an intregal part of history.
We never know what child it is that will play a great role in our world or just be a necessary part of the body as a whole.
Personally, I'm 57 and raising two children.......believe me, it can be a joy. The challenges are certainly there, but they are worth it. I don't even think about leaving them behind because I don't live each day thinking I may die.
And if I do, then the God who saw fit for them to be born will also take care of their needs and has a purpose for their lives.

You mean to tell me a physician couldn't tell that womens real age of 66, or close to it, Give me a break, a woman may appear younger than her years on the outside, BUT not the internal organs. Thats just plain cruel to the offspring who will undoubtedly grow up without their mother unless she lives to be 90, and of course thats possible I suppose. Weird, very weird!

i had lucien at 35 ( i think) i consider that late knowing the diffrent stresses carrieying then birthing a child would have on my body......Also and equilloy important the chances that their may be something not quite right with a child birth so late in the mothers life.....I had to be and was sure that regardless of potencial physical mental disabilities that i would be able to welcom the god given child that was afforded me....

Lucien has r as a non biological brother he is 20 and 3 biological steap siblings but again they are older

I greave that he as yet dosent have a sibling to grow up with, to love or hate to fight and maybee even compeat with....i don't want him to be alone without parents early in his life, this and my own need for a child is pushing me forward to have children at lest one more if i have the chance biologcally....i hate to think of him as alone in the world when i am gone...He wont totally be with the other siblings but their a diffrent type of tie with one you grow with...

I also have a few frends that are more like family to me than my own family have been theas are important people in his life and mine...

it's hard balancing the needs of the potencial child with the needs or drives of a mother....I know it sends some women nuts not being able to have anymore kids or even any kids at all....When you think that for some women it's the bigest biological drive that we have the one to reproduce...it's without conciseness and probibly irrational, like so many things that dwell within the emotional levels of our being....

Whats no one has mentioned is what the extended family of this woman is like. Dose she have an close extended family wear the child will grow up closly with other mebers of the family that are his or her same age even though they may be nices or great nices or whatever....

Perhapps this women was just driven nuts with the drive of needing to have more kids ...and when we driven nuts sometimes we think more of ourselfs and are selfish sometimes not....

I think this women needs to be viewed in the larger contect of her spacific family situasion....it's not the same but video and other recording technology has the potencial for all of us to be known in a way thats much diffrent from our predecesars....i would of loved a video of my own mother as a young women to see how she moved and how she sounded instead of photo's. This is possible for this mother still to comunicate in this way with her child....

In all respects the child may lose a mother early on in life.....but perhapps their an extended family to love and harbour the child as it grows ibnto adulthood.

I don't and wont judge this woman i don't know her full circumstancies...And the bigger point that i have achived many great things in my life and overcame a lot but despite it all the greatest thing is bringing godess given life into this world and then raising him.....if this drive is strong in the young it can be just as strong in a 66 year old women....biology for all our intecect and inteligence is a strong force in our lifes and as women our biological purpise is to reproduce...think this still underlies a lot in our life....Maybee just complimenting evertything else we jugle in terms of carrier etc....

Hope this didn't sound too prechie but hope for the sake of the child it's surrounded in good loving people regardless of weather they are related or not...phewwww big post eh!

celtic_flame

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I guess if the older person has the resources and help lined up, then who am I to say she's too old to have the baby? My only issue, I think, would be the extra risk for the babies - as women age the risk for the baby grows.

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Bambgibb said that she was a retired retail clerk. I can't imagine her retirement being very much to live on.

She also said she was looking for a young husband to help her raise them so she must be single.

Back when I was having babies (back in the old days ) they told us not to have babies after the age of 35 due to the increased risk of birth defects. I know everything has moved up ten years so maybe it's now 45. I sure wouldn't want to have a baby at my age but then I've already raised two and nearly raised a third. If I didn't have any children I might feel differently.

I think it's sad that many children today don't have grandparents because their parents didn't have them until they were older.

Laurel

OK, so its okay for an older man to father a child with a younger woman, yet not for an older woman (regardless of the father's age) to give birth? Given, that Bousada may die b/4 the twins graduate from highschool, and possibly have financial difficulty, she will be present -- much unlike most fathers. Should there not be equality! Women more than often are the primary caregiver(s). Senator Thurmond fathered women in/out, while married to another, wedlock, even into his 60s. Yet, even when living in the state with his legitimate children, he was not much of a father. I believe women do not receive full credit for being single parents. In most divorces, the child(ren) reside w/ the mother, thus giving the father more 'play' time, IOW dating and sports. I'll stop here as I could go on and on!

Mustang, the bit about the fathers and inequality is certainly true. In my case, the single mom isn't here full time but the father is...trouble is, he doesn't work and doesn't want to "volunteer" his time for $10 an hour.
Watch out for those parents of your precious grandchildren who can hold them over your head and blackmail you.