Elizabeth Adeney. Photo by Mark Large of the Daily Mail.
A 66-year-old woman in the United Kingdom will become the oldest woman to give birth very soon. The divorcee, Elizabeth Adeney, used IVF to become pregnant last year, igniting criticism and controversy for her choice to have a baby at her age.
Reportedly in perfect health, still working five days a week, and around eight months pregnant, it is believed that Adeney went abroad to receive IVF treatments. In Britian, many facilities will not offer reproductive treatments to women over 50.
The Church of England has weighed in, stating that "A child is a gift not a right. For those who have never received that gift we can well understand their desire to have children but it is always important to think in those circumstances about what is really in the child's best interests." It has been pointed out that her child will graduate from high school when Adeney is 84-years-old, and some question whether or not that is fair for the child to have an elderly mother.
"Fertility tourism" is becoming quite a popular thing, particularly to countries like the Ukraine. There, women are not usually turned away if they seek fertility treatments and older women are now turning their sights to those locations to achieve their goal of having children, especially if they are open to using donor eggs. In the UK, women are not paid when they donate eggs, which has led to a shortage of donor eggs and thus has also been cited as the reason women are traveling abroad to become pregnant.
Adeney is aware that her situation will attract attention but wants none of it. "I am a private person and while I appreciate there may be some publicity I will just ignore it,' she said to the Daily Mail. "This has been a very personal decision and I do not feel I have to give interviews or talk to anyone in the media about what I have decided to do and where I have done it."
I'll be frank - I'm opposed to women becoming mothers at 66 years of age. I just don't think it is fair to the child. The fact is, any parent regardless of his or her age, could die at any time. My opposition to the idea of Adeney becoming a mother has nothing to do with the fact that she might orphan this child she wanted so badly within five years. I just think of the energy it takes to parent kids today and how tiring it will be for her, and also (I'm sorry) but how out of touch she will be. I'm half this woman's age and I am exhausted by the end of the day from chasing my two kids around! My mother-in-law is 66 and she almost choked on her chardonnay when I mentioned this to her. My own mother specifically told me to not make her guardian to my children should something happen to my husband and I. "I couldn't do it," she said. "I want to, but I know I couldn't."
Additionally, I think of the health repercussions that this woman will be facing once the baby is born. She has opted to undergo an elective c-section, which is probably for the best. Despite that, it is still a major surgery and given her age I am betting (though I'm no doctor) that her recovery will take a bit longer than a middle-aged woman. And any woman who has had children can tell you, your body just ain't the same afterwards! This is of course assuming Adeney doesn't suffer from pre-eclampsia or some other complications.
Well, what's done is done and a baby will be born within a month. I wish them the best of luck.
Source: Daily Mail
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Comments
66 - can you imagine? We had our first child when I was 23 and our last one when I was 40. While all of my kids were planned, I would never have another one!
I think the older we have kids, the more relaxed we are with raising them but after 45, we should be looking forward to visiting Grandkids and not starting over!
How will she ever keep up???
I had my daughter at 30 and I said I was too old then...I can't imagine being 66. But, more power to her if she has the strength, stamina and patience to keep up with a little one. At that age, I want to be sitting on a beach somewhere drinking rum and coke with a twenty-something tall, dark and handsome male server waiting on me hand and foot!
The women has good health..with a perfect womb.She can do as she pleases as long as she is in good health and fit to go,leave her alone.Age aint nothing but a number.
Well she doesn't have any children Kristy, so there are no grandkids.
I honestly cannot imagine having wanted a child for so long, never to have it realized and then at long last...it happens. I'm sure she's over the moon!
and i know people that had children in their mid 50s. You never know...she may live a very long life.
I'm 31 and still have 3 of my 4 grandparents around today...she could live a very wonderfully happy life w/her child.
I certainly wouldn't have one at 66, but I'm a mother of 4, so I can't say really what i would do at 66 if i was childless and had always wanted a child.
Good luck to her.
66 and pregnant. and still attractive. impressive.
I believe that it should be a woman's choice on whether or not to have a child and if she chooses to have one at 66 years old more power to her. I have a one year old and another one on the way and sometimes i feel like im to old but if she can do it then so can i. Good luck to her and her baby
wow i never thought a old person could get pregnant thats a mircale well im happy for girl she should to
I give her a lot of credit. She wanted to have a child, and medical science has found a way for older women to have them. Good for her. I wish her the best of luck.
Everyone should get over it. Parenting is hard at any age, i had my daughter at 17 and its hard but for different reasons. Good on her is all i can say, she wanted her baby so badly i highly doubt she is going to give up her own child just like that. I don't know herbut i think she'll make a fantastic mother :)
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