Should women over 50 have babies?
 

well i was reading this magazine today and saw this story, A woman called Patricia Rashbrook,62, from Lewes decided she wanted a baby with her second husband John Farrant although they are both over 60. After undegoing IVF treatment in Russia, she is seven months pregnant with her fourth child. She defends the decision to have a child at her age and will become britain's oldest mum..

Personally I think age doesn't matter if the couple love each other and want a baby as long as they are physically able to have a child then its OK...but on the other hand I find that the child may find it difficult to have a mother who is as old as a grandmother..

I don't think there has been another thread mentioning this topic.. im interested in seeing people's opinions and views on this..:coctail:

Yes. Why not?

Yes but why do you think so Robbie? :)

Sabeena, I think, if women over 50 have a vigour and normalize health, why not? If child for that woman is her dream or fulfillment, that's OK. Woman has a choice!

Sure, why not. I mean, if men can be fathers at 60, then so should women. ;) I'm kinda surprised this actually happened, considering how old her body is. I've never heard of a woman actually being able to get pregnant at the age of 60.

Too bad that the child will most likely not have so much time with her as he or she probably could otherwise... I mean, the woman is getting old already and her child might see her die sooner than he/she might like.

I followed this story closely on the news and personally I'm against it.

A few months back there was this programme about other old mothers in the UK. There was this one girl who was 7 (I think) and was saying "I have to be mature because I know my mummy and daddy could die at any time." :bum: Imagine a seven year old saying that. Kids that age shouldn't have that kind of worry, they have enough things in their life to think about. And everyone thought her parents were her grandparents.

How is are 60 year old parents gonna have enough energy to run around looking after a young child. Dads usually go to the part with their kids, run around and kick a ball around. How can the average 60 year old do that?

Women are not able to have child from a certain age for a reason. They say all that "you are as young as you feel" bullshit, but in reality their body have aged and aren't suitable for preganacy. Many women who have kids very late in life end up with babies with various conditions. Health risks for the older women getting pregnant include a high risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, develop problems with the placenta and then need a Caesarean section. How fair is that on the child if he/she is born with problems? Personlly I think it's selfish. Especially if the woman already had kids (which this Patrica already has) so it's not as though she hasn't had any kids and feels as if she is missing something in her life. It's funny this woman is a child psychologist, you would have thought she would have thought about the child first, but obviously not.

How young will the child be when it's parents die? Will the parents end up in a nursing home before the kid is even 18? Think about that.

Yea I agree with Rachel.. its is a bit selfish, and I doubt the children will be able to do normal things that other kids do..as Rachel said... go the park..play a bit of football with their dad or go shopping with their mum, and so on... but having their parents die when they are of such a young age, will deeply effect their tender heart.. :(

WELL, i haven't voted yet,,, from one side,,, people who think they're willing to give love and to take care of a human being are right,,, but as Rachel , said,,,and also it's an age when there are different difficulties,, like having a child with some diseases, which incolce their mental and physical health,,, these children will have problems to be accepted in this society. At theis age the posibilities are even bigger. I'd advice these women to adopt,,,:)


Offtop:
I had read barbies instead of babies :D , really, then I read the first post and everything had sense

Yep, that makes sense. That can do a lot of good! :yes:

there are lots of children with no one to take care of them,,,, and so much children who are born with this kind of desease,,,,, that's sad :(

You have to remember people age slower then they did 50 or even 30 years ago. I remember those old women with scarf on their heads and an arched back back in the early 80s. They were early 50 or so. It's not uncommon these days for people to still look like they're in their mid 40s when they're actually 50 or even 60 and beyond. Nor is it uncommon for people to maintain vitality after the age of 75 which was an unofficial benchmark in the past where age would REALLY start affecting a person's health. Of course this isn't the case with all individuals but it seems to be a general rule that people age slower than they did in the past. I guess it has to do a lot with improved standards of life since evolution doesn't affect people in such short time scales. Slower aging is even more pronounced if you compare modern people with lets say Ancient Romans which were reported to look like old men once they hit 50 (and seldom did since an average life expectancy was 29 due to the brutal way of life back then).

In any case... this mother has a fair chance of getting to see her child grow up, however I'd say it is a tad risky due to a strong possibility of birth defects (a chance of that rises significantly after 35).

The point is that man produces sperm cells during his whole life from puberty till old age ,as opposite to a woman who born with 1mln eggs and stay with them her whole life. Never get new ones.
If she is 50 -- her eggs are 50 years old. During such long time eggs may have genetic abnormalities. Why ? different reasons : radiation , viruses, environmental toxins, such as cigarette smoke and pollution; Besides, all her healthy eggs came out first (you know when;)) so that more abnormal eggs are left later in life.
Result ? high risk of baby being born with lots of health troubles .
Women might be active ,look young , healthy these days but their eggs AGED .
Man could fathered a healthy child even when he is 70 !;)

That's right, that's pretty much all we do all day long. :D

Yup, because our product is always fresh. :D


Sorry, that post is not helping the topic, but i was in a goofy mood. :p

Yeah ....but you are still on topic;) Pretty much what I was trying to say.
Man's product is always fresh and woman's isn't. Medicine could help a middle aged woman to carry the baby through the whole pregnancy and deliver it safely trough C.section...Look after the baby is hard but still possible, if you have a good partner or relatives , some mums more responsible when they around 50 than 20 ...The real danger is a starting point -- child could be born unhealthy brcause of genetic abnormalities.

Since you can't prohibit women having children, I'd vote "yes". Women getting children at that age are only a few, so it shouldn't be a problem.

If her health allows to do this - why not? But don't forget possible results. Child will be growing with relative old mother. He (she) should be in discomfort state comparing own mother with young parents of classmates. Anyway Its better when mother quite young and child can consider her as a friend.

I haven't voted yet but I'll probably vote no. I don't think women over 50 should get pregnant but on the other hand I don't think it's something that you can prohibit people from doing. Those who have the money for whatever treatment they need are gonna get it. I still don't think we're gonna see a lot of pregnant older women cause even though it's possible to make someone pregnant at that age it's not easy and likely only a few of those who try will succeed.

Nice point,, but the thread says,,, should they?, not,,, should they be prohibited to?,,, , we all know that's their right,, also some of us think it's more dangerous to do it at that age,, there are options too.

They should as anything else will be violation of the human rights. Good enough now?

no they shouldn't
 

well i dont think its healthy for women over 50 2 give birth 2 babies, it'll b dangerous for both d baby n d mum