Studies show that an increasing amount of adults are waiting to get married and have children. Subsequently, the number of first-time parents over the age of 33 has quadrupled since the 1970s.
Some maintain that waiting to have children is a good thing. Many older first-time parents say that they are financially sound, patient, worldly and can enhance the life of a child better than they could have in their 20s. Meanwhile, younger parents argue that they have energy, enthusiasm and time on their side.
Still, that doesn’t answer the question: How old is too old to raise a baby?
For example, Britain’s oldest first-time mother, Elizabeth Adeney is 66 (she turns 67 next month). She gave birth to a 5lb 3oz boy a couple of weeks ago.
Adeney was previously married to a 71-year-old former chairman of a London luxury leather company, but the couple did not have children. Without her husband holding her back anymore, Elizabeth decided to make her dream of becoming a parent a reality, and conceived a child (using alternative means).
The result: A nearly 70-year-old slipper factory employee is now embarking on the rocky road of parenthood—-for the very first time.
Interestingly, British tabloids having been making a bigger deal about the name Elizabeth has bestowed on her little bundle rather than the fact that she is old enough to be his grandmother.
The boy’s name is Jolyon, a variant of Julian, and means “young at heart.”
The strangely spelled, awkward to pronounce, rarely employed name has caused quite a stir in the UK, though it hasn’t garnered as much press as Omkari Panwar’s desire to give birth to a son.
The 70-year-old Indian woman is the current titleholder of “World’s Oldest Mom.”
Her resolve to give her 77-year-old husband the son he had always dreamed of, obviously trumped any semblance of reason that conceiving a child as a septuagenarian could endanger her life as well as the child’s.
Make that children.
Omkari gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) after draining the family’s bank account to pay for IVF treatments. According to reports, the Panwar’s sold their buffalos, mortgaged their land, spent their life savings and took out a credit card loan, to pay for fertility treatments.
When all was said and done Mrs. Panwar gave birth to twins (each weighing 2 pounds) via emergency Caesarean section.
Despite the fact that the couple is already parents to two adult daughters, and five grandchildren, they say their newest additions are all they ever wanted. Mainly because a son will benefit from a dowry when he marries and will be able to work their land.
Of course, the chances that the Panwar’s will be alive to see their son marry are slim to none…
Details, details… right?
So how old is too old to raise a young child?
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