Elizabeth Adeney the 66yr old having a baby. The Sun Telegraph want to know what Mumsnetters think

I'll be waiting for a thread entitled "AIBU to expect people to not assume my DS/DD is my grandchild" in about a years time...
Its not ideal, but each to their own.
But it does say alot that she had to go abroad to have the treatment.
I wish her luck.
Oh and im sure if you ask her child in 18 years time if they resent her for having them at such an age they would reply rather indignantly that they love her regardless of her age.

Hmm, I'm not sure it's very good for a woman to be having babies in her fifties or sixties just because it seems like so much stress on their body. But that said, everyone is different so I'm not a big fan of setting down hard and fast rules.

My mother died in her early forties and for most of my life, my grandparents brought me up. My grandmother is fabulous. She's in her late seventies, studying very successfully for a masters degree at university and thinking about doing a PhD or getting a new career!

We're still very close and she's been an amazing mother figure to me.

The downside to an older mother though is that there is less fallback - when your parents die, you're less likely to have siblings, grandparents etc. around so you're rather on your own. I'm somewhat in this position now - my grandmother is my only family outside of my husband and children and I dread the day she's not around.

I think the cut off should be 60.

Who care about the age. It should be about your health. If your in good health then what is the problem. I am 22 and I can not see my self with a child because I way to young and need to grow up a little more. Yes, 66 is a little out their but long the child is love and have back up family I don't see a problem. Their are children at their and the are young and the mother died in the 20's,30'3,40's their is not a age on death. So 66 is the age she wants to be to have her first child let her. Nothing wrong with it. Only god can tell what going to happen and what will happen.
Hallie

But she doesn't want to foster, SallyJ.

fostering maybe?

you dont give a 14 yr old fertility treatment...

I would be very, very unhappy if my 14 yr old had a DC, sayuri56-he was a DC himself and it would have been very unfair on the DC-he was too immature to bring up a DC.

If you read it all Jean you would see that most people put a line at 50yrs.
After being on mumsnet for some time I realise that I am very lucky in that I have an excellent relationship with my parents-it sticks out that a lot of people disagree with their parents on just about everything! I wouldn't risk having a DC at that age because I would have to justify my decision to my DC. They are babies for a very short time and then they have opinions-you would be very lucky if they thought the same. I would have felt like dying of embarrassment if I had an 80yr old mother when I was 14 yrs old-I just wanted to be like everyone else and not to stick out in any way.

you dont tell a 14 year old child that they are not allowed to have a child, so why tell a 66 year old female who is healthy and successful not to have a child? I bet shes been trying to have a child for a long time. And now this is her time....to be a mom. Wake up people ethical issues? None whatsoever. Undo your panties that are in bunches and realize your arguing about nothing. Ask your own mom about it.

to people that think shes too old. what age do you draw the line then?

baby at 66 imo its not right

I thought it was a put down of the Telegraph saying it had gone the same way as the Sun.

I read it online.

The grandchildren aspect is just one of many arguments. Of course nobody can predict the future - neither is that an argument in favour of post-menopause pregnancies.

I never said I personally hold the view that poor women have a choice( go back check what i said..I said some people will argue this as mnay here are argung this 66 year old woman should NOT have a choice)However, I have worked with many developing countries and know that lack of proper education etc are in many cases the reason why these women end up with so many children and it is NOt always poverty so we need to get real for real..anyways to get back on track I reiterate that theer will always be such cases and it is easy to sit anddebate her life when we are not in her shoes.

wow, what in insightful summary of all our arguments for and against!

Pah!

FBG, got a link or are you reading it in RL?

How on earth can the Sunday Telegraph say they are doing an article on this lady and ask MN for quotes, when they use two??

perhaps it would be helpful if you applied these restrictions to woman who can concieve naturally. Should they be allowed to concieve if they might die early? Should they be allowed to conceive if they might not be able to provide grandparents to their child?

As none of us can predict the future, these arguments are irrelevant in the debate, whatever they mean to you emotionally.

I'm really not sure why you basing whether someone should have a child or not dependant on whether they will live to see their grandchildren.

juule, this woman is deliberately going into a situation where her grandchildren probably wont know her. Yes, this happens in real life - to my own children too. But I would certainly not have planned it that way, and my children have missed out.