It is believed that with age, the ability toconceiveand give birth decreases. Usually, the childbearing age falls on those years when we still have the strength and time to take care of the children. But scientific and technological progress has learned to reverse the laws of nature. As a result, what previously seemed to be impossible, now is a common thing. Pregnancy and childbirth are not an exception. In this article, we compiled a list of the oldest mothers of the world including theoldest woman to give birth.
Pregnancy at the Age of 50 And More
Recently, pregnancy over the age of 50 has become more possible. This happens due to recent studies and technologies in the field of the reproductive system, and in particular, egg donation. It’s not a secret that a woman’s fecundity ends with menopause. By definition, this is 12 consecutive months without menstruation at all. During perimenopause, the menstrual cycle and the periods become irregular and eventually stop. At the same time, even when periods are still regular, the egg quality of women in their forties is lower than in younger women. Thus, the likelihood of conceiving a healthy baby decreases. To be more specific, it usually happens after the age of 42. It is important to note that the female biological clock is very individual and varies greatly from woman to woman. A woman’s individual level offertilitycan be tested through a variety of methods.
According to the statistics, between 1997 and 1999 there were 539 births among mothers over age 50 in the United States. This is 4 per 100,000 births. 194 of them belonged to women over 55 years.
In most cases, late childbearing is associated with artificial insemination. However, in the history of many mothers who gave birth to children being at the age of 50, there are a lot of examples when children were conceived in a natural way. Here is the list of Top 15 oldest women in the history of mankind who conceived in a natural way and gave birth.
Top 15 World’s Oldest Mothers
Number 15
Catherine Colonges is a Frenchwoman from Togo. In 2011 she gave birth to triplets (a girl and 2 boys) at the age of 52. At the time of the birth of the triplets, Catherine Colonges already had two sons (30 and 27 years old), a daughter (15 years old), and three grandchildren. She conceived naturally with her 51 years old husband Alain.
Number14
The Englishwoman Debbie Hughes, despite takingbirth control pills, suddenly became pregnant and gave birth to a son at the age of 53. It is worth noting that by the time of the birth of this child (in 2011), Debbie Hughes already had two sons and two granddaughters. Debbie Hughes also had a daughter, but she died tragically shortly before her 18th birthday.
Number13
The American Lucy Gauss Kenney in 1880 gave birth to her last child at the age of 53 years.
Number12
Solange Couto dos Santos is a Brazilian actress. She is known for example in the role of Dona Jura in the TV series “Clone”. In 2010, the actress married a student who is 30 years younger than her. By that time she had already had two children. In 2011, a 54-year-old Solange Couto dos Santos gave birth to her third child whose father is her current husband.
Number11
In 2009, a 54-year-old Israeli woman gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) from her 71-year-old husband. It was the first time he became a father. The woman had children from her first marriage earlier.
Number10
The American Aracelia Garcia (54 years old) in 2000 struck doctors by having conceived without hormonal drugs and gave birth (by Cesarean section) to the triplets. She gave birth to 3 healthy girls: Arianna, Brianna, and Cecelia (to play on the initials A, B, C).
Number09
The Englishwoman Elizabeth Greenhill in 1669 at the age of 54 years gave birth to her 39th child. In total Elizabeth had given 38 births (single pregnancy 37 times and once – twins). All her children survived. Elizabeth Greenhill is the record holder for the number of successful births and one of the mothers with the greatest number of children in human history. Elizabeth herself said that if it had not been for her husband’s death before the birth of the 39th child, she might have given birth to two or three more children.
Number08
The Englishwoman Kathleen Campbell in 1987 gave birth to her son at the age of 55 years. By this time, she had already been a grandmother by one of her 6 elder children aged 16-22. Kathleen gave birth to her 7th child byC-section. The father of the child is her 65 years old husband.
Number07
The Chilean Leontina Albina gave birth to a child in 1981 at the age of 55 years.
Number06
The Russian Raisa Akhmadeeva from Ulyanovsk in 2008 with the help of Cesarean section gave birth to her first child at the age of 56 years. At birth, the child (it was a boy) weighed 1.1 lb. and had a height of 1.6 ft. By that time her husband had already had 3 children but they always wanted to have a child together.
Number05
A woman from Kiev (Ukraine), whose name is unknown, in 2008 became Ukraine’s oldest woman to give birth. At that time she was 57 years old. She gave birth to a son by a Cesarean section. At birth, the baby weighed 8,6 lb. It was the fourth child of a woman. Her first child died tragically at the age of 20 years, after which she tried to give birth again. But her twins (boys) died in 10 days after birth. So, she always wanted to have a child, lead a healthy lifestyle and her desire was realized.
Number04
The Russian Natalya Surkova became the oldest mother of Russia. In 1996, a 57-year-old woman, who already had two adult children, gave birth to a daughter. At birth, the girl weighed 7.6 lb. and had a height of 1.7 ft. She became pregnant after 1.5 years of hormonal treatment, having been established in premenopausal. Surkova, a divorced mother of two adult children, decided to give birth to one more child because her new partner was childless.
Number03
The American Ruth Kistler in 1956 being at the age of 57 years gave birth to a daughter. Her pregnancy predated the advent of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) making Kistler one of the oldest women known to have conceived naturally. Born in June 1899, she died in 1982, at the age of 82 or 83. Her daughter was 25 or 26 at that time.
Number02
Dawn Brooke, from the island of Guernsey (possession of Great Britain) in 1997 gave birth by a cesarean section to her son, being at the age of 59 years. Hormone therapy helped her to get pregnant. She became pregnant unexpectedly. In the beginning, she associated the symptoms she experienced with cancer. It has been speculated that the hormone replacement therapy which she had may have contributed to her ability to ovulate past menopause. Dawn Brooke is the oldest mother in the history of mankind, who conceived in a natural way and gave birth to a living child.
Number01
The 1st place belongs to Wenick Ellen Ellis, who in 1776 gave birth to her 13th child, at the age of 72 years. Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen – the baby was stillborn.
3 World’s Oldest Mothers Who Gave Birth After Artificial Insemination
The 3rd place – the Romanian Adriana Iliescu, who gave birth at 66 years. Adriana is a lonely mother, but she took care of the welfare of her daughter in advance. An interesting fact: one of the girls’ guardians after Adriana’s death will be a doctor who performed the IVF procedure.
Adriana Iliescu was 66 years old when she prematurely gave birth to her baby in 2005. She tried to conceive a child by IVF for 9 years. Everyone thought she would give birth to the triplets, but one of the triplets died still in the womb, the second one was born dead. Adriana always wanted to have children, but she could not conceive naturally.
In January 2005, at the age of 66 years with the help of IVF, she gave birth to a daughter Eliza weighing 3 lb.
2nd Place – Maria Del Carmen Bousada Lara
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest mother on the planet is the Spanish Maria del Carmen Bousada Lara, born in 1940. December 29, 2006, at the hospital in Barcelona, she gave birth to twins (the boys Christian and Pau) with the help of a cesarean section. At the time of delivery, she was 66 years and 358 days. The children were conceived with the help of IVF in a California clinic using donated materials, for which the future mother had to sell her house in Spain. And she deceived doctors, saying that she was not 66, but only 55 years old.
Her mother lived to the age of 101, and Maria thought that she was lucky with the mother’s genes and that she could raise two children and even see grandchildren. Her family criticized her, calling her decision “selfish”, but she defended herself, saying that “every decision has its own time.”
However, on July 11, 2009, she died ofovarian cancer.
The Oldest Woman to Give Birth – The 1st Place
Unfortunately, the two oldest Indian mothers – Rajo Devi and Omkari Panwar could not get to the record book because they did not have official documents confirming their age. Omkari Panwar did not even have her child’s birth certificate.
Both women were 70 years old at the time of the delivery. Rajo Devi could not conceive a child for 50 years. The woman was infertile until she turned to the IVF clinic. Then she gave birth to a healthy girl.
For more than 50 years in a marriage, she and her husband tried to conceive a child, but their attempts were not successful. By the age of 69, they were morally and financially ready for the IVF procedure.
The attempt was a success. In 2008 the couple had a healthy daughter, but her mother’s health was severely damaged. The pregnancy itself, the birth which ended with a rupture of theuterusand a Cesarean section, and the postoperative period were also very difficult.
The mother hopes that after her death the girl will not be left alone because she has a lot of relatives. From the point of view of her compatriots, she acted correctly since childlessness is considered a sin. But when the news of a wonderful birth, and then of the state of Rajo flew around the world, many considered the decision of an elderly couple very, very controversial from a moral point of view. The right of physicians to carry out the IVF procedure at such an age was questioned as well. Indian doctors even offered to apply sanctions to the doctor who performed the IVF procedure.
Omkari Panwar
As for mothers who gave birth to children after artificial insemination, the record belongs to the 70-year-old Indian Omkari Panwar, who in 2008 gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) by Cesarean section, each weighing 4.5 lb. At the time of the birth of twins, the woman already had two adult daughters and five grandchildren. The 77-year-old husband of the woman wanted a male heir very much, so the woman decided to try artificial insemination. To pay for the IVF procedure the couple spent all their savings and took a loan in a bank. After the birth of his son, the joyful father said: “The treatment cost me a fortune, but the birth of my son is worth it. I can die a happy man and a proud father.”
Doctors’ Opinion
It’s not a secret that the risk ofpregnancy complicationsincreases as the mother’s age increases. Risks associated with childbearing of women over the age of 50 years include an increased incidence ofgestational diabetes, hypertension, Cesarean section,miscarriage, preeclampsia, andplacenta previa. In comparison to younger mothers (20 – 29 years of age), mothers over 50 years have a higher risk oflow birth weight,premature birth, and extremely premature birth. The risk of extremely low birth weight, too short gestational age and fetal mortality is almost double in older women.
Maria Shevtsova
Born in Belarus, 1985, a pedagogue and family psychologist, mother. Taking part in procedures of social adaptation of the foster children in new families. Since 2015 is a chief editor of the motherhow.com project, selecting the best and up-to-date material for those, who are planning, expecting, and already having babies.
FAQs
How did the oldest woman to get pregnant? ›
Erramatti Mangayamma at age 74 gave birth to twins in India last week after becoming pregnant through IVF, making her the oldest person ever to give birth, according to her doctors, and reigniting debate over so-called geriatric pregnancies.
How did Barbara Higgins give birth at 57? ›Barbara Higgins welcomed a son through IVF when she was 57 after tragically losing her daughter. The New Hampshire mom talks about her experience and her advice to others thinking about doing IVF at an older age.
What is the oldest woman to naturally get pregnant? ›The oldest verified mother to conceive naturally (listed currently as of 26 January 2017 in the Guinness Records) is Dawn Brooke (Guernsey); she conceived a son at the age of 59 years in 1997.
Who is the most oldest mother to give birth? ›'World's oldest mom' gives birth to twins at age 74 after IVF, hospital claims. GODAVARI, India - A 74-year-old woman now holds the record for “world's oldest mom” after she reportedly gave birth to twins on Thursday following a round of in vitro fertilization using donor eggs.
Can you get pregnant at 70 years old? ›That said, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) shares that any woman of any age can get pregnant — with medical help — provided that she has a “normal uterus” even if she no longer has ovaries or ovarian function.
What is the oldest man to father a child? ›...
| Ramjit Raghav | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Oldest father |
| Spouse | Shakuntala Devi ( m. 2003–2013) |
| Children | 2 |
Most women who get pregnant after 50 use donor eggs. It's also possible to use your own eggs that were previously frozen. Women over 50 who become pregnant with donor eggs face similar risks of complications as younger women.
Who is pregnant at 54? ›Brigitte Nielsen, who gave birth to her fifth child in June at the age of 54, says she beat the odds.
What celebrity has a baby at 50? ›Naomi Campbell announced in May that she had welcomed her first baby at 50 years old.
Can I use my own eggs at 46? ›While IVF and PGS technology can dramatically increase a woman's chances of getting pregnant later in life, there will come a time when a woman's eggs are simply no longer viable. Although of course there are exceptions, using own eggs for IVF by women over the age of 45 is unlikely to be successful.
At what age can a girl get pregnant? ›
A woman becomes able to get pregnant when she ovulates for the first time — about 14 days before her first menstrual period. This happens to some women as early as when they are eight years old, or even earlier. Most often, ovulation begins before women turn 20.
Can you get pregnant at 60? ›According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), “Pregnancy may be possible in virtually any woman with a normal uterus, regardless of age and even in the absence of ovaries and ovarian function.”
What is the oldest woman to give birth with her own eggs? ›Belinda Slaughter, who was 46 at the time of treatment, conceived after doctors transferred four embryos created using her eggs and her husband's sperm. One implanted successfully and Slaughter gave birth to a boy last September.
What is the oldest you can be to have a healthy baby? ›There is no set oldest age when you can get pregnant naturally, but fertility starts to decline as you age. You're usually not able to get pregnant between 5 and 10 years before menopause. You're born with all of the eggs you'll ever have. As you get older, the number of eggs you have decreases.
Is the first born child the oldest? ›If you're the firstborn child, your birth order would be referred to as the oldest child. If you're the second born, you're a middle child—however, there can be multiple middle kids in a family. If you're the last sibling to be born, you're the youngest child or the baby of the bunch.
What age is considered older to have a baby? ›Advanced maternal age describes a pregnancy where the birthing person is older than 35. Pregnant people over age 35 are more at risk for complications like miscarriage, congenital disorders and high blood pressure.
How old can a man be and still be fertile? ›Another study that evaluated the relationship between age and semen parameters also concluded that male fertility decline begins at 35, and suggested that male fertility peaks between 30 and 35. Bottom line: Men generally see a decrease in fertility beginning at 35, and the decline progresses from there.
Who is the first woman to give birth? ›...
| Lina Medina | |
|---|---|
| Children | 2 |
Valentina Vassilyev and her husband Feodor Vassilyev are alleged to hold the record for the most children a couple has produced. She gave birth to a total of 69 children – sixteen pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets – between 1725 and 1765, a total of 27 births.
What is the youngest boy to have a baby? ›Alberto S.
other than the knowledge that he was practically a baby himself when he had his child at only 11-years-old. Alberto was born in Mexico and was known as the youngest person ever to father a biological child.
How old should a father be? ›
From a biological standpoint, experts recommend a man is best suited to fatherhood from his late 20s to early 30s. It is still possible for men to father a child in their 50s and older. According to Guinness World Records, the oldest man to father a child was 92 years old at the time of the birth.
Do you still have eggs after menopause? ›By the time of menopause, a woman may have fewer than 10,000 eggs. A small percentage of these eggs are lost through normal ovulation (the monthly cycle). Most eggs die off through a process called atresia.
Can you carry a baby after menopause? ›Once you're postmenopausal, your hormone levels have changed enough that your ovaries won't release any more eggs. You can no longer get pregnant naturally.
Can I get pregnant during menopause? ›Can You Get Pregnant in Menopause? No, women in menopause cannot get pregnant. After menopause, you do not produce eggs, and you can't get pregnant in a natural way. However, you might still get pregnant with the help of fresh or frozen donor eggs, or your previously frozen eggs.
What celebrity got pregnant at 55? ›Brazilian actress Cláudia Raia couldn't believe it when doctors delivered the news — she was pregnant at age 55. “When the doctor asked me for a beta, the pregnancy blood test, I said, 'Baby, you're really crazy.
How old was Salma when she got pregnant? ›Salma Hayek
The actress gave birth to her only child in 2007 at the age of 41 and has spoken about her pregnancy.
Have sex regularly. The highest pregnancy rates occur in couples who have sex every day or every other day. Have sex near the time of ovulation. If having sex every day isn't possible — or enjoyable — have sex every 2 to 3 days a week starting soon after the end of your period.
Who were the youngest couple to have a baby? ›Zi, Mum-Zi's daughter, became a mother at the age of 8 years 8 months. An 8-year-old-girl gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who was fathered by a 9-year-old. They are the youngest recorded parents, in combined age. They were farmers, with the surname Hsi, from Amoy, Fukien.
Is it possible to have 50 kids? ›One study estimated a woman can have around 15-30 children in a lifetime, taking pregnancy and recovery time into account. Since men require less time and fewer resources to have kids, the most "prolific" fathers today can have up to about 200 children.
What actor had a child at 70? ›David Foster didn't think he would be welcoming a new baby in his 70s. “(But) I haven't regretted a single day of it,” Foster told People in a new interview. The 72-year-old producer is father to 20-month-old son Rennie, whom he shares with wife Katharine McPhee.
Can I freeze my eggs at age 43? ›
“Freezing eggs after the age of 40 is not typically recommended but may be considered on a case-by-case basis,” says Cross.
How many eggs do I have at 50? ›How Many Eggs Does a Woman Have at 50? By 50, women are likely to only have a few hundred if any eggs left at all. The average age of menopause is around 51-52 years of age, though smoking and other factors may cause the onset of menopause earlier .
How many eggs should you have at age 40? ›How many eggs does a woman have at 40? By the time a woman reaches 40, she'll be down to about 18,000 (3% of her pre-birth egg supply).
How many eggs does a woman have? ›During fetal development, you have about 6 million eggs. At birth, there are approximately 1 million eggs left. By the time you reach puberty, only about 300,000 remain. The number of eggs you have continues to decline as you age and menstruate each cycle.
What is gunshot method pregnancy? ›If both partners are deemed fertile and healthy, Thies will instruct them to try what is called “the gunshot method.” That means intercourse every other day during the mid-third of the woman's menstrual cycle. She said doctors can help couples identify this ideal time window.
Can 2 women's eggs make a baby? ›You can't make a baby with two moms by simply fusing two eggs or adding one egg's DNA to another's. Even though the resulting embryo would have the usual 46 chromosomes, this wouldn't work.
Can a baby be born with two eggs? ›Fraternal or 'dizygotic' twins
Two separate eggs (ova) are fertilised by two separate sperm, resulting in fraternal or 'dizygotic' (two-cell) twins. These babies will be no more alike than siblings born at separate times. The babies can be either the same sex or different sexes, with the odds roughly equal for each.
Menopause. Natural cessation of ovarian function and menstruation. It can occur between the ages of 42 and 56 but usually occurs around the age of 51, when the ovaries stop producing eggs and estrogen levels decline.
How heavy was the heaviest baby ever born? ›The Guinness World record for the heaviest baby to survive infancy belongs to a boy weighing 22 pounds, 8 ounces, who was born in Aversa, Italy, in 1955.
What is pregnancy after 35 called? ›A “geriatric pregnancy” is an outdated, but still commonly used, term to describe pregnancy in individuals 35 years of age and older. The term “advanced maternal age” is the more recent term to describe pregnant individuals who are over the age of 35.
What is a first-born daughter? ›
A firstborn (also known as an eldest child or sometimes firstling) is the first child born to in the birth order of a couple through childbirth.
What does the Bible say about being first-born? ›According to the Law of Moses, the firstborn may be either the firstborn of his father, who is entitled to receive a double portion of his father's inheritance (compared to the other siblings), (Deuteronomy 21:17) or the firstborn of his mother.
What is first-born vs second born? ›If you're the firstborn child, your birth order would be referred to as the oldest child. If you're the secondborn, you're a middle child—however, there can be multiple middle kids in a family. If you're the last sibling to be born, you're the youngest child or the baby of the bunch.
How old is the oldest woman to still have her period? ›Eighty-six percent of menstruating women reported a cycle length of 22-30 days and menstrual flows lasting 4-7 days. The median age at natural menopause was 50.9 yr. The oldest menstruating women were 57 yr old.
Who is the oldest mother with own eggs? ›Belinda Slaughter, who was 46 at the time of treatment, conceived after doctors transferred four embryos created using her eggs and her husband's sperm. One implanted successfully and Slaughter gave birth to a boy last September.
How does a 50 year old woman have a baby? ›Most women who get pregnant after 50 use donor eggs. It's also possible to use your own eggs that were previously frozen. Women over 50 who become pregnant with donor eggs face similar risks of complications as younger women.
Has a 75 year old woman had a baby? ›She gave birth via C-section on Saturday night.
The infant had to be delivered prematurely due to her mother's deteriorating health. Mail Online reports that Devi and her 80-year-old husband conceived their firstborn via IVF treatment 30 weeks ago. The couple already have one adopted child.
Your periods will start when your body is ready. This is usually between age 8 and 17, or 2 years after your first signs of puberty. Possible reasons for delayed periods include being underweight, doing lots of exercise (including dance, gymnastics and athletics), stress and a hormone imbalance.
Can you still have periods in your 60s? ›There can be several causes of postmenopausal bleeding. The most common causes are: inflammation and thinning of the vaginal lining (atrophic vaginitis) or womb lining (endometrial atrophy) – caused by lower oestrogen levels. cervical or womb polyps – growths that are usually non-cancerous.
What is the youngest age to start your period? ›Most girls will get their first period sometime between the ages of 10 and 15. However, a first period can occur as young as 8, so it's a good idea to be prepared.
Do we have our grandmothers eggs? ›
All the eggs a woman will ever carry form in her ovaries while she is a four-month-old fetus in the womb of her mother. This means our cellular life as an egg begins in the womb of our grandmother.
How many eggs are left after 40? ›How many eggs does a woman have at 40? By the time a woman reaches 40, she'll be down to about 18,000 (3% of her pre-birth egg supply).
Do mothers make their daughters eggs? ›Every female fetus, including your mom, developed all the eggs she will ever have while a fetus still inside of her own mom. And of course, one of those eggs ultimately developed into you.
Can a 50 year old woman have kids? ›You'll be subjected to more tests if you get pregnant when you're older. Your doctor will talk to you about the risks, which include having a baby with low birth weight, issues with the placenta, high blood pressure, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Half of all pregnancies in women over 45 end in miscarriage.
How was the first child born? ›A firstborn (also known as an eldest child or sometimes firstling) is the first child born to in the birth order of a couple through childbirth. Historically, the role of the firstborn child has been socially significant, particularly for a firstborn son in patriarchal societies.
Can a woman get pregnant after menopause? ›When you reach postmenopause, your hormone levels are no longer suitable for ovulation and natural pregnancy, and birth control isn't necessary anymore. However, there is still a chance you could get pregnant—through in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF after menopause has proven to be successful in many cases.
Do 60 year olds have babies? ›More than 100,000 American women aged 40 or older have babies each year. In the last 15 years, at least a dozen women aged 60 or older have done it. The oldest age at which a woman has given birth is now 70.
Can I get pregnant at 68? ›According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), “Pregnancy may be possible in virtually any woman with a normal uterus, regardless of age and even in the absence of ovaries and ovarian function.”