Most people believe that women has a time limit for bearing children. The older she gets, the lesser chance she has of getting pregnant. And even if she does get pregnant, her body may be too fragile to accommodate a baby.
This is backed up by science and and history, but one Italian woman managed to defy both.
Not only did she allegedly get pregnant in the latter part of her middle age, but she didn’t suffer any complications and was able to give birth to a healthy baby.
It was also her first pregnancy.
“Maria Rosaria Veneruso delivered a healthy baby boy called Elia Francesco, weighing in at 7lbs 7oz, on Monday afternoon,” a Mirror report said. “The Italian woman said she and her husband Enzo were completely delighted with their new arrival.”
Speaking to the local media, the woman said that because of her pregnancy she has fulfilled her dream and that the future no longer scares her.
What makes her story even more amazing is the fact that she had gotten pregnant the natural way, without the help of fertilization treatments or programs.
"It was a peaceful pregnancy,” said Dr. Stefano Palmieri, who had over seen Maria’s labor. "The lady did regular physical exercise up until her seventh month."
You may be surprised at Maria’s story, but did you know that she’s not the oldest woman to have ever given birth?
In 1887, an unidentified English woman delivered triplets at the age of 62; the triplets, the woman’s 11th, 12th, and 13th children, were all delivered naturally.
And the oldest woman recorded to have given birth was 70-year-old Daljinder Kaur from India.
She and her 79-year-old husband Mohinder Singh Gill got pregnant through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Find out the risks of mid-life pregnancy on the next page!
Risks of giving birth at an old age
According to SteadyHealth.com there are a number of associated risks when it comes to mid-life pregnancy. Here are some of them:
- Stillbirth
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia
- Gestational diabetes
- Cesarean section
- Heart disease
- Babies with birth defects
READ: When does a woman become “too old” to become pregnant?
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