Wednesday, June 16, 2010

How Old is too Old?

After reading this story on Fox News, it got me thinking.
This is a woman 72 years old, and had an IVF at 70. I understand the want to and yearning to be a mother, but I think 70 is more than pushing the age at which a woman has become too old to become one. Did she really believe that she could care for a baby, would she be able to run and play w/ that kid when it was 5 and 6? Who's responsibility is this?
Now she's 72, dying and this baby is 18 months old. She isn't strong enough to hold her daughter. They are blaming the Dr for not telling them it was a risk to have a baby at her age, saying they are uneducated people. They were educated enough to know about IVF, they were educated enough to pull out loans to have the procedure done, but not educated enough to know it was a health risk? I'm just not buying it. Do I believe the Dr was wrong for doing it? Absolutely, but they can't go blaming him for not telling them it was a health risk. I just can't believe they didn't know that.
So that brings me to the question....how old is too old? At what age should a Dr refuse to do IVF? When should women stop trying to have children?

7 comments:

  1. GOOD LORD!!! I won't give an answer because no matter what I say will cause an s storm

    ReplyDelete
  2. A lot of this is in fact the Doctors fault, the woman at 70 years old would have to look at the fact your child will have a 88 to 89 year old mother when graduating from high school if she were still alive and looking at caring for an aging parent before even getting out of school, everyone involved is to blame here for not looking at this simple fact.

    What age is too old can be calculated this way in my opinion, if you are going to be looking for help from your child before they are old enough to handle it then you are too old.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hadn't heard about this story Melissa...so sad! I think there should be an age to stop the insanity. They need to consider life expectancy of women and go according that.

    Just my opinion...:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do think that there should be an age when you stop having babies. I'm not really sure what that age is, but 70 is past it. That assumes that you live until almost 90 if you want to see your child graduate from high school. Not that that is impossible, but you have to be realistic.

    I think it was irresponsible of the doctor to do it in the first place.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree that it was irresponsible for both the dr. and the mother.
    I feel for her because she wasn't able to become a mother sooner, but............

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well, first let's be realistic..there was an idiot that let a women get pregnant with 8 ( octocrazy) obviously this doctor was not concerned with her health or that of the babies, merely the money for the procedure. Just as I am sure that the doctor in this case was not concerned with this lady's health ( down the line)or the well being of her child. He figured he provided the service she paid for, end of story. It is sad but true. This woman had to have known her limitations when she got pregnant at 70. Hell, to be honest, I am surprised she survived the labor and delivery. As for when are you too old, I'd say when you are not able to provide capable and quality parenting ( that goes for too young or too old). Also, I think doctors need to take some responsibility for allowing this predicament. Medically, I think the age too old to conceive is when 1) You are old enough to be a Grandma 2)you can not physically or mentally devote the next 20 years to raising a human being because you most likely will be dead.I understand she wanted to be a Mother, but maybe she should have taken into consideration the ramifications of her actions. Now she will have a Motherless child. She should have thought about that, first. That would have been the selfless earmark of a real Mommy!Happy MOthering!
    http://motherhoodthetruth.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow I hadn't heard that. That is old. I knew a family that had a child when the mom was 55. I thought that was a little old too.

    ReplyDelete