Posts Tagged ‘Woman age 66 has triplets’

Another day another IVF sensational news story …this time a mother of 70 whose young child sits beside her while she is dying , and a woman of 66 who has just had triplets .

Personally I do believe in setting some sort of upper age limit ( whilst allowing for flexibility ) but I am not sure 70 should be it !

There are so many potential health implications both for mother and child as well as sociological ones regarding children growing up for most of their lives without a parent .

As Fertility treatment becomes more and more advanced we must make sure we are keeping up with the ethical implications and questions that will be inevitably raised . We must be honest in saying that this is an emotive field of science on every level and that opinions will be both varied and passionately felt .

HOWEVER , and here it is , please please please can journalists stop jumping on the one or two extreme cases that are happening worldwide as though they show an overall trend . As though these cases are merely the start of an era of 90 yr old mothers and a waving goodbye to the family as we knew it .

These are the extremes , they are not the average story because the average story is too common and often just too sad to be noticed .

The stories of people desperate for a family and trying every form of treatment until finally on IVF number 7 getting pregnant

The stories of women told late twenties that they are entering an early menopause

The stories of couples trying every and any alternative medicine just to strike lucky with finding the ” right ” one

The stories I see on a daily basis and know first hand .

And within those can I also say that the number of women who have come to me because they have put their fertility on hold for some amazing career are absolutely and totally tiny . In fact hardly ever do I see these mythical women .

 Instead there is the discovery of a physical problem  or the fact that they didn’t find a life partner ( try as they might ! ) until late thirties .In other words stuff that life just threw at them rather than the choices of a spoilt and selfish generation .

But again , not sure those make as ” interesting ” a headline .

Maybe  the truth of Infertility is just too sad , too long-winded and ultimately just too normal to make the front pages .

But just once in a while wouldn’t it be nice for the whole picture to be shown ?

All best wishes

Anya