What are your thoughts on the 65 year old woman who deliberately became pregnant because her 9 year old daughter wanted a younger sibling?

I think she was nuts, the woman will be dead and gone before they even leave home, what is wrong with adopting ?

My thoughts are these…ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

Even adopting, she’ll be dead and gone before they leave home!

Why “ew” @ucme?

@Dutchess_III
He is imagining himself having sex with grandma.
In any case, if she plays it right it terms of lifestyle and medical attention, she should be able to squeeze another 20 to 30 years out of her chassis. Enough time for the spawn to grow up.

Aren’t the odds extremely high that the babies will have severe health problems?

She already has children ranging in age from 9 to 44, from five fathers

Also she sounds crazy like octomom.

No accounting for crazy.

But look, if the lady is still fertile at 65 (which is itself hard to believe), it’s her choice.

Remember the whole pro-choice thing? Women have control of their bodies? No one can tell a woman how to manage her reproductive life?

Here we have a woman who is making a choice. Not for anyone – you, me – anyone but her husband – to have say in it.

Any other reaction is hypocrisy.

Well, the eggs were donated and fertilized then implanted. But still…..what are the chances the babies could be born with birth defects?

You misquoted me, I never said “ew”
The actual quote is clearly ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!

I would normally say it is not as nature intended because her body without the help of science could not do it. However, since the technology does exist, I can say more power to her even though it might not be the wises move, but at least she is not killing the quads.

Let’s consider it from the children’s perspectives. The chances of them surviving without defects is limited. While their mother may live another 30+ years, it is unlikely that she will be able to handle the rearing of these children on her own in the way that they deserve. The burden then falls to other family members and possibly society. When the children find out that they were brought into the world due to the desire of a then nine year-old sibling to have a younger sibling, what will they think?

@Dutchess_III If the eggs are donated the babies have the same chance of defects as any IVF baby most likely. Chances are slightly higher than average (a very small slight) and I’m not sure if they get that stat including donated eggs or not?? Fertility stats are manipulated. Donated eggs are from young women.

I think she is too old, because the child has a pretty high chance of losing her mom before graduating high school, but I’m not totally turned off by her having the baby. If the woman has money she can provide a lot of the exhausting tasks by paying someone to do them. Laundry, house cleaning, even taking the child to school.

My comment about providing a sibling is a younger sibling that is 9 years younger is more like having two only children.

Waaaaay too old.

@Pied_Pfeffer While their mother may live another 30+ years, it is unlikely that she will be able to handle the rearing of these children on her own in the way that they deserve.
That is awful broad, what way is a child deserving to be raised, what of those with only one young parent, are they better? What if those below what the poverty level is, are they any better? What is the perfect family configuration a child deserves?

When the children find out that they were brought into the world due to the desire of a then nine year-old sibling to have a younger sibling, what will they think?
Maybe the same thoughts as the children who discovered they were the product of a lustful drunken romp at a frat party, the need for her to be a ”woman” under the bleachers at the homecoming game, or in some car after the prom, etc.

@Hypocrisy_Central This is about four babies, not one. In addition, there are 13 other children, although some now are now adults. The amount of effort that is needed to take care of quads is very different than one child even if all said children are born healthy. There is a greater risk of quads having to be delivered at a less than desirable age, which, in turn, puts their health at risk.

It is unlikely that they will have the same thoughts as children who were “accidents”. They are not biologically hers. Granted, they are wanted, but is it for the right reasons? It’s up to the these four children to decide how they feel about it. I only hope that they are fine with the decisions.

A decision not for me judge, especially based only on media reports. To form a reasoned opinion, I’d want to talk to the lady herself.

I think it is narcissism in it’s most extreme form.
The woman already has thirteen children!
She has already reproduced a herd of offspring and does not need to produce one more child with 7+ billion humans milling around as it is.

Now, at age 65, she wants to guinea pig herself and potential infants to bring another litter into the world.
I think it is is obscene and a reflection of poor mental health.
The woman must have been a small rodent in a previous life.

Whether she should have been eligible for any embryo implantation or not… she should not have received (at least) 4 seemingly viable embryos at the same time. Period.

I can’t help but wonder if she’s going to hand them out to her adult kids.

Also, what kind of person brings another life into the world to indulge the whims of a nine year old?

@JLeslie I’m not talking about genetic birth defects. I’m talking about failure to thrive defects. Is her body going to be able to handle the demands that FOUR fetuses will place on it?

@elbanditoroso I understand your view on women’s rights when it comes to their body and thank you for it. It isn’t black and white though.
* Just to clarify, biologically, the children aren’t hers. The eggs and sperm were procured through donation.
* She is the sole parent. There is no father.
* She is 65 years old. That causes a greater risk for both the mother and children. So does the fact that there are four fetuses.
* According to this article, there is some insight on the feelings of her other children.

Apart from Lelia, none of her children have this time wished to share the limelight with their mother, who has again become a household name in Germany since news of her pregnancy came to light last week.

Raunigk, who lives in Berlin but plans to move to a town in North Rhine-Westphalia to be closer to some of her other children before the birth, will hope to finance her children’s upbringing through media coverage and sponsorship deals. She told the RTL show Extra: “I don’t interfere in anyone else’s life and I don’t expect them to interfere in mine.”

Lelia told the show’s host she had wanted her mother to have only one child. “So what shall we do with the others?” her mother joked during the interview.

Her daughter’s expression turned to one of alarm when she heard a doctor tell Raunigk that she was likely to be admitted to hospital soon to prevent premature labour. The quadruplets are due in August but are likely to be born sooner.

Based upon these statements, I have to agree with @Coloma. It appears to be a narcissistic choice.

@Dutchess_III Being pregnant becomes more and more dangerous for the mother with age. Many more things can go wrong.

@JLeslie The doctors do not seem to be concerned as much about Ms. Raunigk’s age but her ability to carry quads to term. That is applicable to anyone of any age in this situation.

If it’s dangerous for the mother, then it’s dangerous for the babies….

I hadn’t realized it was 4. It’s certainly a high risk pregnancy for both reasons, age of the mother and multiple babies.