Dakk

November 11, 2004

Woman, 59, Could Be Oldest to Have Twins

Friday, November 12, 2004

Associated Press

SYLVESTER, Ga. A 59-year-old great-grandmother is pregnant with twins and will deliver next month, three decades after she had her tubes tied. “They came untied,” Frances Harris said Thursday.

The multiple birth Dec. 21 would break the purported record set this week by a 56-year-old New York City mother of twins.

Harris, of rural Sylvester, Ga., said she wasn’t trying to get pregnant and didn’t realize she was until she started gaining weight and went to see her doctor.

“A lot of things changed about me,” she said. “I started craving grapes and apples, things I don’t usually crave. By then I was four months pregnant.”

When the doctor broke the news, “They had to sit me down. I couldn’t even talk,” she said.

The news was even more shocking considering Harris the mother of five, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of six had her tubes tied 33 years ago after the birth of her youngest child.

Harris had her first child when she was 15; 44 years will separate her first-born from the newborns. She was divorced years ago from the twins’ father, 60-year-old Raymond Harris, a heavy equipment operator. She said they will remarry before the birth.

The oldest American believed to have given birth to twins is Aleta St. James, a single mother who turns 57 on Friday. She gave birth Tuesday at New York City’s Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show 263 children were born to women between ages 50 and 54 in 2002. The oldest American to give birth is Arceli Keh, of California, who was 63 when she had a daughter in 1996.

Harris said some family members, concerned about health complications, had suggested she end the pregnancy.

“I couldn’t live with myself,” she said. “I pray we all three pull through. When they’re so little, they’re so beautiful. I think they are God’s gift.”

Now ain’t that sumfin???

momof2boys2

November 12, 2004

OMG don’t women go through menopause by that age???? I find that amazing since she had her tubes tied!! But in that case God must have had bigger dreams for her. I just couldn’t imagine. I thinkI would die if I found out now at 40 that I was prego. Let alone at 57. Talk about the immaculate conception!

Not.Who.U.Think

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i couldnt imagine!!

NaturalMom

wow!! Everything happens for a reason I always say, there must be something special about this woman and her babes 🙂 ~ajaye

Wow.

I knew about the current oldest mom. I saw that on the news the other day! Wow!

memelou

WOW!

Spacefrog

Far out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Silverkitty

eeps!

Mom in Blue Jeans

Crazy – can you imagine being 77 when your child was 18???

I heard about that. Go Granny!

Concrete @ngel

I saw this in our paper last night. All the power to her. She’s gonna need it.

Funny, the woman was from Florida, wasn’t THAT old, and had IVF so it’s not like it was an accident. But it’s nasty regardless. I think no one over 35 should have kids. Period.

Step-a-bit

OMG That is SCARY! I wonder if at a certain age I can have my uterus removed to ensure that NEVER happens to me! When I am in my late 50’s I want people to be changing MY Diapers! NOT the other way around!LOL

Galaga

November 13, 2004

She has a large family who will undoubtedly take care of the twins as the parents age. It was their decision. Only 263 babies born to women ages 50-54 in 2002? That’s extremely rare, then. Many women are through menopause by age 54; my mom was done at age 50. And guess what, ignoramus noter above: my mom was 35 when she had me!

Granny

i am 54 and take care of two children (grandkids)there is no way in hell I would ever try to take care of newborns, sorry all but from my view point there is so much that can go wrong health wise that i think personally that any woman over the age of 50 who considers having a child should be shot..but than again that is just me..my god who wants to be 70 something when your kids get out of school?

kymaera

I’m praying that doesn’t happen to me! LoL

That is SO crazy.. *Falyn*

~Southern Susie~

November 15, 2004

I saw this on the news, it’s amazing. Thank GOD she didn’t end the pregnancy, the kids are healthy! I’m not thrilled about 50+ women having babies but if it happens, it happens! Good luck to her!