61-year-old becomes a mother again

The medic team successfully help the 61-year-old deliver a baby boy in Hangzhou. [Photo from web]

A woman old enough to be a grandmother successfully gave birth to a baby boy in Hangzhou, Zhejiang on June 27, jinbaonet.com reported today.

The baby, who weighed 2.95 kg, returned home safely with his 66-year-old father and 61-year-old mother on Tuesday.

The woman, surnamed Zhang, conceived with the help of IVF (in-vitro fertilization) last November as natural conception is impossible at her age.

Zhang said many people thought she was crazy when they learned she wanted to have a baby.

Her obstetrician, He Jing, bluntly said, "I thought she's a granny and accompanying someone else to have a pregnancy check when I met her for the first time at the hospital."

The experienced obstetrician also admitted, "It's the first time I saw a pregnant woman who's older than me. We definitely would've talked her out of it if she came to us before the pregnancy."

Though there is a very high risk for an older pregnant woman during both pregnancy and labor, He still took and made the best effort in the determined expectant mother's case.

Although having a baby at her age is against all the odds, Zhang said she had her own reason to conceive at this age.

She once had had a happy family with her daughter and husband.

Two years ago, her 30-year-old daughter died in childbirth, leaving the family in deep distress and suffering prolonged great sorrow and grief since then.

Zhang and her husband never gave up hope and wanted to become parents again so badly and then test-tube baby technology made it possible.

The pregnancy was not easy. Premature delivery and miscarriage happen often among older pregnant women.

Zhang had bleeding twice during pregnancy but luckily, medics helped stop it and kept the baby stable in her belly for 36 weeks, just a week less than a standard pregnancy.

Zhang finally had had a C-section to deliver the baby after the well-prepared medical team reduced all the dangerous risks during the operation.

During the delivery, Zhang's uterus was removed to avoid massive bleeding.

He suggested although the case is a miracle to some extent, people still need to avoid conceiving in advanced age since it comes with too much risk.