[size=14pt]Disbelief as 57-year-old is delivered of a baby
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Written by Muda Oyeniran, Lagos
Sunday, May 30, 2010

The first thing that would likely cross the mind of an average person on hearing the news that a 57-old woman just delivered of a  baby is disbelief or at best, the incidence would be regarded as a miracle from God. This is because it is expected that such woman's reproductive 'clock' must have ticked away as she must have reached her menopause.

[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2010/may/30/tribune/images/cmd[1].jpg[/img]
The mother of the baby in a group photograph with Dr. Okewale and medical personnel at St. Ives Hospital.






However, for Mrs. Adeyemi Adebomi Taiwo, who lost her two children seven years ago, whenever there is will, there must be a way. So she was determined to have children at all cost, especially when sources said her husband had children outside marriage.

The strong resolution of the woman to have children took her to an assisted conception centre, St Ives Specialist Hospital in Lagos sometimes last year for help.

Despite the skepticism expressed by doctors at the hospital on the possibility of the woman getting pregnant through the in vitro fertilization (IVF) method which she requested for, she insisted on going through the procedure having made up her mind to get what she wanted.

Although Mrs. Taiwo has decided to keep sealed lips on the incidence as she was not willing to speak on the issue when Sunday Tribune attempted to speak with her on phone. This development, it was gathered, might not be unconnected with her past experiences. "Her relations, it was gathered, had prevailed upon her to stop granting press interviews on the issue" said a source close to her.

However, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, where she gave birth to the baby, Dr Tunde Okewale, told Sunday Tribune that the hospital almost declined her request when she came last year for IVF due to her age.

"When we saw her, we were a bit curious on why she want an IVF at that age when the success rate is more or less zero. But when we listened to her compelling story of her she lost her two children at age 50 and how her husband went outside marriage to have children, we were in a dilemma on what to do for her. However, when we explained the pros and cons:  how difficult it would be; the chances of success not being high and so on, she was still determined to take her chance. So we started treatment for her", he added

According to him, Taiwo was lucky to get pregnant the following month adding that she was among the three successful women out of the six that started treatment that month.

However, Dr Okewale said the lucky woman had to be given special treatment before the rare feat could be achieved

"We did give her a lot of hormones in order for her to be able to maintain the pregnancy because her own natural hormone production had already ended. Even before the embryo took off, she was on injection and preparations to make the inside of the womb started behaving as if she was still in her reproductive age. Even throughout the pregnancy,  hormones have to maintain everything till the time of delivery. So we change things round and that is the science of it", Okewale explained

He continued: "But again, we had to counsel her at that stage because pregnancy in any woman over the age of 50 is always stormy. She had to come for ante-natal regularly and luckily, there were no complications until the pregnancy reached 35 weeks. After this time, we started noticing that her blood pressure was rising abnormally and the baby wasn't growing as was expected. So we had to do a caesarian section for her in order to deliver her of the baby. It was a bouncing baby girl weighing 2kg when she was delivered at 7.45 a.m on May 11, 2010 after 35 weeks of gestation. Right now, the baby and the mother are well and in very stable condition"

Although he disclosed that the woman had made history as the oldest IVF mother in the country, he advised that it was better and safer for a woman to have IVF before she reacheds the age of 40.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/may/30/606.html

Hmmn, what a courage and will.

God is great

the introduction of IVF is very encouraging. good for her!

What is she doing with a baby at 57 anyway?

yea, she is kinda of old but at least she has one especially after losing her kids

but am also happy about the introduction of IVF at least many barren women now have another option