At the age of 68-years-old, a Nigerian woman has given birth, in what’s being called a ‘miracle.’
She gave birth to her twins, a boy, and a girl, in the capital city of Lagos after trying to conceive for decades.
Margaret Adenuga and her husband Noah always dreamed of becoming parents. They were married in 1974 and have been together ever since.
Almost 50 years later, they were finally able to have not just one, but two children of their own.
The 68-year-old woman and her 77-year-old husband never gave up hope, even though she was well over the average age for a first child (between 23 to 30 years old).
“I am a dreamer, and I was convinced this particular dream of ours will come to pass.” – Adenuga told CNN
Getting pregnant after 35 increases the risks of complications like premature birth, hypertension, and fetal growth restriction, among other things.
Dr. Ilan Shapiro, a medical director with AltaMed Health Services in California, warns that older mothers run the risk of giving birth to children with chromosomal abnormalities.
A team of specialists lead by Dr. Adeyemi Okunowo monitored and helped her throughout the entire pregnancy because she was at a higher risk of complications at her age.
“As an elderly woman and a first-time mother, it was a high-risk pregnancy, and also because she was going to have twins, but we were able to manage her pregnancy to term.” – Dr. Adeyemi Okunowo
Even though some women are able to conceive through IVF at an older age, Dr. Okunowo says doctors must clearly outline the medical risks associated with being pregnant late in life.
Women are born with all the eggs they will have in their lives.
The amount and the quality of those eggs start declining after puberty. By the time most women reach their 30s, their chance of getting pregnant has already drastically reduced.
For Margaret and her husband, having twins was truly a miracle.
Margaret Adenuga and her husband had gone through three failed attempts to conceive through IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). But the fourth time was the charm, and they finally got pregnant with their new baby boy and girl.
The pair were delivered at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on April 14, 2020.
Their parents were absolutely delighted. They had been waiting for this day for decades.
Despite some concerns about the twins being birthed by an older mother, they were both delivered in good health after a 37-week pregnancy.
Their mother is happy and healthy too, after undergoing a carefully monitored cesarean section.
Adenuga has now ranked among the oldest women to give birth in recorded history.
Remarkably, the only three mothers older than Margaret Adenuga live in India.
Daljinder Kaur holds the record at 72 years old.
She gave birth to a baby boy in 2016. The other two women both gave birth when they were 70 years old.
The average life expectancy of a woman in India is only 70 years – so to give birth at that age is incredible!
María del Carmen Bousada de Lara is another example.
This Spanish woman gathered fame from around the world when she gave birth to a set of twins at 66 years old, back in 2006.
Adenuga is now famous throughout Nigeria and the world and has given hope to mothers who are getting older but still have not conceived.
One thing is for certain, Adenuga couldn’t be happier. Watch more in the video below.
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