A 65-year-old Nadvorna hasidic woman from Bnai Brak gave birth to her first child today – the oldest woman in Israel to ever give birth.
65-Year-Old Hasidic Woman Gives Birth To First Child
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
A 65-year-old Nadvorna hasidic woman from Bnai Brak gave birth to her first child today, the Jerusalem Post reported, the oldest woman in Israel to ever give birth.
Over her 46-year marriage to her now-67-year-old husband Shmuel, Chaya Shahar was childless.
But today her 5.14 pound health baby boy, conceived from sperm provided by a donor and inseminated by a physician outside Israel, was delivered by caesarean section at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Sava.
The in-vitro fertilization and insemination had to take place outside Israel – in this case, likely in Russia – because it is illegal in Israel to perform fertility treatments on women older than 54-years-old.
“We do not recommend this. It is illegal to perform in-vitro fertilization on a woman of this age, and it is dangerous. There are many possible complications. Pregnancy is an unnecessary burden on the mother’s body,” Dr. Tal Biron, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Meir Medical Center, told the Post.
Risk of complications increases exponentially as the mother’s age increases, and women bearing children after the age of 50 face a strongly increased risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension, delivery by caesarean section, miscarriage, preeclampsia and placenta previa (placenta too low in the uterus). Women over 50 have almost three times the risk of birthing underweight babies, of having a premature birth, and of having an extremely premature birth when compared to 20- to 29-year-old women.
But despite that, Dr. Biron she was still excited by the birth.
“We were very excited during the delivery. I have no doubt she will be an excellent mother. She is a very special person. The baby is very cute,” Biron said.
The parents credited a blessing from their rebbe, the Nadvorna Rebbe, given them three years ago, for the baby and for the mother's health.
The boy’s brit milah ceremony (circumcision) is slated to held next week in its proper time.
The Shalom Zachor will be held at the tish (rebbe’s table) of the Nadvorna Rebbe in Bnai Brak.
The couple was also grateful for the care received from physicians, nurses and support staff.
The mother will be able to breastfeed her new son, Dr. Biron said.
She noted that the woman first came to see her during her 12th week of pregnancy and after that visited the high risk pregnancy outpatient clinic every week. The couple, she said, have a large and supported extended family.
“She underwent ultrasound scans and all other necessary tests. She always cooperated and never complained. Her message to Israel after the operation was, ‘Never give up,’” Dr. Biron said.
The oldest recorded birth in the world belongs to Spain’s Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara. She was one week shy of 67-years-old when she gave birth to twins.