Mother Pregnant With Quadruplets At 65 Refuses “Selective Reduction” Abortion [Video]

For mother of 13 Annegret Raunigk, age is not a sufficient reason to stop living life as she sees fit. This 65-year-old mother chose to undergo in vitro fertilization with donated eggs and sperm, spending a year-and-a-half with several disappointing failed attempts before becoming pregnant. When this mother finally conceived, Annegret was shocked to find out that she would become the mother to not one, but four more babies.

According to the Daily Mail, though doctors suggested “selective reduction,” a process in which one or more babies are aborted to improve the survival rate of the mother and the remaining children, the mother refused. Why would a mother get rid of babies she spent so much time and effort creating? Not only did the mother spend 18 months of her life trying to conceive, but Raunigk obviously treasures children, as evidenced by her large family of 13 kids and the fact that she is a school teacher specializing is Russian and English. The attitude this mother takes regarding the opinions of others is refreshing.

“I think one needs to decide for oneself and not listen too much to the opinions of others.”

Hailing from Berlin, the soon-to-be mother of 17 had to travel to the Ukraine for the medical procedure that allowed her to conceive, reports NBC News, as German law forbids a mother to seek in vitro fertilization after the age of 40.

The mother has come under fire from some medical professionals as well, due to her advanced maternal age, which incidentally is considered to be any age over 35 in which a mother becomes pregnant.

Dr. Holger Stepan further informs that pregnancy over the age of 45 is considered high risk to the mother and babies.

“Any pregnancy of a woman over age 45 has to be considered a high-risk pregnancy; over 60 this is naturally extreme. The 65-year-old body is definitely not designed to carry a pregnancy, not of one child and certainly not of quadruplets.”

While this may be true of the vast majority of people, this mother is different. Nine years ago, Annegret made headlines when she gave birth to a daughter at the age of 55. Clearly, this mother does not allow the cliches of society to rule the way she lives her life.

“How does one have to be at 65? One must apparently always fit some cliches which I find rather tiring. I think, one must decide that for oneself.”

Reports are conflicting regarding the due date of the quadruplets, ranging from June to August. Currently, the mother is enjoying a normal pregnancy. The largest risk at this point is premature delivery, but doctors are monitoring her condition closely. Upon giving birth, Annegret will become the oldest mother in the world to give birth to quadruplets.

As far as what the future holds for her young children, the mother is not concerned. She simply expects to be as hail and hearty as she is now. As simply stated by this mother of 17, “children keep me young.”

What do you think about Annegret’s decision to become a mother again, and giving birth to quadruplets, at the age of 65?

[Image via Spy Ghana]