A woman became one of the US’ oldest women to give birth at 62. The miracle was made possible with the help of her daughter, who was pregnant at the same time as her.
Kathy Blattner met her husband, Dr. John Blattner when she was already in her 40s. Since the beginning of their relationship, they knew that they wanted to have children together, but they weren’t sure how they could make that possible.
After years of trying to conceive naturally, Kathy decided to seek the help of fertility specialists. She discovered that the eggs she had left in her body would not be able to support life.
Her Journey towards Growing Her Family
Heartbroken, Kathy, who was already a mother to Sarah Utz, her daughter from a previous relationship, thought this was the end of her dream to become a mother again. However, after consulting with Dr. Anthony Pearlson, he recommended egg donation, then they would fertilize the egg through in vitro fertilization.
Kathy initially couldn’t grasp the idea of using eggs donated by another woman, and it devastated her. However, her perspectives changed later. She recalled:
“I became grateful for it, and that’s when it changed my future. Gratitude changes everything, and here I am as happy as can be, living happily ever after.”
Coming to Terms with Her Reality
Things didn’t go quickly for Kathy, as it took her about a year to be convinced of the egg donation. When she finally knew she wanted to undergo the process, she looked for suitable donors within her family, as she wanted to undergo genetic donation.
The first time she underwent the process, her niece was her egg donor. She gave birth to a healthy boy who is now a teenager.
In Kathy’s last two pregnancies, it was her daughter, Sarah, who donated the eggs.
When Kathy was in her 50s, she and her husband decided to have more children. However, the medical community was against it, as it is believed that women over 55 put their lives and future health at risk if they carry children at that age.
In addition, once women reach menopause but want to have children, they must undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which builds up the lining of the uterus to help the growing baby and supports the mother throughout her pregnancy. HRT is considered risky for mothers in the long term as it may lead to a heart attack, stroke, or breast cancer.
The Doctor Who Changed Her Life
Thanks to a doctor who granted Kathy’s wishes to have children, she now has two toddlers in the house along with a teenager. The doctor, Dr. Sherman Silber, believes that it’s unfair for society to judge older women who want to be mothers, as they don’t do the same when it comes to older men. He granted Kathy’s desire to be a mom with that in mind.
Despite the support of their doctor, Kathy and John encountered people who criticized their decision to have more children. However, they chose to focus on people inspired by their stories of hope, especially women struggling with fertility.
In Kathy’s last two pregnancies, her daughter Sarah donated the eggs. Ironically, Kathy became pregnant with her youngest daughter while Sarah was also pregnant. They likened their journey to the movie “Father of the Bride,” where the mother and daughter were pregnant at the same time.
Speaking about how she felt about her mother carrying her eggs, Sarah said, “She is the mother; I don’t feel any genetic connection other than I’m a sister.”
Now, Kathy and her husband, Dr. John, are doting parents to their children, including her youngest daughter, baby Erma. She had a healthy pregnancy until her blood pressure spiked at 34 weeks. She had to give birth early, with Erma staying in the hospital for about four weeks so she could learn to eat on her own.
Dr. John commended his wife on her dedication, saying he wouldn’t have what he has now if it weren’t for her. “She’s wonderful,” he gushed.
To date, Kathy still has one stored embryo. While she has no plans of getting pregnant again, she feels at peace knowing she has another chance to grow her family should she and her husband decide to do so.
Click here to read about the story of a woman who gave birth to her first baby at 48 after suffering 18 heartbreaking miscarriages in 16 years.