Erramatti Mangayamma, a 74-year-old farmer who lives in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, gave birth last week to twins. She may be the oldest woman on record to conceive and give birth.
Mangayamma and her husband, 80-year-old E. Raja Rao, married in 1962, but were never able to conceive.
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Last year, the couple turned to IVF, and with much guidance from doctors and medical professionals, the couple welcomed their first children, twins, via C-section on Thursday, September 5. Both babies are said to be in good health, as is the new mom.
Menopause for Mangayamma began 25 years ago, so the couple used a donor egg fertilized with Raja’s sperm via IVF.
This is happy news, of course, but perhaps you are wondering: How do a 73-year-old and an 80-year-old feel about becoming parents for the very first time this late in life? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Confused? Tired?
Given that the couple had tried to conceive without any luck for years, it seems they are still feeling nothing but joy.
“They would call me a childless lady,” Mangayamma said of the community where she lives. “We tried many times and saw numerous doctors, so this is the happiest time of my life.”
“We are incredibly happy,” added Raja.
“The surgery went smoothly,” Dr. Sanakayyala Umashankar told The Hindustan Times. “Both mother and the infants are healthy and have no complications whatsoever. However, the mother has been taken to intensive care unit to come out of the stress she had undergone for the last few hours,” he added.
Dr. Umashankar also added that Mangayamma will not be able to breastfeed the children.
Mangayamma is believed to be the oldest woman ever to conceive and deliver a child, and the fact that she did so with twins make this an even rarer, more incredible occasion.
We wish the new parents the best of luck with their new babies!