HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — The psychologist who gave birth to twin boys at age 60 said Thursday she was on a mission to let women know they have choices.
"It's really basically about women and empowerment," Frieda Birnbaum told NBC's Today show. Birnbaum, who underwent in-vitro fertilization last year at a South African clinic that specializes in older women, gave birth by Caesarean section on Tuesday at Hackensack University Medical Center. "I don't feel like I went through a lot of trauma during delivery or even through the process of being pregnant," Birnbaum said. The hospital said she was the nation's oldest mother of twins. "Age has been redefined," Birnbaum said. She and her husband, Ken, a New York City attorney, have been married for 38 years and have three other children — sons ages 33 and 6 and a daughter, 29. The couple wanted another child closer in age to their youngest son, and Birnbaum's husband said it was his idea for his wife to become pregnant instead of adopting. "I couldn't be happier about the way it worked out," Ken Birnbaum told "Today." Their daughter has said she worries about Birnbaum taking care of the twins when they're in their teens and she's in her late 70s — concerns dismissed by Birnbaum on Thursday. "I hope I'm a role model for my daughter, that when she gets older that she can make her own decisions based on who she is rather than what society dictates," she said. She said that people who consider new motherhood at her age inappropriate "need to get ready for what's coming up in our society." The couple plan to take their sons home on Saturday. Ahem. I don't even know where to begin. Given the title of this website, I guess it's safe to say this is a "Mommy Blog", and after all, I am a Mommy. More importantly, I'm a mommy of twins. I'll just address this point by point-"It's really basically about women and empowerment," Well, yes it's about women, of course, since men are still unable to give birth-but empowerment? How is this about empowerment? I think it's safe to assume that this woman and her husband are affluent. He's an attorney in Manhattan and she's a psychologist. I don't believe for one minute that they won't have some type of staff to assist with late night feedings. This is about a woman who "made the decision to have more children, preferably twins, one stormy day on a cruise ship after reading a magazine article about older women having children." Should anyone make important, life altering decisions for four people (seven if you count her three other children) on a cruise? That's the tequila talking. You can't listen to that. I'm six months away from my 40th birthday, and I'm about to "empower" myself by undergoing a surgical procedure to prevent this kind of madness from happening ever again. Once you have twins, you have a one in fifteen chance of having them again. I had an aunt who had two sets of twins, bless her heart. I don't need to play those odds, thankyouverymuch. Just because you can have children at age 60 doesn't make it a good idea. "I don't feel like I went through a lot of trauma during delivery or even through the process of being pregnant," Birnbaum said. That's because that was the simple part, Frieda. I'm sure you took it easy for 9 months and indulged your cravings with your feet up. A C section isn't without side effects, but I'm willing to bet it's a lot easier on a 60 year old body than back to back vaginal deliveries. The real trauma is the nighttime feedings of twins and subsequent sleep deprivation that leave you feeling like something less than human. The couple wanted another child closer in age to their youngest son, and Birnbaum's husband said it was his idea for his wife to become pregnant instead of adopting. Wait. What? This was his idea? In my world, that's grounds for divorce right there. Actually, divorce would be too kind. People have been killed for lesser offenses. If my husband suggested that I should give birth at 60-I'd give him a vasectomy on the spot with my dirty garden trowel. Also? The Birnbaums wanted their 6 year old son to have siblings closer in age? Give me a break. He'll have nieces or nephews at some point and for the love of God; the kid goes to school. Hook up a play date, would ya? "Age has been redefined," Birnbaum said. I'm not overly concerned that 60 year old women will be lining up for post menopausal IVF procedures. I think most of us will be content to coo over grandchildren and then pass them back to their parents when things start to get a little loud or messy. I've always been curious about women who profess to love being pregnant (it was...okay...but not as a way of life), and miss having babies around. I'm sorry, but I like having (semi)intelligent conversations with my kids. I don't miss the days of diaper explosions that leave infants with poop blown up their back and out their neck and sleeves. I don't miss the terror that grips your heart when you realize that "It's so quiet in here. I think I'll read the morning paper. The kids are being so good. Wait a minute, they're not being quiet, THEY'RE GONE!" I could deal with this when I was in my twenties and early thirties, but 60? Put down the crack pipe. There is no sum of money large enough to pay me to go through a twin pregnancy and subsequent child rearing at the age of 60. "I hope I'm a role model for my daughter, that when she gets older that she can make her own decisions based on who she is rather than what society dictates," she said. First of all, your daughter is on the record as stating she thinks you're nuts. Second, this isn't a random guideline dictated by our gestationally oppressive society, this is a function of biology. The happy parents are evasive when pressed about the source of the embryos implanted in their last two pregnancies, leading me to the obvious conclusion that Frieda's eggs were a little stale. She said that people who consider new motherhood at her age inappropriate "need to get ready for what's coming up in our society." What's coming up, Frieda? Senior citizens bringing their breast pumps to bridge club? Real life reenactments of Father of the Bride II? Co-branded nursing homes and daycare centers? I don't think so, Frieda. I think I can rest easy tonight knowing that you are a selfish, but blessedly unique, individual. That's why your name is all over the papers, we're mocking you-not celebrating your choice. |