Mother serves as surrogate for daughters baby - her grandchild...
Remember that children’s book “Are You My Mother?” For one Illinois baby, the answer to that question is a little confusing. That’s because even though his biological parents made him, his 61-year old grandmother... delivered him.
Finnean Lee Connell is Kristine Casey’s first grandchild. Her daughter -- Finnean’s biological mother -- suffered through multiple failed pregnancies until grandma offered up her own belly. Disregard the fact that Casey already hit menopause -- ten years ago.
ABC asked a doctor to explain how a 61-year old woman was able to safely carry a baby:
“The uterus itself does not age. So if you take eggs from a younger woman and use those eggs, and put them into the uterus of an older woman -- that success rate will be determined by the age of the woman’s eggs, not the uterus.”
Casey had a C-section delivery -- with a few minor kidney complications, which were quickly remedied. But a reproductive specialist tells the Chicago Tribune -- there can be serious risks for a pregnancy at that age.
"The issue comes up because as a woman gets older, the risks she takes in pregnancy clearly go up — everything from high blood pressure and diabetes to premature delivery and infant death."
Grandma says she felt a “spiritual calling” to this role. But not everyone sees this as a beautiful thing. A writer for the Village Voice says she’s just creeped out.
“... This concept -- "grandmother gives birth to own grandchild" -- makes me think of Russian nesting dolls.... Am I the only judgmental old prude who thinks this is slightly weird?”
The National Post interviewed a surrogacy lawyer who says more mothers are choosing family members as the ideal surrogate.
“… Women who have a relative for a surrogate. ... tend to be more trusting. Rarely is there a litany of do’s and don’ts handed down to a relative, whereas a paid surrogate, who is often a stranger, would have a number of restrictions ... Women who use family members as surrogates tend to be far more grateful ... seeing the surrogacy as an act of love.”
View video: www.newsy.com/videos/grandmother-serves-as surrogate-for-her-own-daughter/
