How to carry off motherhood at 63

**TheMoog** · July 2nd, 2007, 06:11 AM

How to carry off motherhood at 63

Bearing her strapping baby in a sling, Dr Patricia Rashbrook, 63, shows she has lost none of her appetite for motherhood.

Britain's oldest mother was taking her son Jude, who will be one on Thursday, on a trip to the shops.
She insists her age is no barrier to raising a child and, while many parents might have chosen the easier option of using a pushchair, she seemed to have no trouble carrying the boy.
Scroll down for more

Weighty responsibility: Dr Rashbrook carries Jude in a sling

Judging by his size, Jude is thriving in the care of his doting mother and his father John Farrant, 61.
Jude, known as JJ, was born after child psychologist Dr Rashbrook paid £10,000 for IVF treatment in Russia using a donor egg under the supervision of Italian fertility expert Professor Severino Antinori.
Despite being past retirement age, Dr Rashbrook is preparing to return to work part time and has been given planning permission to turn the basement of the family's £500,000 home in Lewes, East Sussex, into a consulting room.

Scroll down for more

Doting: With Jude and his father John Farrant

She said that when Jude was born she would take a year off work, then she and her husband would both work part time so one of them was always at home with him.
While Mr Farrant. a higher education consultant, is a firsttime father, Dr Rashbrook had three children, now grown up, by her late first husband.
Caroline, 27, a doctor, and sons William, 23, and Charles, 19, both students, are expected to be at Jude's first birthday party next week.
His birth reignited the debate over giving fertility treatment to women who are way past natural child-bearing age.
Dr Rashbrook had been refused fertility treatment in the UK, where most clinics have an upper age limit of 55. Professor Antinori, who has a track record of helping postmenopausal women have babies, took the couple to Russia because Dr Rashbrook was also beyond the age limit for treatment in Italy.

How to carry off motherhood at 63 | the Daily Mail

**DeadDwarf** · July 5th, 2007, 05:58 PM

I don't get it. I'm sorry but I think it's selfish. My grandparents (and my grandparents in-laws) are in their mid to late 70's and they are on the brink of death already. I can't imagine them having children that are 10-15 years old.

How sad.

Hopefully they last long enough to raise their child. He's the one that is going to have the most potential pain in this situation.

**msdeb** · July 5th, 2007, 06:13 PM

that child is too big to be in a sling. how uncomfortable for him.

**Quazar** · July 5th, 2007, 06:58 PM

The older siblings will end up being the "parents". Were they consulted? It's not fair for them either.

**gardenofeve** · July 5th, 2007, 08:55 PM

that child is too big to be in a sling. how uncomfortable for him.

There are types of slings that are made for older kids. We have an ergo which suits my 20 month old. She should really consider that, he's definitely not fitting into that carrier properly. That was the first thing that struck me about those photos.

**RevellingInSane** · July 7th, 2007, 10:32 AM

All these old mums are selfish bitches. These parents can say anything they want, but a 60 year old is not going to be as active, mobile, etc as a 30 year old. There is a reason for menopause. It is nature's way of saying your old ass is way past your prime for children.

That's what you get for putting it off. Deal with it.

**effie2** · July 7th, 2007, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by RevellingInSane

All these old mums are selfish bitches. These parents can say anything they want, but a 60 year old is not going to be as active, mobile, etc as a 30 year old. There is a reason for menopause. It is nature's way of saying your old ass is way past your prime for children.

That's what you get for putting it off. Deal with it.

Perfectly said.I am 60.healthy enough and active enough,to look after myself and have fun.I ve raised 3 kids,thank you very much and i dont want to do it again ,grand children included.
That woman is sick in the head,so is the idiot husband.

**pacific breeze** · July 7th, 2007, 12:21 PM

^^Yeah, why would anyone want to be a mother at 63? Any sane person that is.

**sweetrebel** · July 7th, 2007, 12:22 PM

I personally wouldn't want to have a child at that age, but if they are able to handle it, who am I to say what they should and shouldn't do.
I know plenty of 60+ year olds and they are quite active, and yes, some more active than the 30 year olds we know...
I think it's someone's right to have a child...we can't keep the idiots from spitting out kids that they neglect/abuse or allow someone else to-see story about kid left in hot car and other horror stories we see or read daily-
Man accused of biting baby

June 13, 2007
A man has been charged with biting a 14-month-old child, and his girlfriend has been charged with interfering with a DCFS investigation, Waterman police said.

Mathieu Maize, 28, of North Aurora, was charged with domestic battery after police and DCFS investigated injuries the 14-month-old infant had sustained after being bitten by an adult, police said.

His girlfriend, Stephanie Galante, 25, was charged with misdemeanor obstructing justice for providing false information to Waterman police and DCFS during the investigation.

Additional charges may be pending, police said.

This man BIT this child until her face is unrecognizable-sick fuck

My point, and yes, I do have one

is that if this couple-any older couple-love the child, want the child, then why should anyone care?
I read it's selfish, but there are kids that are orphaned daily who had young, healthy parents. Death is part of life, and who knows how long older parents will live...

**Icepik** · July 7th, 2007, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by sweetrebel

I personally wouldn't want to have a child at that age, but if they are able to handle it, who am I to say what they should and shouldn't do.
I know plenty of 60+ year olds and they are quite active, and yes, some more active than the 30 year olds we know...
I think it's someone's right to have a child...we can't keep the idiots from spitting out kids that they neglect/abuse or allow someone else to-see story about kid left in hot car and other horror stories we see or read daily-
Man accused of biting baby

June 13, 2007
A man has been charged with biting a 14-month-old child, and his girlfriend has been charged with interfering with a DCFS investigation, Waterman police said.

Mathieu Maize, 28, of North Aurora, was charged with domestic battery after police and DCFS investigated injuries the 14-month-old infant had sustained after being bitten by an adult, police said.

His girlfriend, Stephanie Galante, 25, was charged with misdemeanor obstructing justice for providing false information to Waterman police and DCFS during the investigation.

Additional charges may be pending, police said.

This man BIT this child until her face is unrecognizable-sick fuck

My point, and yes, I do have one

is that if this couple-any older couple-love the child, want the child, then why should anyone care?
I read it's selfish, but there are kids that are orphaned daily who had young, healthy parents. Death is part of life, and who knows how long older parents will live...

Excellent points/post

**effie2** · July 7th, 2007, 12:32 PM

At this age people get sick,get all the diseases that come with age,your body is used up,we just cant fight nature and time.
People of that age die suddenly,that woman is OLD to have a child.
When you decide to have a baby ,you think of the child first,not of a sick need in you.
And love is not always THe answer,sometimes is just an excuse..

**McJag** · July 7th, 2007, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by effie2

At this age people get sick,get all the diseases that come with age,your body is used up,we just cant fight nature and time.
People of that age die suddenly,that woman is OLD to have a child.
When you decide to have a baby ,you think of the child first,not of a sick need in you.
And love is not always THe answer,sometimes is just an excuse..

Totally agree.

**Elvira** · July 7th, 2007, 06:08 PM

I wouldn’t want to raise a child at that age but they sound like they have the means to hire help if need be.

When my children were in primary school, they both had a classmate who was being raised by their grandparents and they seem to have turned out fine.

**RevellingInSane** · July 7th, 2007, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by effie2

Perfectly said.I am 60.healthy enough and active enough,to look after myself and have fun.I ve raised 3 kids,thank you very much and i dont want to do it again ,grand children included.
That woman is sick in the head,so is the idiot husband.

I am a mother. I love my child with all my heart, but when she is an adult, I am looking forward to leading my life. This child is looking forward to aged parents as early as his adolescence. That is not fair.

**Icepik** · July 7th, 2007, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Elvira

I wouldn’t want to raise a child at that age but they sound like they have the means to hire help if need be.

When my children were in primary school, they both had a classmate who was being raised by their grandparents and they seem to have turned out fine.

^^^This is a good point. My son has a boy in his class that is also being raised by his grandparents (in their late 60's/early 70's - he's now 12; they have legal custody of the boy). They are rasing him because both his parents are drug addicts and in jail.

I would think it's better to be raised by good parents for, say...15 years than by horrible ones for 20some odd years.