Still Waters Posted April 12, 2015 #1 Share Posted April 12, 2015 A 65-year-old Berlin woman who already has 13 children is pregnant again with quadruplets, German media reported Sunday. The Russian and English teacher's pregnancy follows several attempts abroad at artificial insemination over the last year and a half, German RTL broadcaster said. The woman, Annegret Raunigk, decided to try to have another child because her youngest daughter, who is nine, wanted a little brother or sister, RTL said on its website. https://uk.news.yaho...25.html#Q1RfHuJ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xYlvax Posted April 12, 2015 #2 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Wow... I would think she'd want a break from children finally. Four new children at 65? That's wild.. She's going to be busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonardo Posted April 12, 2015 #3 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The woman, Annegret Raunigk, decided to try to have another child because her youngest daughter, who is nine, wanted a little brother or sister, RTL said on its website. I honestly hope she had a better reason than that, because a 9 year-old has no comprehension of how big a responsibility raising a child is, and a baby is not a "toy" for an older sibling. I'm all for individual choice but, to be honest, I'm a bit torn about this story and can't help feeling the woman lacks a bit of responsibility and perspective. It's fine being a granny at 65 - but then you can give them back when they start acting up. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefenceMinisterMishkin Posted April 12, 2015 #4 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I hope she had to pay for the treatment herself. there are couples out there with genuine fertility problems brought on by illness who have to pay thousands for fertility related treatments, and I include myself in that statement. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblykiss Posted April 12, 2015 #5 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Imagine being 75 with 4 10 year olds at your feet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonardo Posted April 12, 2015 #6 Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) Imagine being 75 with 4 10 year olds at your feet. Imagine what the school acquaintances of those 10 year-olds will be saying to them about their mother. I know that things like this shouldn't be a factor in the decision to have children, but the reality is that it is the children who have to bear with the burden as much as, and perhaps more than, their parent(s). Edited April 12, 2015 by Leonardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawken Posted April 12, 2015 #7 Share Posted April 12, 2015 At age 65, I wonder if she gave it any thought that those 4 children will grow to be adults when her time comes. If she passes away and the children are underage, then someone else will have the burden of raising them to adulthood. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skep B Posted April 12, 2015 #8 Share Posted April 12, 2015 well....w/ 13 other kids I imagine some of them have to be at least close to the age of legally being adults. so i'm gonna go out on a limb and say those kids'll be responsible for their brothers and sisters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auntyseptic Posted April 12, 2015 #9 Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) I wonder what's going through this woman's mind, I work at a college for people with learning difficulties and I have noticed a large percentage of the service users have elderly parents, I know parent's of any age can have a child with learning difficulties but the chance does increase the older you get but 65 is about 20 years too late to be having a baby, Let alone 4. Edited April 12, 2015 by Cat_From_Hell 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm221 Posted April 12, 2015 #10 Share Posted April 12, 2015 How many grandparents are already raising and caring for their grandchildren because the parents can't or don't want to take on the full responsibility? We create a welfare state with 15 yr. olds having babies, and then can't care for them properly. There is no guarantee any parent is going to be around for their children's graduation; young parents die from cancer or other illnesses, a car accident, etc. Coming from a large family myself, we tend to be much closer than families with only 2 or 3 children (who I've found tend to be very self centered; we all looked after each other; and after one of my siblings died, we took on the care of their children and everything's worked out fine. Remember, it takes a village... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawken Posted April 12, 2015 #11 Share Posted April 12, 2015 well....w/ 13 other kids I imagine some of them have to be at least close to the age of legally being adults. so i'm gonna go out on a limb and say those kids'll be responsible for their brothers and sisters I'm sure the older siblings would finish raising there younger siblings. But if they have children of there own to raise, then it will be an extra burden on them. Apparently their mother didn't consider that or didn't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarjarbinks Posted April 12, 2015 #12 Share Posted April 12, 2015 #8 here, it might be true, but the contrary is worse. young women who have childrens when they're 16 to 22 have learning difficulties (not all of them, but a lot) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted April 12, 2015 #13 Share Posted April 12, 2015 In the words of George Costanza, "Every time I think I'm out... They pull me back in." I hope she has people to help out. She's going to need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblykiss Posted April 12, 2015 #14 Share Posted April 12, 2015 My friend has a 22 year-old daughter and a 2 year-old half brother. When she took her daughter to meet her uncle I asked her if this happened, "hey, treat your uncle with respect when you are changing his diaper". 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She-ra Posted April 12, 2015 #15 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I wasn't sure about this woman until I read this: "On the scan it was just clear to see," Bild quoted her as saying, adding however she had not considered it an option to reduce the number of embryos. At a time when other women her age are preparing to slow down and take things easier, Raunigk indicated she had no reservations about the challenges ahead. "I'm not actually afraid. I simply assume I'll remain healthy and fit. In matters of organisation I have enough experience, that's not new for me," she said. I actually have respect for this woman. She seems to have her stuff together and is in a great frame of mind about the whole thing. Good for her. If this is what she chooses then i say go for it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted April 12, 2015 #16 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I'm younger than this lady and I wouldn't want to have another child...it's selfish IMO because you're very likely to die or become disabled before the child is even 18 years old. That's just not fair to the child. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She-ra Posted April 12, 2015 #17 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I thought about that too but when I looked at her in the picture she looks great! She's a healthy German. My husband's 100% German and all of his relatives live to a very old age. I dunno. Whatever floats your boat I guess and all that I would never have another kid either and I'm much younger than her. She has an army of children. I'm sure they all help out too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena1979 Posted April 13, 2015 #18 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Dang kids. Always talking us into doing things..."Mom, PLEASE....PLEASE....PLEASE...If you don't have another baby it's because you don't love me anymore!!! I'm going to hold my breath. I'm going to do it. PLEASE!!! Mom...Mom...Mom....Mom...PLEASE" Mom: "Oh my god! Ok, I'll have another baby if you promise to be quiet!" Sounds like my 9 year old. She asked me if she could have a baby brother. I said, "You bet!" She thinks I've been pregnant for the last 3 years now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritWriter Posted April 13, 2015 #19 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Yeayyyyy! Cool. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritWriter Posted April 13, 2015 #20 Share Posted April 13, 2015 It usually irritates me when people think they need to criticize other people's pregnancies, desires or rights to have children.. I'm happy for her. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawken Posted April 13, 2015 #21 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I wonder if the German Taxpayer is helping support that family like in these situations in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted April 13, 2015 #22 Share Posted April 13, 2015 It usually irritates me when people think they need to criticize other people's pregnancies, desires or rights to have children.. I'm happy for her. The woman is 65 years old for goodness sakes. The chance that she will be alive or physically capable of dealing with quads is minimal. So unless there are other family members that are going to raise these children what happens to them? The rights of the children have to be taken into consideration too. Hopefully, her family is planning on stepping in to raise these children. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefenceMinisterMishkin Posted April 13, 2015 #23 Share Posted April 13, 2015 My fiancé and I would just be thankful for one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Gazer Posted April 13, 2015 #24 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) My fiancé and I would just be thankful for one! I hear ya! I haven't had any problems with having children myself but my sister and brother in law have (they've been trying for over 7 years). I donated eggs for their IVF last year which was sadly unsuccessful and am currently pregnant as a surrogate for them so they will finally become parents at some point in June. Hope it happens for you and your other half x Edited April 13, 2015 by Moon Gazer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast Posted April 13, 2015 #25 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I hope she had to pay for the treatment herself. She did as in Germany the maximum age for artificial insemination (up to 3 attempts) to be paid by the health insurance (50 to100% depending on the health insurance company) is 45 years. And there is also a law in Germany that limit the number of transfered fertilized eggs cells to 3 per trial to reduce the chance for possible multiple pregnancies for more than 3 babies. But there is still a kind of egg cell tourism going on in Europe. Means the invitro fertilisation process gets carried out in a fertility center here in Germany and fertilized egg cells (>3) are getting cryo shipped for example to Spain where there is no such 3 cell limitation and the cells get implanted in specialized hospitals there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now