Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
A 67-year-old woman has given birth to a baby girl who she and her husband claim was naturally conceived.
Mum-of-two Tian Ying, 67, delivered her daughter by C-section with the help of doctors Wang Xietong and Liu Chengwen at Zaozhuang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in East China on the morning of 25th October.
The child was born at 2,506 grammes (5.52 lbs) and is in a healthy and stable condition while continuing to be monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Ms Tian is a former paediatrics nurse of the hospital. She remained conscious during the caesarean section and is being kept in the ICU.
Her husband, Huang Heping, 68, was there to greet her as she was wheeled out of surgery in front of local media.
The new dad revealed that their son and daughter, the oldest of whom is 40, had cut ties with them over their decision to keep the girl who they have chosen to name ‘Tianci’ – Mandarin for ‘heaven-sent’.
Mr Huang, a lawyer, said: “We’ve named her ‘Tianci’, because she was a gift from god. I hope she likes her name in the future.”
He suggested the high-risk pregnancy was not planned, saying: “Had he really wanted another child, we’d have done so much earlier.
“We wouldn’t have waited until she was so old. It was an accident.”
Of the couple’s several grandchildren, their oldest granddaughter is now 18 and starting university.
It means Tianci’s niece is 18 years her senior, and her sister is 40 years older too.
Ms Tian, who worked as a nurse in the same hospital’s paediatrics ward, reportedly admitted to local media she would not choose to keep the child if she was given a second opportunity.
She was quoted as saying: “It was painful, far too painful. It hurt so much, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”
On the prospect of passing away before her newborn daughter comes of age, she added: “We have to raise her to adulthood at all costs. We’re going to try live to 110.”
The new mum said she would not rely on her children or grandchildren to help, and would raise the girl using her and her husband’s pension.
Doctor Wang, who was consulting from Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital in the provincial capital, told local media shortly after stepping out of surgery: “The operation went very smoothly.
“Two problems arose during surgery, but we had foreseen them, and they weren’t very serious.
“They were dealt with quickly, and both mother and child are safe.
“To conceive naturally and successfully carry the pregnancy to term at 67 – I’ve not seen a case like that.”
Doctor Wang did not say whether the hospital was able to verify the couple’s claim that the girl was naturally conceived.
But if their claim is true, it would make Ms Tian the oldest woman to conceive naturally in China.
According to reports, she is already China’s oldest new mother after overtaking a 64-year-old woman who gave birth to a baby boy in 2016 in Changchun, capital of north-eastern Jilin Province.
Zaozhuang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital’s records show that Ms Tian first discovered she was pregnant during an examination in Beijing on 6th April this year.
Despite recommendations that she not see out the pregnancy, Ms Tian felt she was “physically capable” of bearing and delivering the child.
She registered herself in the neonatal unit on 20th May, and was categorised as high risk.
At 34 weeks, doctors recommended a C-section due to her fluctuating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, but Ms Tian declined.
The cesarean was performed at just over 36 weeks into her pregnancy, with the child at late preterm, the hospital said.
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