At almost 60 years old, Barbara Higgins might be expected to slow down. But remarkably, the schoolteacher has given birth to a baby boy – going into labour just hours after a gym workout!
Barbara, 57, was desperate to have another child after the devastating death of her daughter, Molly, 13, in May 2016. She was turned down by several fertility clinics because of her age, before she found a doctor willing to treat her and her husband, Kenny, 65.
And in a shock twist, baby Jack saved Barbara’s life – it was during IVF treatment that medics discovered she had three brain tumours, which were removed before she fell pregnant.
Barbara says, “Being pregnant as an older woman was so much easier than it was in my thirties. I didn’t get morning sickness.
“My friends at the gym thought I’d put on weight – when I told them I was pregnant, they thought I was joking! I know people will think I’m bonkers, but having a baby in my fifties feels like a miracle. We’re so happy.”
Barbara, who lives with Kenny and their 19-year-old daughter, Gracie, in Concord, New Hampshire, USA, began thinking about having another child after she tragically lost her daughter, Molly, to a brain tumour five years ago.
Barbara says, “Molly’s death was devastating. And after she died, I started having these dreams about having another baby. At first, I thought it was just my brain trying to cope with loss.
“I spoke to my friends about it – they all said I was crazy and to get a pet instead. But I couldn’t shake the idea. I was fit and healthy and had so much love to give.
“Without telling anyone, I started looking into IVF and, two months later, I found a clinic in Boston willing to treat me, despite my age. When I told Kenny what I’d been up to, I wasn’t sure how he’d take it, but he was so excited. After so much pain, we wanted some joy.”
Barbara began the perimenopause in 2016, but doctors gave her hormone replacement therapy to relieve symptoms and replace hormones that were at a lower level as she approached the menopause. This meant Barbara’s periods, which had stopped, started again.
She says, “I was relieved when I started having periods again, as it meant the baby would biologically belong to me and Kenny. I had to undergo a series of mental and physical tests to ensure I could carry a baby. But I go to CrossFit classes five times a week, and I’m very athletic for my age, so I wasn’t concerned.”
But in December 2018, Barbara’s baby dream nearly came to an end when an MRI scan showed she had three brain tumours.
She says, “I suffer from a nerve condition that gives you sudden, severe facial pain, which I take medication for. In order to start my IVF treatment, I had to come off the tablets.
“But, within a few days, the pain became almost unbearable and I was referred for an MRI. I was numb with shock when my neurologist said he’d discovered that I had three brain tumours. It was especially scary as that was what my daughter had died from.
“Luckily, the tumours weren’t cancerous, but the largest was situated next to a main artery, and my doctor said that if it had remained undetected, I could have had a fatal stroke. I had surgery to remove them in January 2019. I felt so lucky – trying to get pregnant had saved my life.”
Barbara was finally able to have her first round of IVF, which failed in September 2019. But in August 2020, she fell pregnant.
She says, “As soon as the positive result appeared, Kenny and I were in tears. We couldn’t believe our dreams were coming true.”
Barbara and Kenny kept their journey a secret from everyone, including from their daughter, Gracie.
She says, “We worried about Gracie’s reaction – we thought she may get angry, or think we were trying to replace her sister, but at 20 weeks, we told her the truth. She was so excited, and then we told close friends and family – everyone was happy for us.
“And I loved being pregnant – I had lots of energy.”
“I’d sometimes get some funny looks from strangers, and people would do a double take when they saw my bump but it didn’t bother me at all. I was just thrilled to be pregnant.”
In March this year, Barbara was induced early at 36 weeks and four days, after suffering with pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure.
She says, “In the morning I did my usual gym class, but I was admitted to hospital hours later. I had to be induced, and I went into labour quite quickly. I pushed once, and baby Jack was born. It was the easiest birth I’ve ever had!”
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Back home, Jack quickly slotted into family life.
She says, “Gracie adores him and we talk about his big sister, Molly. He’s an easy baby – he sleeps for long stretches through the night so we’ve not been too sleep-deprived. Kenny is retired, so I’ve had lots of help during maternity leave.”
And Barbara, who will turn 58 in July, can’t wait to see what the future holds.
She says, “I know I’ll be approaching 70 when Jack is almost 10, but I don’t worry about being an older mum. After we lost Molly, I realised tomorrow isn’t promised. We’ll just do everything we can to make sure our children are happy and loved.
“I’m healthy anyway and don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon. My mum is 78 and is in the best shape ever. I know people will criticise me, but baby Jack saved my life in more ways than he’ll ever know.”
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