"They said I was too old to have kids"

Morgan Zantua did not give up her hopes of finding the man of her dreams and having a family when her first marriage broke apart at the age of 29. But some things happen in life when you least expect it. And Morgan Zantua was no exception to it. It took her 15 long years to meet the man of her dreams. And finally when she walked down the aisle for the second time in her life, she was 44 years old.

Zantua and George, her new husband decided on having kids right away. They did not want to wait and risk the chances of not having a baby. Zantua was able to conceive very quickly but unfortunately she miscarried at 12 weeks. ‘May be I was not meant to have kids’, she thought. Her gynecologist was surprised that she became pregnant in the first place considering her history of irregular periods and uterine fibroids. The doctor also told her that at her age it was difficult to conceive and carry it through.

‘So finally I gave up all my hopes of ever having a baby’, says she and consoled herself saying that maybe she would have a baby in her life when her stepson had kids. Moreover her husbands pragmatic views gave her a better perspective of life and helped her cope with the reality.

Five years into their marriage, while Zantua was 51 and George 56, they decided to sell their house in Tacoma and go for a world tour. Zantua was in a graduate school at that time and trying to manage three jobs. At that time she noticed certain differences in her body. She was unable to button her skirts and also felt very tired and warm. She thought that she was having her menopause but anyhow decided to consult her doctor.

Just before her doctor’s appointment she decided to do a pregnancy test as per her friends’ suggestion. ‘Why not’, she thought. ‘It might turn out to be a surprise’. And what a great surprise it was for both Zantua and George when they discovered that finally they were going to have a baby. ‘I can’t believe that I am going to become a mom when my friends’ are becoming grandmas’, said Zentua. She was excited as well as scared but George was her pillar of strength and gave her the support she required. Both of them were really overjoyed.

The following day Zantua’s pregnancy was confirmed by her gynecologist. She was five months pregnant with a healthy baby girl. ‘I feel blessed to become a “geriatric mom”, says she, though she did not realize how rare it was. In the US that year only 239 women between 50 and 54 had given birth to healthy babies. And finally amidst all the risks of miscarriage and complications, she gave birth to a little angel on August 2001.

Life is really a bundle of surprises, says Zantua who now at the age of 55, is the mother of 3 year old Auriel. She is working as a special project consultant at a community college and is just not thinking about slowing down like a lot of people her age. She is still thinking about all those imaginary tea parties and swimming lessons and all the fun things she plans to do with her daughter even when she is getting wrinkles and grey hair. ‘I am really blessed and loving each and every moment of my life’, says Zantua.

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