NORFOLK -
More women are waiting until later in life to get married and have children, but, how old is too old?
If you're in the same room as Sharon McPherson, you can't really tell that she's well into her 50s.
She's also 7 months pregnant with twins.
She looks good for her age but does the fact that she's a bit older make her a good fit to be a mother? She says yes.
Sharon is one of thousands of women across the country who have, for many reasons, decided to get pregnant while others their age are planning for menopause.
Sharon says, "It was something that I desired so strongly and I couldn't shake the desire."
That desire to be a mother was made a reality. In 2006, Sharon gave birth to Ethan, who turns 4 in September.
Now, Sharon is just two months away from double bundles of joy, the result of In Vitro Fertilization treatments with Dr. Robin Poe-Zigler in 2005.
Dr. Robin says, "It's my passion, it's what my whole life is about. I think I have the best job in the world."
At the New Hope Clinic in Virginia Beach, Dr. Robin performs up to 300 In Vitro procedures a year.
Most of the women are pushing 40. What are not so common are the ones pushing 60.
Dr. Robin says there are varying controversial opinions, both in the medical field and in the community, as to whether or not women who can, or are close to AARP membership, should be giving birth.
Some say it's because motherhood later in life increases health risks like Down Syndrome and low birth weight in newborns.
Others are concerned that older mothers won't be alive long enough to care for their child.
"Certainly I think we all think about that, but, then I think we all know people who die prematurely in motor vehicle accidents and maybe didn't get to see their children grow up," Dr. Robin says.
Dr. Laurel Stadtmauer is a professor of Obstetrics at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, where most older pregnant moms in Hampton Roads come for evaluation.
Dr. Laurel says, "There's really no limit with donor eggs. It's really more of an ethical decision and it's based on the women's health situation. We have an age cutoff of around 52 in this program."
While a handful of Dr. Laurel's patients have been in their early 50s, the majority, like Shannon Leonard, are in their 40s.
"It was very important. It was something that I always wanted to do later in life and later in life it did happen for me," Shannon says.
If you're in the same room as Sharon McPherson, you can't really tell that she's well into her 50s.
She's also 7 months pregnant with twins.
She looks good for her age but does the fact that she's a bit older make her a good fit to be a mother? She says yes.
Sharon is one of thousands of women across the country who have, for many reasons, decided to get pregnant while others their age are planning for menopause.
Sharon says, "It was something that I desired so strongly and I couldn't shake the desire."
That desire to be a mother was made a reality. In 2006, Sharon gave birth to Ethan, who turns 4 in September.
Now, Sharon is just two months away from double bundles of joy, the result of In Vitro Fertilization treatments with Dr. Robin Poe-Zigler in 2005.
Dr. Robin says, "It's my passion, it's what my whole life is about. I think I have the best job in the world."
At the New Hope Clinic in Virginia Beach, Dr. Robin performs up to 300 In Vitro procedures a year.
Most of the women are pushing 40. What are not so common are the ones pushing 60.
Dr. Robin says there are varying controversial opinions, both in the medical field and in the community, as to whether or not women who can, or are close to AARP membership, should be giving birth.
Some say it's because motherhood later in life increases health risks like Down Syndrome and low birth weight in newborns.
Others are concerned that older mothers won't be alive long enough to care for their child.
"Certainly I think we all think about that, but, then I think we all know people who die prematurely in motor vehicle accidents and maybe didn't get to see their children grow up," Dr. Robin says.
Dr. Laurel Stadtmauer is a professor of Obstetrics at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, where most older pregnant moms in Hampton Roads come for evaluation.
Dr. Laurel says, "There's really no limit with donor eggs. It's really more of an ethical decision and it's based on the women's health situation. We have an age cutoff of around 52 in this program."
While a handful of Dr. Laurel's patients have been in their early 50s, the majority, like Shannon Leonard, are in their 40s.
"It was very important. It was something that I always wanted to do later in life and later in life it did happen for me," Shannon says.
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