I am both utterly amazed and confounded when I hear of miracle birth stories.
A “miracle baby” is one who is born against all odds. They might have been born with severe health or physical complications or were never expected even to live past a few days.
One woman has chosen to do the unimaginable — at 65, she has given birth to a set of quadruplets. Immediately after birth, they experienced nightmarish obstacles.
She has a total of 13 children, ranging in age from 10 to 44. She has faced criticism and hatred throughout her life. Despite the severe criticism, she has stayed loyal to herself and her aspirations. She discussed her experience with The Daily Mail.
She said she found it “quite a strain battling against the cliches” as to what she should and should not be capable of at her age, and if science had enabled her to get pregnant “it should be up to everyone to decide for themselves”.
The births make her the oldest mother of quadruplets to date. Raunigk’s pregnancy was the result of 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑔𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚.
She said she had decided to try to have another child because her youngest daughter, aged nine, wanted a younger brother or sister.
The infants were born weighing between 1 lb., 7 oz. and 2 lb., 2 oz. and were given the names Neeta, Bence, Dries, and Fjonn. The first week following their birth, they were all maintained in incubators. Doctors were extremely concerned at the time that the very 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 babies would not 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑒, with tiny baby girl Neeta weighing just 1lb 7oz when she was born.
Experts cautioned that even if they 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑, they might face long-term health issues such as 𝑙𝑢𝑛𝑔, 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑒𝑦𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠.
Professor Christoph Buhrer, on the other hand, confirmed: ‘They’ve all matured nicely, and they’ve grown beautifully in a short period.’
‘The children were born through Caesarian section but all four are now as strong and as heavy as if they had been born naturally.’
Raunigk is the mother of 13 other children, borne of five different fathers. She also has seven grandchildren.
“I sleep very little but I know I can take care of them,” she said. She has consistently ignored those who have criticized her decisions to bear children.
Annegret was forced to travel to Kiev as doctors in Germany refused to give her 𝐼𝑉𝐹 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 because they were concerned that her body wouldn’t be strong enough to survive the stress of pregnancy and giving birth.
“This is not about egotism and it is not selfishness. I like children — they keep me young,” she said. “I am looked after, consulted, observed. I am fit and I am ready to have these babies and to care for them.”
Raunigk’s story has sparked a prolonged debate and has garnered both support and opposition. What did you think of her situation?
