A nurse has given birth to triplets aged 50 after being given a 5% chance of conceiving.
Marie Gustavsson says she feels younger than ever after welcoming Charlie, Lorinne and Lara, eight months, following IVF.
The 50-year-old and husband already had four sons when they decided to try once more for a baby.
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Against incredibly small odds, the treatment worked first time.
“It was a fantastic result,” Marie, from Gothenburg, Sweden, told What’s the Jam.
“I was never afraid because of my age.
“I’m very healthy and have had no problems in my other pregnancies.
“I’ve had it very easily all the way and we’ve never had fertility issues.
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“But we didn’t think it would work first time, which is why we transferred three embryos, to maximise the chances.
“They said there was only a 5% chance they would stick, but they all did.
“I was so shocked and so happy.
“It was a fantastic gift.”
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The mum-of-seven forked out £4,750 (€5,500) to have the treatment in Cyprus.
Marie tested positive just three days after the transfer.
Despite carrying triplets at 50, Marie says the pregnancy was smooth.
She says she was advised her to consider reducing the pregnancy to fewer than three children because of the risks associated with triplets, but she refused.
The babies were delivered by emergency caesarean section – Marie’s first after delivering all her other children, Sebastian, 31, Jesper, 19, Leo, eight, and Louie, three, vaginally.
Charlie weighed 1.5kg, Lorinne was 1.3kg and Lara weighed just 1kg.
But they didn’t tell friends and family that there were three babies until they were born.
She said: “When I was pregnant, my belly became like a big stone.
“I couldn’t feel the babies moving because it was so tight inside.
“People around me never knew how many babies were in my belly, they only that saw I was pregnant.
“We didn’t tell anyone it was three babies, because we didn’t know if all of them would make it.
“It was shocking for everyone.
“Some people were disappointed but most of our family and friends were happy for us.
“Some asked how we were going to take care of them.
“I was afraid for a few weeks, wondering how I’d make it and how we’d cope.
“We got a good nanny to help us – we both work from home and we take it in turns throughout the night.
“I sleep from 9pm to 2am, and my husband sleeps from 2am to 7am.”
Marie says motherhood at 50 feels easier than when she was young.
She added: “Being a mum again at 50 isn’t a problem.
“It’s better than when I was 19 and didn’t know how to take care of babies.
“Now it’s easy with help.
“I’ve always tried to live healthy and take care of myself, and that helps me to take care of my babies.
“My babies keep me younger in body and soul.
“I’m not worried about not being around for as long as I’m around for my oldest.”
Marie added: “I’m open-minded.
“I hope I will stay healthy for many years and see my kids grow up.
“I live healthy and take good care of myself.
“There are no guarantees that that young people will live longer and anything could happen, so why worry?”
