Giving Older Women a Shot at Motherhood

TL;DR

Post-Menopause Pregnancies: A paper shows menopause no longer bars pregnancy through egg donations from younger women.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)[[2]](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199010253231702)
$10,000 Cost: Each attempt costs about $10,000, including $1,500 to the egg donor and in vitro fertilization expenses.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)
Quit Debate: Doctors worry some women pursue endless treatments despite emotional, physical, and financial tolls.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

The story at a glance

Infertility clinics see desperate couples spending heavily on treatments, but a recent paper by Dr. Mark V. Sauer of the University of Southern California shows post-menopausal women can get pregnant using donated eggs from younger women, fertilized via in vitro fertilization and implanted after hormone preparation. The article, by Gina Kolata, discusses when couples should stop trying amid rising options. It follows the paper's publication last week in The New England Journal of Medicine.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)[[2]](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199010253231702)

Key points

Every infertility clinic encounters couples spending years and fortunes on baby attempts.
Post-menopausal women accepting egg donations can become pregnant easily, per Dr. Sauer's findings.
Decisions to stop hinge on tolerance for emotional trauma, physical strain, and high costs of treatments.
Each post-menopause attempt runs about $10,000, covering $1,500 to the donor, in vitro fertilization with husband's sperm, and hormones to ready the uterus for 100 days.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)
Dr. Sauer fears his report may lead some to exploit the option and lose more money.
Dr. Arthur Caplan sees no ethical bar, noting men father children into their 70s without issue.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

Details and context

The process involves in vitro fertilization: eggs from a younger donor are fertilized in a lab with the husband's sperm, then placed in the post-menopausal woman's uterus. She takes hormones to prepare the uterus lining and sustain early pregnancy for the first 100 days.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

Dr. Sauer's team at the University of Southern California published results showing success in women over 40, including post-menopausal cases, extending reproductive potential via oocyte donation.[[2]](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199010253231702)

Ethical views differ: Dr. Caplan argues women should decide individually, like men who father late in life, rejecting a "natural" cutoff as immoral.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

Key quotes

Dr. Mark V. Sauer: "A lot of these women don't know when to quit." He added that he fears his report "will be, for a lot of people, another alternative to exploit and lose money on."[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

Dr. Arthur Caplan: "It does not make sense to say that there is some natural point beyond which it is too late or immoral to become a parent. Men have become parents in their 70's and no one has blinked an eye at that."[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

Why it matters

Menopause once signaled an end to fertility, but egg donation reopens parenthood for older women, challenging biological and social norms around maternal age. Couples face hard choices on enduring costly, taxing treatments without guaranteed success, while clinics gain a new option amid infertility desperation. Watch for evolving ethical guidelines and success rates as more clinics adopt the technique, though experts caution on over-pursuit.

What changed

Women once viewed menopause as a natural end to childbearing possibilities. Now, egg donation and hormones allow post-menopausal pregnancies. The shift gained notice with Dr. Sauer's paper published October 25, 1990.[[2]](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199010253231702)

FAQ

Q: How does pregnancy work after menopause?[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

A: Younger women donate eggs, which are fertilized in vitro with the husband's sperm and inserted into the menopausal woman's uterus. She takes hormones to prepare her uterus and sustain the embryo for the first 100 days.

Q: What is the cost of one attempt?[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

A: About $10,000 per try. This includes $1,500 to the egg donor plus standard in vitro fertilization and hormone costs.

Q: Why might some women keep trying treatments?[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

A: Desperation drives couples to spend years and savings despite emotional and physical tolls. Dr. Sauer notes many "don't know when to quit."

Q: Is there an ethical age limit for mothers?[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)

A: Dr. Caplan says no fixed natural or moral cutoff exists. He points out men father children into their 70s without objection, so women should decide personally.

[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-giving-older-women-a-shot-at-motherhood.html)[[2]](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199010253231702)