Not every woman may know that she carries a finite number of eggs for reproduction. Or that by the age of 35, the number of available eggs takes a nosedive. Or that by 40, a degradation of egg quality invites the risks of birth defects. Cat Ashworth's documentary The Oldest Mother on the Block takes a look at the phenomenon of early middle-aged women deciding to challenge their biological clocks, charting the many emotions and psychological implications accompanying their decisions to have babies at this late stage. The film follows three women in their 40s who struggle to achieve fertility and then must cope with the aftermath of being older moms. Ilene and Mike, a couple with a 10-year age difference, use donor eggs, after which Ilene feels a curious disconnection, until the needs of her twin baby boys awaken a maternal response. Another woman, partner-less, decides that modern fertilization techniques and the ability to choose donor sperm online offer an opportunity for her to become a single parent while there's still time. The filmmaker herself, at the age of 47, became pregnant using donor eggs, noting the irony of having "wasted" her own eggs over a quarter-century. Now, at age 52, she has a five-year-old child and faces a long road of motherhood at a time when her peers are grandmothers. In addition to the central stories, the documentary features interviews with several doctors and author Nancy London (Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles: First-Time Mothers Over Forty). A provocative film that asks tough questions about pregnancy and motherhood for older women, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
The Oldest Mother on the Block
(2006) 60 min. DVD or VHS: $295. Filmakers Library. PPR. Volume 23, Issue 4
The Oldest Mother on the Block
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