A New York woman welcomed a baby at the age of 50 after going through IVF treatment.
Sharon Kollmar, of Long Island, desperate to extend her family and have a baby with her fiancé, Gus, 60, gave birth last year.
Kollmar already had an 11-year-old son, Aiden, from a previous relationship, but wanted more kids. After almost a decade, Kollmar was still single and started to look into sperm donors.
Sharon Kollmar and her fiancé, Gus, decided to have a baby through IVF at the age of 50 and 60, after trying naturally
Sharon gave birth to Bayleigh via C-section after doctors assumed she would be too big, but she was born weighing a normal 7lbs 13oz
After explaining to her lifelong friend, Gus, who is now her fiancé, he suggested that the pair strike up a relationship and try for a baby together.
They ended up having to spend $34,000 on an egg donor and IVF, but welcomed their daughter, Bayleigh Emerson, in September.
‘I so desperately wanted more kids. People thought I was crazy for wanting to start all over again,’ said Kollmar.
‘I’d been to see fertility doctors who were dismissive because of my age and told me that although I still had eggs, the chances of me falling pregnant were slim.’
Sharon’s partner Gus with their daughter Bayleigh. Long term friend, Gus, decided to offer Sharon help while she was looking for a sperm donor, and the pair ended up getting together
‘I was also still single. I was talking to my male friend about everything and out of the blue he said, “What about me?”
‘I’d never even thought about it before but it seemed like a great idea. He had always been in mine and my son’s life.
‘So we started dating, and because I was around 46 and he was 56, we started trying to conceive straight away.’
When big brother, Aiden, saw baby Bayleigh for the first time, his eyes filled with tears and he told her that he had been waiting for her his entire life
Before having her daughter, Sharon received negative concerns from those around her with people saying it wasn’t fair to bring a child into the world at her age
‘We were trying for two years and hadn’t fallen pregnant, so we looked into donor embryos but the cut off age was 45.’
‘So we turned to donor eggs and found someone who matched my colorings and had fresh eggs, rather than frozen.
The process cost $34,000 and Kollmar underwent intensive physical testing and preparation.
In January 2021, when Kollmar was 49, she had an embryo transfer, which was successful on the first attempt.
When she received the call from her doctor to tell her that she was pregnant, she couldn’t believe it.
She said that it was the moment she had been waiting for for over a decade.
‘My pregnancy was pretty textbook, although the baby was bigger this time around, so I felt it a little more.’
‘But I love being pregnant.’
Sharon with son Aiden during her pregnancy. Despite already having a son from another marriage, Sharon had always wanted to extend her family
‘People couldn’t understand why we would want another baby at the age of 50 and 60.’
‘My friends’ kids were graduating college and getting married. Some of my friends were even grandparents.’
‘Gus is even a grandfather and his daughter is 39. His grandkids are 10, 12 and 15.’
‘So people had a hard time getting their head around it, but it meant the world to us.’
Sharon’s partner Gus with their daughter Bayleigh. Gus, while a new father, is also already a grandfather to three
‘On September 28, my waters broke and I gave birth to our baby girl via C-section, at the age of 50, because the doctors wrongly estimated that she was going to be almost 10lbs, there was meconium in my fluids and she flipped over out of the ideal delivery position.’
The C-section was considered safer, though the infant was much smaller than anticipated at 7lbs 13oz.
‘Holding her in my arms was incredible. I love having a newborn. It is just as rewarding and satisfying as the first time,’ Kollmar said.
‘I think people thought I would regret it, but I would not change it for the world.’
Sharon showing off her baby bump. Sharon’s pregnancy was ‘textbook’ although the baby was bigger than Aiden had been, so Sharon felt morre during the pregnancy
‘When we brought her home and I placed her in my son’s arms, his eyes filled with tears and he told her that he had been waiting for her his entire life.’
‘It was so special.’
The couple still have four frozen embryos and she loves the idea of just one more baby in the near future. Kollmar said that it is a big transition to go from one child to two, but she is happier than ever.
Sharon added: ‘I want to give hope to people who thought their chance at parenthood was over.’
‘You need to have faith and live your own life, and not what your family and friends expect you to do.’
‘Just because you are a bit older, it doesn’t mean the door is shut.’
‘People said was that it wasn’t fair to bring a child into the world at our age because we likely wouldn’t be alive to see them into adulthood or that we’d be an embarrassment as old parents.’
‘But it’s better to be born to old parents than not at all, and there is no guarantee that a 25 year old that has a baby will see that child into adulthood as illnesses and accidents happen all the time.’
‘I always knew that I was going to have more children, even though I wasn’t sure how but I just knew that somehow it would all piece together and it has.’
‘I couldn’t be happier.’