60-Year-Old Is The Oldest Woman To Birth Twins In The U.S. “I Take 98 Pills A Week To Stay Alive For My Kids”
At 60-years-old, Lauren Cohen did something many women her age wouldn't dare -- she got pregnant and had twins.
Due to her age, Lauren had to make a drastic lifestyle change. Her hope: be there for her husband and children for as long as possible.
A Dancer Named Lauren Cohen
Lauren Cohen was very healthy and active. In her late 50s, she attended regular dance classes and enjoyed every minute of it.
In fact, it was at one of her classes that she spotted Frank.
She Wanted To Dance With Frank
Recently divorced, Lauren wasn't necessarily looking for a romantic partner. Frank caught her eye, though.
She wanted nothing more than to ask him to dance. Yet she was much older than he was, so Lauren never expected him to say yes.
Frank Said Yes
During an interview, Lauren said, "I never thought he could be interested in a woman so much older. He was a great dancer, so I asked him to dance one night..."
To Lauren's surprise, he said yes!
A 20-Year Age Gap
It didn't take long for Lauren and Frank to grow attracted to one another, despite him being 20 years younger.
Of course, the age gap was a bit of a concern at first. But it soon became nothing more than a number.
Time To Build A Future
Lauren and Frank fell in love and, eventually, decided to get married. The two didn't care about age or how people looked at them.
All they wanted was to build a future with one another.
A Family And Children
Lauren knew that her new husband wanted a family of his own, something she wasn't sure she could give him due to her age.
She wanted nothing more than to give him children and to watch them grow up.
"...Nothing Else In His Life."
During an interview, Lauren explained, "It scared me to think that Frank might end up looking after a woman in his 80s with nothing else in his life."
It wasn't how she wanted Frank to live.
They Were Going To Do Something About It
Lauren continued in the interview, saying, "And by then, he'd be too old to start again with someone else."
"I didn't want to be responsible for him having no children, so we decided to do something about it – fast."
Turned Away By More Than One Doctor
Wanting to start a family, Lauren and Frank looked into in vitro fertilization (IVF). Even though they did their research, each doctor the newlyweds went to turned them away.
None of the medical professionals wanted to perform the IVF procedure on a woman who was almost 60 years old.
"It Was Horrible"
Lauren discussed the heartache she felt being turned away by the doctors.
During an interview, she said, "I was older than the maximum age you were allowed to start the process with at many units...It was horrible."
Lauren Was Determined
Lauren continued on in the interview, saying, "I was determined that Frank should have a proper family, but we kept getting rejected."
Finally, their long wait and the tough search came to an end.
They Found A Clinic
Eventually, Lauren and Frank found a clinic in Virginia that was willing to do the IVF procedure. However, it was a bit more complicated than they expected.
Before the procedure, Lauren had to complete numerous tests.
The Tests
According to Lauren, "There were so many tests – I did everything from running on a treadmill to seeing a psychiatrist before they'd even attempt IVF."
"But since I was in good health, I eventually got the OK."
Egg Donors
Lauren had already been through menopause and therefore had to utilize egg donors for the procedure.
Accoridng to Lauren, "We implanted three embryos each time and used donor eggs because it would have been impossible without."
It Worked!
After four attempts, the clinic gave up on Lauren. Nothing was working. That's when another clinic stepped in.
Amazingly, it took one try, and Lauren fell pregnant with her first child, a daughter named Raquel.
"I Was Ecstatic..."
During an interview, Lauren discussed what happened when they got the news.
She said, "I was ecstatic. I jumped around the room and cried. But since I wanted Frank to have more than one child, we agreed to try again."
Twins!
One year after the birth of their daughter, Lauren became pregnant once again. This time, she and Frank were expecting twins!
During an interview, Lauren said, "We got even more than we'd wished for."
Lauren Set A Record
Giving birth to two healthy babies, Gregory and Giselle, granted Lauren the title of "oldest mother in the U.S. to bear twins."
It was a record, one that Lauren doesn't really feel like she earned because, according to the new mom, she was in excellent health!
The Goal: Send The Kids to College
Staying in good health was all that was important to Lauren. She wanted to watch her children grow. The new mom even set a goal for herself: to see her children off to college.
However, staying healthy was easier said than done.
98 Pills Per Week
Lauren would be in her early 80s by the time her children were ready for college. So, that meant taking good care of her body.
To do so, she began taking a total of 98 pills a week!
Whatever It Takes
During an interview, Lauren said, "I'll do whatever it takes to live as long as I can..."
"I take 98 pills a week, a mix of medicine and dietary supplements. I hope they give me long enough."
All About Staying Healthy
Some of the medications Lauren takes are vitamin D3 to help ward off cancers, the antioxidants curcumin and resveratrol, and vitamin E to keep her nervous system healthy.
Lauren added that she also takes "high dosages of a super-strong multivitamin tablet to fill in any of the gaps."
Lauren Signed Up For Life Extension Research
The new mom even signed up to become of member of Life Extension. The organization's goal is to help its readers live a long and healthy life.
As a member, Lauren receives monthly research and studies by the world's leading doctors in healthy living.
She Signed Up For Various Fitness Classes
On top of taking her 98 pills, Lauren enrolled in various exercise classes, including Pilates, yoga, and fitness classes.
"I don't want to sit at the park, struggling to move," said Lauren. "I want to play with the kids and push them on swings."
It Wasn't Easy
Even though she wanted nothing more than to give Frank children, it wasn't easy for Lauren. She had to learn how to be a mom all over again!
"All my friends were retiring, and there I was bottle-feeding at 1 am," Lauren said during an interview.
Lauren's Oldest Daughter Wanted Nothing To Do With Her
Not only that, but Lauren's eldest daughter Renee wanted nothing to do with her mother. At 34 years old, Renee did not approve of her mother's choice, ultimately disowning her.
Lauren was heartbroken.
"It Breaks My Heart..."
Even though she lost a relationship with her daughter and, therefore, her granddaughter, Lauren still believed she made the right choice for her family.
"It breaks my heart to have mostly lost contact with her," Lauren said. "I'm really disappointed, but I had to do it."
A Pseudo-Relationship Formed
Eventually, Renee allowed Lauren to meet with her and her daughter at restaurants. While it wasn't enough to get to know her granddaughter, Lauren took what she could get.
Through it all, she never let her health slip.
Lauren Will Do Whatever She Can
During an interview, Lauren said, "I'll do whatever I can to make sure I last as long as possible. I take the right foods along with everything else."
"When I die, I know Frank will have a good network of children around him."
All About Family
All Lauren wanted was for her husband to have a family when she passed.
Now, he is surrounded by three loving children and a wife who will do anything in her power to live as long as possible.
