It's a "woo hoo!" moment for motherhood.

Dr. Patricia Rashbrook, of East Sussex, England, will become the oldest new mother in Britain when she gives birth in two months.

She has been receiving fertility treatments in Rome from controversial Italian fertility expert Severino Antinori.

In a joint statement with her husband John Farrant, she said: "We wish to emphasise that this has not been an endeavour undertaken lightly or without courage. A great deal of thought has been given to planning and providing for the child's present and future well-being, medically, socially and materially. We are very happy to have given life to an already much-loved baby, and our wish now is to give him the peace and security he needs."

As you might expect, "experts" are upset over a woman of her age giving birth.

The British Fertility Society wished Dr. Rashbook well, but then said it had "serious concerns" about infertility treatment in women over 50, "particularly because of the increased health risks to the mother and welfare of the child that results."

Josephine Quintavalle, from Comment on Reproductive Ethics (Core), toted out the organization's favorite attack: "You're selfish!" The organization describes its role as "focusing on ethical dilemmas surrounding human reproduction, particularly the new technologies of assisted conception... Absolute respect for the human embryo is a principal tenet."

Where's the abosolute respect here? A mother is having a child. Is calling the mother names showing respect to the soon-to-be-born child?

"It is extremely difficult for a child to have a mother who is as old as a grandmother would be," she said.

How the hell does she know? And who asked her, anyway?

Feminism | Motherhood | Childbirth | Oldest New Mother | Patricia Rashbrook | Severino Antinori | Fertility Treatment | Comment on Reproductive Ethics