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- Luise and Dean met in 2007 when she was 37 but didn't start fertility treatment until nine years later.
- Now, Louise, 52, gave birth to her first child after spending more than R3.7 million on IVF.
- She is looking forward to having more children.
A woman has become a first-time mum aged 52, after spending more than US$200 000 (R3.7 million) on IVF - and says she's not done with having children yet.
Luise Hoehn from Lowell in Massachusetts gave birth on Christmas Day 2022 after trying for a baby for six years using IVF therapies and donor eggs.
New parents Luise and husband Dean Biele, 47, welcomed their long-awaited son, Stellan, after six gruelling rounds of failed IVF - and plan to try for a second baby later this year.
Luise, who will be 53 in May, spent US$75 000 (R1.4 million) on donor eggs following six disappointing failed rounds using her own eggs - costing more than US$115 000 (R2.1 million).
Luise and Dean met in 2007 when Luise was 37 but didn't start fertility treatment until nine years later.
But at 46, Louise was already over the cut-off age for many clinics, and when the couple did find a specialist, they discovered their insurance would not cover most of the treatment cost because of Louise's age.
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The couple bought a house in 2012. Although they were trying to conceive naturally once they lived together, Luise admits she was naïve not to be concerned about declining fertility as she entered her forties.
She says: "When I was 42, my doctor asked if I wanted to talk to an IVF specialist. It had never occurred to me to freeze my eggs, and I believed it would happen naturally, so I said no."
But at 46, when her periods stopped for two months, and a doctor told her she was menopausal, she decided to take action.
She says: "Thankfully, it wasn't the start of menopause, but the scare made me stop waiting for something to happen naturally."
The couple had their first IVF consultation in January 2016, and the recommendation was donor eggs.
Luise says: "I was very disappointed. The doctor said I would have more success with donor eggs because I was past the ideal age for trying with my own eggs, but I decided to try with them anyway."
After the couple married in February 2017, Luise underwent her first IVF cycle in March 2017.
When it failed, the couple worked with a local doctor for two more cycles before moving to a clinic five hours away in Manhattan for three more cycles.
Luise says: "My husband's insurance paid for the first round and half the second round. After that, we are fortunate that Dean has a job that allowed us to keep trying more IVF cycles, and we had to keep trying because it was what we both wanted."
But the couple faced more heartache with every failed round and four failed retrievals between March 2017 and June 2018. By 2019, the couple agreed to search for a donor egg.
She adds:
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Luise says: "I am over the moon with the donor. She matches me perfectly. Ethnically, she could be my sibling, but also, her personality and characteristics meant she was an ideal match for what I was looking for as my stand-in for my genetic half.
"It was important I found someone who represented me, and I went through several agencies."
In May 2022, the couple transferred their first embryo and eight days later, Luise had a positive pregnancy test.
Thrilled but wary, they decided only to tell immediate friends and family she was expecting.
The couple has one living parent, Dean's mum, aged 82. Both Dean and Luise have several siblings, and all have been incredibly supportive.
She says: "I didn't make a big announcement on social media because I was unsure how I would handle the pregnancy, and I didn't want to attract lots of questions."
Luise believes she will be a wiser mother now than she would have been at a younger age.
She says: "Some of my friends are grandparents. We are just starting, but there's something to be said for life experience. I am confident in what I can do and our choices in how we will raise a child."
Their son was born healthy at 35 weeks, weighing 4lb 15oz on December 25, and settling into life with a new-born.
Luise says: "He's so calm and peaceful, and we are slowly finding our feet as a family of three."
She adds the couple hopes to try for a second baby before the end of the year.
Despite being pregnant at 52, Luise says she had an easy pregnancy with few symptoms but confessed to being exceptionally sleepy for eight months.
Stellan was born via C-section, and Louise says her body recovered incredibly quickly.
She adds: "I've always been a big believer in health and wellness therapies and believe these helped me stay tuned and able."
Luise is also pleased she has been able to breastfeed.
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She says: "I was worried my age may affect my milk supply, but the hospital was fantastic and encouraged me with a breast pump, and we used donor breast milk too initially."
Looking back, Luise has some regrets about not freezing her eggs earlier and hopes she can inspire older women not to give up by speaking out.
Luise posted her baby news in an older mum's support group, saying: "I hope seeing successes inspire others not to give up because I was motivated by stories of other older mums.
"It helped me to realise I'm not too old to carry and safely deliver a healthy baby, and when you're trying for so long, you need to hear that it does happen successfully for older women.
"We paid more for IVF than we did for our house, but becoming parents is priceless.
"I may not have the stamina I once had, but I do have the motivation and a wealth of knowledge and experience.
"He is the love of our lives, and he is the best decision we have ever made. I look forward to trying another transfer so that we may have a sibling for Stellan."
