Celine Dion desperate for second child

Previously I reported that Celin Dion was pregnant from her frozen embryo but I am now learning from her husband Rene Angelil that it was a false pregnancy. In other words, there were hormonal changes in the body but the frozen embryo did not really implant.

It is important to understand that implanting a frozen embryo involves an IVF procedure and that involves preparing the woman's body through a combination of fertility drugs. That can completely confuse the body and that is why the false pregnancy tests. Celine has already tried once more since then and will try again but at some point you start to wonder if this couple is not just pushing the limits of parenthood because they already are parents of a healthy child. At this late age in life, it is nothing but greed, and yes they are rich and can do anything, and I would have supported their decision if they were childless, but right now it seems that they are simply greedy people who have no respect for their own child, who maybe born to an old woman whose body refuses to cooperate. It is one thing to exploit technology for becoming a parent, it is its abuse to raise a baby farm.

Michelle Stafford parent through surrogate mother

As I have written before, by the time a woman is 40, her fertility has dropped to a point that it is highly unlikely that she can deliver a living, healthy, normal baby. Yes, some women do that but the number is in very low single digits. Others can try techniques like IUI or IVF but they are not much help. A smarter thing to do is to what Celine Dion did who froze her embryos a long time ago and then became pregnant with it.

If you have failed with these attempts (and burned thousands of dollars in case your insurance does not cover these procedures) then your next option is to use donor eggs, in which case, the real mother is someone else but a woman can still feel connected to the baby since she will be carrying it. These procedures are prohibitively expensive in most of the Western world but in countries like Czech Republic or Ukraine, poor and desperate women will sell their eggs for a very low price. The probability improves but if this does not work, another option is to use a surrogate mother, a procedure used by Ricky Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Clay Aiken. In other words, hire a woman to carry a man's child using the surrogate's or donor's eggs. This procedure can cost tens of thousands of dollars and surrogate moms are not lining up for the job.

We can now add another name to the list of women who are becoming "moms" with the help of surrogates: Michelle Stafford, who at 43, tried all of the above, but failed. Interestingly, in her case, since she is single mom by choice, both the sperm and egg are from donors and she will simply be raising the child. This option is akin to paying someone for adopting their baby.

Sarah Jessica Parker surrogate twins

I can understand why gays like Ricky Martin or Clay Aiken would use a surrogate to become parents.

Women that choose to be single moms or lesbians need not use surrogates if they can become moms themselves.

I can understand if Marissa Jaret Winokur used a surrogate since she was incapable of carrying a baby herself. For the same reason it would be understandable if Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were a childless couple and SJP had problem conceiving and carrying a baby, but they already have a child.

Therefore, their choice to use a surrogate for their twins conceived by IVF at such a late stage in their life is simply disgusting. Does it mean that the rich can do anything they want because they have the money? Can they use other women as babymakers because they can? If they loved kids so much, they could have adopted from an orphanage.

Can I have kids if I marry a 40 year old woman?

Larry is a 23-year old man madly in love with a 40-year old woman. "I have two brothers and they they are saying that I shouldn't marry her because she is too old and I can't have kids. Is it too late for this woman to have kids or we still have some hope?"

Larry, it is not impossible to have kids; it is just less likely. Getting naturally pregnant after 40 is somewhat difficult, but not impossible. Plus with techniques like IVF and donor eggs she can improve her chances. And also remember that even if you were to marry a 20 year old there is no guarantee that you can have kids. Not all couples can have kids; there are occasional problems. So this really shouldn't be an issue.

With your family, you have to explain to them how much you love this woman and how you want to be happy with her. You really hope that they will share in your happiness; if not you will have no choice to do what is right for yourself and leave them behind. It is going to be a difficult conversation but right now your family members are hoping that due to pressure from them you will give up.

Larry, if this is what you want, be a man and do it.

Asian Caucasian parents

We have all become very accepting of interracial relationships. It is a reflection of the diversity in our society and also allows everyone to enjoy different cultures.

Now the bad news. Research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says that the rates of cesarean deliveries, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy-related outcomes are higher among Asian-Caucasian couples.

Not much is known about the causes and if interracial marriages are a bad idea, but it is something good to know if you are in an Asian-Caucasian relationship and trying to become parents.

Clay Aiken gay dad

After Ricky Martin became dad with the help of a surrogate mom, yet another gay celebrity Clay Aiken has also become a dad. Yes, he also used a surrogate, but unlike in typical cases like this one, when you have to pay the surrogate mother, his platonic friend Jaymes Foster decided to carry the child for him and she became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The two will also raise the child together and the son's name will reflect both parents and is being called Parker Foster Aiken.

By the way, he is one of those Evangelical Christians and plans on following his faith despite strong hatred for gays among Born Again Christians and strong opposition to their becoming parents or adopting children, despite overwhelming data that they are excellent parents.

How did Sarah Palin get pregnant?

While it is great news that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin got pregnant at the age of 44 (when it is nearly impossible for a woman to get pregnant) and had a child (Trig) but the bad news is that the child suffers from Down's Syndrome (it is widely known that children of parents of advanced age suffer from a variety of diseases if there is no miscarriage).

So how did she become pregnant?

It was a mistake. Many women stop their birth control around this age (Palin has some pretty extremist beliefs and it is not clear if she believes in birth control) and are often surprised that they become pregnant. Most women will lose the baby in a miscarriage.

Planned pregnancy. Many couples do not realize the risks that they are taking when they try to become pregnant in their 40s. Considering how clueless this woman is (her own daughter is a teenage mom and her speeches and statements make it obvious that she is simple an airhead; there was a widespread rumor that Trig was actually her grandchild that she adopted by faking a pregnancy so that she could shield her daughter but after her daughter was visibly pregnant that rumor died), it would not be a surprise that she genuinely believes that she could have yet another child at the ripe age of 44 (like Michelle Duggar).

Possible use of artificial reproductive therapy (ART). Palin already had four children, and though she had expressed a desire for a lot of children, there is no information available if that was the case.

Older fathers responsible for bipolar disorder in children

If you recall, previously I wrote about poor sperm quality and infertility in men, in many cases due to advanced age. Many couples wrongly assume that it is difficult for a woman to get pregnant after 40 but men can continue to procreate well into their 60s and 70s without any consequences.

New research from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm says that "Children whose father was 55 years old or more (at the time of conception) run about a 37-percent greater risk of suffering from (bipolar disorder) than children whose fathers were in their 20s," according to lead researcher Emma Frans. In case you do not know what bipolar disorder is, it is enough to understand that these individuals go through severe mood changes that can make them severely depressed to the point of becoming maniacs and committing suicide. They are also more likely to suffer from schizophrenia and autism.

The reason is the same as it is for women: degradation of DNA in sperms.

So what does it mean?

A couple with any partner being of advanced age really has to think if they want to bring a child into the world. Of course, genetic testing is helpful, but if one partner is really old, it is best to consider adoption.

Ricky Martin father through surrogate mother

On the heels of the development that lesbians are entitled to have IUI and IVF, comes yet another development: single men can become fathers through surrogate mothers.

One of the high profile example of surrogacy is that of Marissa Jaret Winokur who could not have her own children due to a medical condition.

Now Ricky Martin has become a father of twin boys by using a surrogate mom. He is not married and is not even dating a girl and there has been speculation for years that he is gay and would eventually come out. However, due to high rate of homophobia among Hispanics, he has chosen to remain in the closet.

It is great news for anyone who now wants to be a parent.