When the resounding cry of a newborn echoed in the operating room of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, 60-year-old Li Xia (alias) finally welcomed her tenaciously-conceived new baby after losing her only child. This healthy baby boy, weighing 2350 grams, was safely delivered by cesarean section on August 4.
According to a report by Southern Metropolis Daily on the 14th, Li Xia, who had entered her sixties, originally anticipated a peaceful retirement filled with the joys of grandchildren. However, the sudden death of her only son plunged her into a pit of despair. Emerging from overwhelming grief, she resolutely chose a path unimaginable to most—at the age of 60, she chose to conceive again. The reality of having naturally gone through menopause eight years prior stood before her, and her excessive sadness had caused premature heartbeats, yet numerous medical warnings could not sway her determination.
"I’ve seen news about 60-year-old women having babies, maybe I’ll be the next one," she said. This persistence, stemming from an instinct for life itself, supported her through the arduous journey toward motherhood. Over a year ago, when she underwent a hysteroscopy at Qingcheng District People's Hospital, the immense risks of pregnancy at such an advanced age left the medical staff deeply shocked.
Obstetrics and gynecology director Lü Junli of the hospital repeatedly and earnestly discussed the risks with her, but Li Xia remained firm in her stance. After completing the necessary exams locally, she resolutely underwent difficult pre-embryo-transfer procedures, and then had an embryo implanted using third-generation IVF technology in another city. Miraculously, the flower of life bloomed once more.
● Experts Escort the Miracle of Life Throughout
After the embryo was confirmed to have implanted successfully, Li Xia insisted on returning to Qingcheng District People's Hospital, where her medical history was best understood, to establish medical records and attend regular prenatal checkups. In her later stage of pregnancy, ultrasound showed abnormal placenta positioning (central placenta previa), and the risks of her pregnancy sharply increased. At this crucial point, Xiao Xiaomin, the renowned high-risk obstetrics and gynecology expert and former department director sent to assist from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, personally took over, carefully providing prenatal examinations and formulating a meticulous delivery plan.
Under the joint monitoring and professional guidance of Director Lü Junli’s team and Professor Xiao Xiaomin, Li Xia strictly followed medical advice. The fetus underwent two critical malformation screenings and was found to be normal each time, growing safely to 36 weeks plus 2 days gestation. Given Li Xia’s advanced age, abnormal fetal position, and placenta issues, along with the national regulations for high-risk pregnancy rescue, it was required that she be transferred to a top-tier hospital for delivery. To ensure total safety, the medical team quickly initiated a two-way referral green channel and safely transferred her to the obstetrics department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University to await labor.
In the end, with the protection of a multidisciplinary team of high-risk pregnancy experts, the shadowless lamp of the operating room bore witness to the birth of this hard-won miracle of life.