By Emma Dunn
A mum who gave birth at 50 says trolls tell her it is “shameful” to be an older parent – but she feels “wiser” and “more immersed” in her son’s life.
Tatiana Kaplan, 54, knew she wanted to have a family with her partner, Kenan Kaplan, 52, who works in IT, and the pair started trying for a baby a month after meeting.
After three years of trying with no success the pair resorted to IVF but following seven unsuccessful attempts – costing $100k CAD – Tatiana was ready to give up hope.
She and Kenan went on a trip around Europe but when they returned Tatiana realised her period was late and discovered she’d fallen pregnant naturally – after 11 years of trying.
Tatiana had a smooth pregnancy – walking up to 6km a day – and gave birth to her son, Mark Kaplan, now four, via c-section.
The mum-of-two says she has grown “wiser through the years” and is able to dedicate more time to her son.
She wants to give hope to others looking to become later in life mums – despite some trolls calling late motherhood “shameful”.
Tatiana, a stay-at-home mum, living in Toronto, Canada, said: “I feel I broke free of confined expectations about what is possible at different ages.
“Perhaps that’s why I don’t feel in my 50 years internally. Instead, I brought new life into the world.
“I hoped to demonstrate to women that staying healthy and fit into their 50s, rather than early decline, is possible and important.
“Some commented that late motherhood would be shameful in their cultures.
“In parenting my son, I fully immerse myself in his beautiful years.”
Tatiana had her daughter, Katerina, 35, at aged 19 and lost her dad when was just four.
She remained single for a long time but met Kenan in February 2007 and the pair started trying for a child together straight away.
Tatiana said: “We knew from the first days of our relationship that we wanted a family together.
“As I approached 39, nesting instincts stirred, and a dream of a child grew too strong to ignore.
“My partner and I started trying to conceive right away when we began living together, – just one month after our first meeting.”
The pair struggled to conceive despite doctors telling them they were both completely healthy.
Tatiana swam regularly and ate a nutritious fresh diet to help her chances but found nothing worked.
In October 2010, the couple decided to try IVF but after seven attempts nothing worked spending $100k CAD on travel, hotel stays, medication and procedures.
Tatiana said: “My final try was at 47. I started thinking I should give up hope.
“I asked the universe why my son hadn’t arrived yet and in a dream, he told me – ‘Mum, we will meet when the time is right’.”
The couple decided to take a road trip from Antalya, Turkey to Montserrat, Spain in summer 2018 to distract them from their disappointment.
Tatiana said: “I prayed to her for the privilege and joy of motherhood.
“After 11 years of hoping and dreaming, along with seven failed IVF attempts working with top fertility clinics and two miscarriages, my hope of carrying my child was nearly gone.”
In January 2019, it dawned on Tatiana that her period was late.
She said: “I sprinted to get tested, praying silently for positive results.
“When my husband showed me the paper saying ‘you’re pregnant’ I screamed so loudly the whole hospital heard.
“I was blessed with the happiness and privilege of a natural pregnancy.
“Isn’t it miraculous how motherhood found me after exhausting all options medically and being at the end of my journey?
“All those years of waiting, all the disappointments, only to have success come when I least expected it.
“To experience pregnancy naturally, after the incredible struggle to conceive, truly feels nothing short of a miracle.”
Tatiana had a smooth an active pregnancy but had a c-section as her son was breach.
He was born on September 18, 2019, weighing 6lbs 6oz at North York General Hospital, Toronto.
She said: “As they placed him on my chest I cried tears of joy, telling him how we made it this far together and thanking him for his strength.
“My husband witnessed the birth and was the first to look at our baby. We both sobbed at the overwhelming emotions.
“Amazingly just five hours post-op, I started walking through the halls and holding the wall for support. Some younger mums couldn’t get up yet.
“I recommend all women practice fertility yoga, eat healthy, and release negativity – it greatly aids conception and supports an easy pregnancy even later in life.”
Tatiana’s son, now two, is “fascinating” and “curious”.
She said: “I have found parenting my son as a 50-year-old woman to be a different experience.
“Over the past decades since becoming a teenage mother, I have sought to understand life’s deeper meanings and allow my soul to grow wiser through the years.
“I strive to embrace each moment we share – whether those moments are big or small – with greater appreciation and presence.
“As a busy student and worker with responsibilities when my daughter was young, I sadly lacked the luxury of fully immersing myself in her wonder-filled early childhood.”
Tatiana loves inspiring other later-life mums with her story.
She said: “Growing older doesn’t have to mean becoming feeble. It can mean staying cheerful.
“I think life’s real meaning is simply being present and enjoying each moment as it comes.”
Follow Tatiana on TikTok @aurora.stories
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