Fancy being a 70-year-old mum?

“If I had another baby,” said my 70-year-old mother as I swept into her house from work to collect son number two, “would you give up work to look after it for me?”

My head shot round to face hers, agog with horror, only to watch her convulse into hoots of laughter. “Well, a 70-year-old in India has just had a baby girl, why not me?” she continued, warming to her theme. “A bit of IVF and I could be a mum again – maybe of triplets. And as I’ve helped to look after your kids for years, it’s payback time.”

A weird image of my mum nursing a baby sister 42 years my junior leapt into my head and I couldn’t help chortling at the improbability of it all.

This week the world discovered that Rajo Devi had given birth to her first child at 70. She is believed to be the oldest new mum in the world. Husband Bala Ram, 72, is said to be thrilled at finally conceiving. Apparently, in their community, there is a stigma attached to a couple’s failure to have a child.

Rajo, a delicate white-haired woman with the biggest new-mum smile imaginable, has beaten the previous oldest birth record held by a Romanian who had a baby at 67.

It’s all left me momentarily dumbstruck, not least because the moment I gave birth, at the tender age of 30, I felt as if I was 70. A combination of illness during pregnancy, blood pressure problems and intense fatigue caused by countless sleepless nights, left me looking like a worn-out yeti.

But like many mothers I went through it all again three years later because I dearly wanted another. And despite the motherly exhaustion, stresses and strains, wrinkles and crow’s feet, I have to say it’s the best thing I have ever done.

But would I do it again at 70? Absolutely not. Another baby would about kill me off now, never mind then. In fact, I am amazed that, though medical breakthroughs can make babies so late in life, ageing mothers are able to carry them without causing themselves severe health problems.

Then, of course, there’s the three score years and 10 argument. Should anyone be allowed to have a baby around the age we’re supposed to be nearing the end of the road?

In India, of course, the way of life is very different. Raho will reap the benefits of a joint family arrangement, which means all will rally round to care for the child come what may.

In Britain we are not so well blessed so age does matter, especially when you’re up half the night with a screaming baby or tearing around after a toddler with no sense of danger.

Nevertheless, I still felt my shackles rise when a male chum started ranting: “It’s disgusting. No woman over 50 should be having babies. It’s totally irresponsible. The menopause happens for a reason.”

Quite true but why, then, have men, for generations, been making babies well into their twilight years without anyone batting an eyelid?
It should come as no surprise to learn that, when it comes to geriatric parenting, a man holds the world record.
Nanu Ram Jogi, a farmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan, fathered his 21st child at the age of 90 last year.
Nanu could not remember exactly how many children he had produced with his four wives, but estimated that he had 12 sons, nine daughters and at least 20 grandchildren. Well, some people do get forgetful at that age.
“Women love me,” he said. “I want to have more children. I can survive another few decades and want to have children ‘til I am 100. Then maybe it will be time to stop.”
Nanu sparked quite a debate but I can’t recall him being attacked for his “disgusting behaviour”.

In fact there was a good-on-yer-son tendency to pat him on the back. One blogger commented: “Way to go man!”

And instead of lambasting him for his selfishness in being unlikely to see his kid grow up, there was discussion about his fertility success. Camel milk and a meaty diet of lamb, chicken and rabbit played their part, apparently.

There’s still no way I could give birth at 70, though. No, I’ll wait until I’m 91 - and kick Nanu’s record into touch. That will give everyone something to moan about. Now where can I buy some camel milk?