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62-year-old Chinese woman pregnant through IVF says unborn child is the return of her deceased son
A 62-year-old Chinese woman became pregnant through IVF after losing her only child and said the unborn baby felt like the return of her son.
A 62-year-old woman in northeastern China has sparked widespread discussion after becoming pregnant through in vitro fertilisation and publicly describing the unborn child as the return of her deceased son, her only child.
The woman, from Songyuan in Jilin province, is six months pregnant and has been sharing updates through videos posted by her younger sister on mainland social media.
According to reports cited by South China Morning Post, the expectant mother lost her son in January 2025. Details surrounding his age and cause of death have not been disclosed. Several months later, she conceived through IVF, marking the second pregnancy of her life.
Shared online through a sister’s lens
The pregnancy journey has been documented by the woman’s younger sister, who posts videos under the alias Xiao Wei. In the clips, the grey-haired expectant mother appears calm and cheerful as she talks about her daily experiences.
“I guess the baby will come to the world ahead of the due date,” she said in a video released at the end of December. “It likes kicking my belly. I find whenever I eat sweet food, the baby tends to be active.”
In China, doctors are prohibited from revealing the gender of a foetus due to longstanding concerns about sex selective abortions. Still, the woman has shared her own interpretation. “Many people told me that since I like eating sweet food these days, the baby I am carrying should be a boy,” she said. “So it is the return of my son.”
Medical risks and expert caution
Given her age, the woman undergoes more frequent prenatal check ups than younger pregnant women. She is always accompanied by her sister, and for critical examinations they travel about 170 kilometres to major medical centres in Changchun, the provincial capital.
Medical professionals have expressed serious concerns. Chen Min, a senior obstetrics doctor at Harbin No 1 Hospital in Heilong province, told media outlets, “In principle, we do not advocate women to get pregnant at a super old age because they face extremely high risks.”
“The possibility of complications during pregnancy increases multiple times compared to that of younger pregnant women. They can only choose a caesarean section, but the surgery is also risky for them,” she added. Chen advised that any woman pursuing pregnancy at an advanced age should undergo comprehensive medical assessments and deliver at a major hospital with strong emergency facilities.
Divided public opinion
The woman’s decision has sharply divided online opinion. One observer questioned the long term implications, asking whether the parents would have the energy to raise the child and warning that the child could face emotional pain later in life.
Others defended the couple. “A person needs an emotional anchor and spiritual support to live on. These are the motivations of life,” one supporter commented.
Responding to the debate, Xiao Wei said, “No one understands my sister’s insistence. No one understands the pain from losing her only child.”
