They tried for three years before the truth came into focus: John and Tracy Beckham couldn’t have children of their own. Infertility treatments were ineffective. Tracy became pregnant several times, but because of a reproductive disorder, none of the pregnancies reached full term.

“We wanted to have kids,” John says. “We wanted to have a big family. That’s part of just who we are, I guess.”

A family friend suggested the couple consider adoption or even becoming licensed for foster care. So they did both. The Beckhams adopted 6-month-old Sarah in 1988, and a few months after that, they brought home baby Rick.

Tracy estimates that about 20 youngsters, many of whom are now in their 20s, have lived in the Beckhams’ four-bedroom home for at least three years. More have spent weeks or months there.
At age 43, she again became pregnant. The months passed, and there was no bad news. Seventeen years after the couple had stopped trying to have a baby of their own, Tracy was pregnant with a daughter the couple would name Eliza.

“The way it all turned out,” Tracy says, “you could’ve never imagined.”

Read rest of article

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION
Making Babies the Hard Way: Living with Infertility and Treatment
- a frank account of one couple's discovery that they cannot have children of their own, and their ensuing struggle through four years of fertility treatment. One in six couples worldwide seek assistance to conceive and 80 per cent of couples undergoing fertility treatment are currently unsuccessful. Writing with humour and honesty, Caroline Gallup describes the social, emotional, spiritual and physical impact of infertility on her and her husband, Bruce, including feelings of bereavement for the absent child, the unavoidable sense of inadequacy and the day-to-day difficulties of financial pressure. As well as telling her own moving story, she also offers information and guidance for others who are infertile, or who are considering or undergoing treatment.

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

[Note - not all stories are good stories]

A 43-year-old teacher is pregnant by a 16-year-old pupil. She first started an affair with the boy when he was just 13.

Now, three years on, the couple are married and have announced they are expecting their first child in June.

Other sources report the woman as saying the pregnancy was planned, and that they are 'over the moon.'

Read rest of article

Photo credit: Rex Stock image
All rights reserved

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

There’s another baby on the way for Lisa Loeb!

The singer/author, 43, and husband Roey Hershkovitz will welcome their second child in June, her rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively.

“I grew up with a big family, so I’m excited for Lyla to have a sibling!” Loeb tells PEOPLE.

The couple, who wed in 2009, are already parents to daughter Lyla Rose, 2.

Read rest of article

Photo Credit: Andreas Branch/PatrickMcMullan.com
All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Ready: Why Women Are Embracing The New Later Motherhood
In 2006, one in every twelve women giving birth for the first time in the US was 35 or older, while in 1970 it was just one in one hundred. Add in the many contemporary later adoptive moms and you’ve got a substantial portion of the population starting families after 35!

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

April 13, 2005 - Just six weeks from delivering her sixth child, 43-year-old Kelly Campillo didn't flinch an inch when I asked if she would like to be a Cook of the Week.

As cool as a lemon sorbet, she agreed to be interviewed, supply recipes, cook and pose for a picture as if she had nothing else to do.

It's true that two of the four boys are off at college, but two more are active high schoolers and she chases after a 3-year-old daughter while awaiting the birth...

Source

Stock Photo Credit: irenaeus-h
All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Surprise Motherhood: A Guide to Unexpected Adult Pregnancy
-- Pregnancy books on the market have one of two audiences- the teen with an unplanned pregnancy or the adult with a planned and chosen one. Nowhere is there a book for the almost 3 million adult women facing surprise pregnancy every year.
Surprise Motherhood is aimed directly at that gap, telling the stories of Ophelia and other women who have faced unplanned pregnancy as adult, professional women. With extensive information about options, paternity, career issues, postpartum depression, finances, and more, Surprise Motherhood is the only reference of its kind, and is sure to be an invaluable reader resource.

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

Sue Adlam, 46, a primary teacher, and her husband Andrew, 39, from Wiltshire, have a three-year-old daughter, Georgina, conceived using donor eggs. Desperate for a sibling for her, they are searching for another egg donor.

"I couldn't have loved my own biological child more. She knows that Mummy really wanted a baby but didn't have an egg, so a nice lady gave me one of hers."

"Eleven [eggs] were frozen and we used two - and to our utter amazement and joy I finally got pregnant, aged 43."

Read rest of article

Photo credit: taskhill
All rights reserved

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation
-- a comprehensive book for people considering parenthood through donated ova, and those supporting them. It takes readers through the decision-making process, focusing on questions they are likely to be asking themselves, including: Are we candidates for egg donation? Will it work? How much does it cost? How do we find a donor? How do we talk about our decision with others? How will we tell our children? Ethical questions related to egg donation are also examined: Can a donor truly have informed consent Is it ethically correct for donors to receive payment, and, if so, is the payment for 'time and effort' or for their eggs?

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

February 8, 2011 - It's a boy for Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni!

Marinoni gave birth to the couple's son, Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni, on Monday, Feb. 7, Nixon's rep confirms.

"Christine and baby are doing great," her rep tells PEOPLE.

Nixon, 44, and Marinoni, 43, began dating in 2004 and announced their engagement in 2009. The Sex and the City star has two children, Samantha, 14, and Charles, 8, from her previous relationship with teacher Danny Mozes.

Read rest of article

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians: How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself from Pre-conception through Birth
-- covers everything you need to make the thrilling and challenging journey to motherhood: from choosing a donor to tracking fertility to signing the right papers on the dotted lines. Rachel Pepper's lively, easy-to-read guide is the first place to go for up-to-date information and sage advice on everything from sex in the sixth month to negotiating family roles.
The resource section is greatly expanded, as are the sections on each trimester of pregnancy, on childbirth, and on life with a newborn. And Pepper provides more insight into preconception planning for both single lesbians and couples.

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

At the age of 53, Debbie Hughes imagined the only babies she would be looking after would be her granddaughters.

Instead, despite taking the contraceptive Pill, she has become one of Britain's oldest ever naturally conceiving mothers – giving birth to a healthy baby boy named Kyle.

Miss Hughes took a pregnancy test after her family teased her about putting on weight, expecting the notion that she was having another child to be swiftly ruled out.

But after putting on her reading glasses to decipher the result, the astonishing news began to sink in.

Read rest of article

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Surprise Motherhood: A Guide to Unexpected Adult Pregnancy
-- Pregnancy books on the market have one of two audiences- the teen with an unplanned pregnancy or the adult with a planned and chosen one. Nowhere is there a book for the almost 3 million adult women facing surprise pregnancy every year.
Surprise Motherhood is aimed directly at that gap, telling the stories of Ophelia and other women who have faced unplanned pregnancy as adult, professional women. With extensive information about options, paternity, career issues, postpartum depression, finances, and more, Surprise Motherhood is the only reference of its kind, and is sure to be an invaluable reader resource.

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

Artist/director Sam Taylor-Wood and fiancé Aaron Johnson have become parents again to a baby girl.

The new arrival - whose name has not been revealed - was born this month, joining big sister Wylda Rae, 18 months.

The birth means Nowhere Boy star Johnson is now outnumbered in a house full of females, along with Taylor-Wood's two older daughters Anjelica, 14, and Jessie, five, from her previous marriage to art dealer Jay Jopling.

Read rest of article

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Stay Fertile Longer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant Now--Or Whenever You're Ready
-- Many women today dream of having it all-a challenging career, a satisfying personal life, a loving mate, and a baby whenever they're ready. But there's no denying the fact that their biological clocks are ticking away. The odds of conceiving drop by 15 to 20 percent for a woman in her early 30s and plummet to less than 50 percent when she's in her 40s. The good news is that there are a host of natural strategies every would-be mom can use today to preserve and optimize her fertility, so that she can conceive quickly and easily when she's ready.

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

20 October 2011 - Carla Bruni, 43, last night gave birth to her and French President Nicolas Sarkozy's first baby together, a girl.

The baby girl was reportedly born around 7.30pm last night, at La Muette private clinic, Paris. The newborn is France's first presidential baby.

The baby girl has four big brothers - Carla's son from a previous relationship and Nicolas' three sons from two previous marriages.

Read article

---

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Zita West's Guide to Fertility and Assisted Conception: Essential Advice on Preparing Your Body for IVF and Other Fertility Treatments
-- Embarking on IVF—or any assisted fertility treatment—can be a very demanding and stressful experience, but the right physical, nutritional, and emotional support can lessen these stresses and strains and increase the chances of success. Here a leading fertility and pregnancy expert offers an in-depth explanation of all aspects of fertility and, uniquely, addresses the issues involved in using assisted conception. She explains fertility from preconception and trying naturally to assisted conception, what is involved in the IVF process, how to prepare your body to increase the chances of conceiving successfully, the importance of a proactive approach to diet and nutrition, and how complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, can increase the chances of success. Including interviews with leading experts in the field, case histories from patients, and the author's own holistic principles, this is an invaluable guide for the growing number of people who are considering, or have already embarked on, medical intervention to enable them to conceive.

---

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.