65-year-old German mum of 13 ‘expecting quadruplets in the summer’

A 65-year-old German grandmother is reportedly pregnant with quadruplets. Annegret Raunigk, who has 13 children and seven grandchildren, decided to try for another child because her youngest daughter, who is nine, wanted a little brother or sister. The Russian and English teacher, from Berlin, became pregnant after 18 months of artificial insemination, said Luxembourg-based broadcaster RTL. They said they would broadcast an interview with Ms Raunigk, whose oldest child is 44, on Monday evening and plans to film her through her pregnancy. Her baby is due in the summer and would make her the world’s oldest mother of quadruplets.

Certainly that was a shock for me. After the doctor discovered there were four, I had to give it some thought to begin with.

Annegret Raunigk

The prospective mother-of-17 told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag of her surprise when doctors told her the news. She said: “Certainly that was a shock for me. After the doctor discovered there were four, I had to give it some thought to begin with,” she said. Asked by RTL if she thought she was too old to bring up four babies, she said: “How does one have to be at 65? One must apparently always fit some cliches which I find rather tiring. I think, one must decide that for oneself." Her gynaecologist Kai Hertwig told RTL that quadruple pregnancies are always a strain but everything was going well.

I’m not actually afraid. I simply assume I’ll remain healthy and fit. In matters of organisation I have enough experience, that’s not new for me.

Annegret Raunigk

Europe