Annegret Raunig, a 65-year-old Berlin native, made headlines in May 2015, leaving the world astonished.
At that time, Annegret gave birth to four premature infants—three boys and a girl. The tiniest of them weighed less than a kilogram at birth.
For a woman in her 30s who already had 13 children, the desire for more offspring might seem perplexing. Society’s reactions to her high birth rate and late-life pregnancies varied.
Annegret had not only been a teacher but also a mother to twelve children, a wife to five spouses, and a grandmother to one.
Her decision to expand her family even further came as a surprise, especially since she had retired in 2005. She gave birth to Leila at the age of 55 through a natural delivery.
The choice to have children is a deeply personal one for each woman, yet it is often met with judgment and labeled as selfish or irresponsible. Age, in particular, is treated as nothing more than a numerical identifier.
Annegret faced criticism with grace. Her story captured headlines and led to numerous appearances on talk shows. It all began when her youngest daughter earnestly requested a younger sibling.
This request sheds light on the fact that Annegret’s other children were all adults by then. In her mid-sixties, Annegret contemplated embarking on the journey of motherhood once again.
Many of her friends and German physicians were against her pregnancy.
After giving birth to her second child, Annegret and her family relocated to Höxter, where they could benefit from a more spacious government-provided house.
Living in the countryside proved more budget-friendly than the city. In recognition of her devoted motherhood, the German government even bestowed two medals upon her.
With her children forming a lively group that filled their days with play, noise, and occasional mischief, Annegret hardly had time to ponder her life.
