'My life is so fulfilling': 60-year-old Chinese woman gives birth to second child two years after son
The couple had decided to have children later in life after losing their only child in 2022.
PHOTO: Pexels
PUBLISHED ONOctober 08, 2026 8:14 AMBYAsyiqin Nadzri
A 60-year-old woman in China has given birth to her second child just two years after welcoming her first, drawing attention online and sparking discussion over late pregnancies.
The woman, identified by her surname Zhang, gave birth to a baby girl weighing 2.8kg via caesarean section on Sept 17 at Zhumadian Central Hospital in Henan province, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP), which cited Chinese news outlet Red Star News.
Zhang had previously given birth to a son, nicknamed Guoguo, at the same hospital when she was 58.
The couple had decided to have children later in life after losing their only child in 2022.
Zhang told Red Star News that having another child was partly so that her children could have each other for company.
"I am so happy! I have a son and a daughter. My life is so fulfilling," SCMP quoted her as saying.
Her two-year-old son was also reportedly excited to meet his baby sister, with footage showing him singing a nursery rhyme at the hospital to welcome her.
Old age not an issue
Zhang said she was not concerned about her age or criticism over her decision to have children later in life.
"In my eyes, I am only 28 years old," she said, adding that she believed she could live a long life.
She attributed her confidence partly to her family's longevity.
Zhang said her father lived to 100, while her 94-year-old mother remains healthy, with good vision and hearing and is still able to climb stairs on her own.
She also said she cooked and did household chores while pregnant.
Her husband had initially been concerned about having another child because of Zhang's age, but she remained determined to go ahead with the pregnancy.
It remains unclear whether either of Zhang's pregnancies involved in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), SCMP reported.
Zhang Hualian, an obstetrician at Zhumadian Central Hospital, said pregnancies at Zhang's age were rare in China.
The doctor had also delivered Zhang's son two years earlier and noted that Zhang appeared more relaxed during her second pregnancy.
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