High-Risk Mother in Her 40s Gives Birth to First Child 18 Years After Marriage at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital

Photo of family and medical staff with Yu Kyunghee before discharge. Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital

A woman in her 40s has drawn attention after giving birth to a healthy daughter 18 years after marriage.

According to Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital on October 2, the story centers on the family of Yu Kyunghee (44, female) and Shin Dongseok (52, male), who welcomed a baby girl with the prenatal nickname "Chaltteoksun." The name combines "Chaltteok," which appeared in the mother's dream, and "Sun," symbolizing a daughter.

Baby Chaltteoksun was born healthy at 8:05 a.m. on September 25 at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, weighing 2.2 kilograms and letting out a strong cry.

The journey to deliver her first child was extremely difficult for Yu Kyunghee. After marrying in 2007, she succeeded in conceiving after nine years, but experienced the heartbreak of losing the baby after only three months. Over the years, she underwent more than 50 rounds of IVF and suffered four miscarriages.

Despite these hardships, Yu Kyunghee and her family never gave up on their earnest wish to hold a baby in their arms, and another miracle came earlier this year. However, she faced several challenges as an expectant mother, including advanced maternal age, uterine fibroids, S protein deficiency, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, which prevents the fetus from receiving adequate blood flow and nutrients.

Thanks to the desperate efforts of the mother and her family to protect the baby, and the dedication of the hospital's medical staff, she was finally able to give birth to the long-awaited first child in good health.

Yu Kyunghee, mother of Chaltteoksun, said, "I went through such a difficult and desperate time that I felt cut off from the world, but now every day feels like a dream. I want to give hope to families struggling with infertility, and above all, I am deeply grateful to the medical staff at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, who were always kind and did their very best."

Professor Kim Yoonsook of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology said, "I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of Chaltteoksun's birth, and I am happy to have contributed to creating a happy family. I will continue to do my utmost to ensure healthy deliveries for high-risk expectant mothers in the future."