Ohio grandma gives birth to daughter's triplets

[November 12, 2008]  CLEVELAND (AP) -- A 56-year-old woman who gave birth to her triplet granddaughters a month ago is recovering from a Caesarean section and hopeful that one of the girls will be home from the hospital by Saturday.

Jaci Dalenberg, 56, of Wooster in northeast Ohio, offered herself as a surrogate when her daughter, Kim Coseno, and her husband, Joe, were waiting to adopt. Coseno had two children from a previous marriage but was unable to have another baby because of a hysterectomy.

Her ovaries could produce eggs, so she and Joe Coseno, her husband of three years, tried in vitro fertilization. The embryos were implanted in Dalenberg's uterus.

Dalenberg said she wasn't frightened to be pregnant at her age.

"I've always been really healthy. I did get medical clearance, including psychological testing," Dalenberg told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

"When we found out it was triplets, I did get really nervous for about four days, but that passed real soon."

The girls were born Oct. 11 -- more than two months premature and each weighing less than three pounds. Gabriella Claire and Carmina Ann are identical twins, and Elizabeth Jacilyn is their sister.

Coseno said in an interview Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the baby girls are doing well at Hillcrest Hospital in the Cleveland suburb Mayfield Heights. Elizabeth is expected to be the first to go home.

A 56-year-old carrier is highly unusual, said Dr. Robert Kiwi, who performed the in vitro fertilization. A typical carrier is a young, healthy woman who had a baby previously, he said.

Dalenberg underwent hormonal therapy to strengthen her uterus and delivered at 31 weeks when one of the girls appeared to not be growing appropriately, Kiwi said.

"So we acted fairly rapidly based in information we had," Kiwi said. "All three are doing great."

Dalenberg, who has four daughters, ages 31 to 36, said she would have preferred to try natural childbirth, but her doctor told her that was out of the question.

"I'm fine. I feel great," Dalenberg said. "Knowing the outcome, I would do it over again, but ... I'm not going to do it again," she said with a chuckle.

"We wouldn't do that to her again," her daughter said, smiling.

[Associated Press; By M.R. KROPKO]

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