Celine Dion and her Pregnancy Heartbreak

In case you haven’t heard – how did I miss this one? Celine Dion got pregnant this fall, then miscarried. At 41, Dion is the veteran of numerous failed IVF procedures. Her husband was reported to have said to the Canadian paper Journal de Montreal, “We are living the reality of the majority of couples who have to use [IVF]. The process can be long and arduous. But today, we are full of confidence. Celine is more determined than ever.”

Her loss also raises some important questions. How long do you keep trying – especially for #2? Anyone faced with secondary infertility knows the questions are even tangled than when confronting primary infertility. You have less support, and feel guiltier about the money you’re spending to have another.

That said, is it wise to get pregnant when daddy-o is 67? Hey, my husband was 39 the last time we got pregnant, so I understand “advanced paternal age,” but there are moral questions to be answered whenever we get on this roller coaster of a rise. I’m guessing these embryos were frozen awhile ago, but for guys, after age 40, several studies have suggested the association of advanced paternal age with the increased risk for children with schizophrenia, certain cancers, birth defects, and neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism. No easy answers, are there?