Motherhood is a truly unique and special responsibility, one quite literally as old as our species is.

Becoming a mother is one of those life-changing things that sometimes comes by surprise, other times is the result of years of patiently waiting. Regardless of what form it takes, the one thing we should all agree on is that it is always a blessing.

For the most part, none of us can predict when we might become a parent. We can do our best to make it happen – if it’s what we want – but life has ever been, and will always be, unpredictable.

Some women become mothers young, bringing new life into the world while they’re still in their teens. Others fall pregnant later on in their own lives. Others, sadly, face problems that mean they might never get to deliver a baby of their own blood.

Of course, there is no right or wrong way. All babies should be celebrated, just as all mothers should be championed for the awe-inspiring journey they and their bodies go through in the process of creating another human being.

5. Maria del Carmen Bousada de LaraMaria del Carmen Bousada de Lara was the world’s oldest mother when she gave birth…

Some women, though, like Maria Carmen del Bousada, who lived in Cadiz, Spain, face scorn, sometimes even oppression, for their decisions concerning when or how to have a baby.

Back in 2006, Maria revealed her family were shocked when she told them she was pregnant with twins.

Why? Because she was 66 years old.

El récord de la madre viva de mayor edad lo posee María del Carmen Bousada Lara de España, fue madre a los 66 años y 358 días en el 2006.

According to reports, Maria, a retired store employee, sold her house to be able to afford IVF treatment that would enable her to fall pregnant despite her years. She is said to have lied to doctors at a fertility clinic in California, telling them she was 55.