Aleta St. James of of New York gave birth to twins on Tuesday, according to CNN.com. The boy and girl were both over five pounds each, and healthy. So is their mother, and at fifty-six years old, that's saying something! The fraternal twins were conceived via IVF (In Vitro Fertilization).

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Ms. James is not the oldest mother of twins, however.
CNN claims that Judy Cates gave birth to twin girls at age fifty-seven in 1988, just a few months older than St. James. The record for the oldest woman to give birth is held by Arceli Keh of Highland, California, was 63 when she delivered a singleton in 1996.

St. James and Cates won't claim the record for long, however. A 59-year-old great grandmother is currently pregnant with twins and due to deliver next month. Frances Harris of rural Georgia became pregnant without the assistance of reproductive technology, despite having had her tubes tied thirty years ago.

A multiple pregnancy is not without risk, and doctors do not encourage older women to try to become pregnant using reproductive technology. In the CNN article, Ms. St. James' doctor, Jane Miller, said she would not recommend it due to the increased chance of premature birth.