An Italian woman has made national history after giving birth at the age of 63. Flavia Alvaro welcomed a healthy baby boy, becoming Italy’s oldest mother following a long and challenging fertility journey that took her to war-torn Ukraine.

Baby Sebastian was born on June 3 by caesarean section at Versilia Hospital in Lido di Camaiore, in northwest Italy. He arrived early at 31 weeks and weighed just under two kilograms. Doctors placed him in the hospital’s premature ward, where he will stay until he reaches a stronger weight.

Flavia, a library worker who turns 64 in October, had undergone IVF treatment in Ukraine last autumn. At the time, Kyiv was under attack, creating a dangerous and chaotic environment for medical travel. She even became lost in the city, prompting the Ukrainian clinic to call her Italian doctors for help locating her.

Flavia’s fertility specialist, Dr. Andrea Marsili, said she managed the trips on her own and only informed him afterward. He described her as determined and deeply committed to becoming a mother. The treatment cost around €15,000, and her first attempt ended in miscarriage.

Despite the hardship, her perseverance paid off with the birth of Sebastian.

Flavia surpasses the previous Italian record held by singer Gianna Nannini, who gave birth at 56. While remarkable, her age is still below some global cases. The world’s oldest known mother, Erramatti Mangamma of India, gave birth to twins at 73 in 2019. The UK’s record holder, Elizabeth Adeney, gave birth at 66 after traveling to Ukraine for IVF.

Flavia’s story highlights both the emotional and medical challenges older women face—yet also the powerful hope that drives them toward motherhood.