Ina Raymundo, 42, Is Still Game to Add One More to Her Brood of Five

One would think that with five kids Ina Raymundo was done with caring for babies or running after a toddler. But it seems this mom is wlling to do it all over again now that her kids are all grown up based on a recent interview. 

Ina's first two kids are now full-fledged teens, Erika, 16, and only son Jakob, 14. Her younger daughters, Miki, 10, Anika, 8, and Minka, 5, are now school-aged kids, with Minka just a year away from starting first grade.

"They grow up so fast kaya ayokong lumaki sila. Nalulungkot lang ako na lumalaki na yung mga anak ko and one day they don’t want to be with me, yung ganong feeling," the actress said in an interview with Pep.ph. "Kung puwede nga lang magkaroon pa ng isang baby."

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Getting pregnant in your 40s now isn't as uncommon anymore, and Ina is just 42. But her husband Brian Poturnak, according to Ina, feels they are okay with five kids. 

"He’s being realistic, ako naman, I’m being idealistic," Ina said in the same interview, adding that it's good Brian has that mindset. "Kung hindi nagbago yung mindset niya, siguro sampu yung anak namin. Kasi ako yung game, e," Ina quipped.

Ina has opened up before about her postpartum and breastfeeding struggles. But it hasn't stopped her from wanting to have more kids.

"I'm a baby maker talaga," Ina says in jest, and then adding "I love carrying babies. I love having babies, I love breastfeeding, I love everything about being a mom."

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Being a mom and still wanting to have babies is also part of the reason why she advises her young friends to have their eggs frozen, she told Pep.ph. "I respect people na yung mindset nila ayaw nilang magkaanak. Pero kung meron kang longingness na magkaanak kaya lang busy ka, then you have to freeze your eggs," she added

"Halimbawa ayaw mo pang mag-asawa dahil may career ka, ipa-freeze mo na yung eggs mo para in the future marami kang options," Ina said. "That’s the millennial thing to do now. You have to be open-minded. You have to freeze your eggs para you can have babies in the future kahit 40 ka na," the mom of five added. 

Egg freezing is ideal for women younger than age 35. The reason behind the age recommendation is the eggs a woman will produce in her lifetime is pre-determined before birth, and as women age, the risk of the ovaries releasing an 'unhealthy egg' also increases.

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Frozen eggs can be retrieved to be used for assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). But other factors affect a woman's chances of getting pregnant, including age, the number of eggs stored, and egg quality, so having the procedure done isn't a 100-percent guarantee. 

Ina says adoption is something she would also consider if she was past the ideal reproductive age. But she would still need to talk it out with her husband first. "Kasi kailangan sa adoption, you're on the same page. Kasi kung ang asawa mo hindi open, you cannot force it, di ba?  Pero I will do everything [to have kids]."

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