Celebrity pregnancies in the 40s can make later-in-life motherhood look almost effortless. From public announcements to glamorous maternity photos and healthy babies, the difficult parts of conceiving and pregnancy often happen away from the spotlight.
That can create an incomplete picture for people considering parenthood later in life. Today’s Parent’s look at celebrity pregnancies over 40 highlights numerous famous women who became mothers after 40, but celebrity stories don’t necessarily represent the experience of the average person.
It is also important to remember that successful pregnancies later in life absolutely happen. The issue is not that having a baby after 40 is impossible, but that fertility and pregnancy risks change with age.
Why Are More People Having Kids Later?
Having children later has become increasingly common. According to TIME, the average age of a first-time mother in the U.S. reached just over 27 in 2022, compared with about 21 in 1970.
The number of births among older women is also increasing. In 2022, births rose 6% among women ages 40 to 44 and 12% among women older than 45 compared with the previous year.
There are plenty of reasons for the shift, including education, careers, finances, childcare costs and waiting longer to find a partner. As TIME quotes psychologist Aurélie Athan, women are experiencing a “pregnant pause”—taking more time to decide whether and when they want children.
The trend is not necessarily negative. Older parents may have greater financial stability and more education, while waiting can allow people to feel more prepared for parenthood.
What Happens When You Try to Conceive Later?
Fertility does decline with age, particularly for women. The NIH reports that about 20% of women in the U.S. now have their first child after age 35, while fertility decreases each year after 30 as the number and quality of eggs decline.
For people trying to conceive, the difference can become significant. Johns Hopkins says fertility declines more rapidly after 37, with the chance of pregnancy during an individual menstrual cycle falling to less than 10% by age 40, compared with about 25% for healthy people in their 20s and early 30s.
Pregnancy itself can also carry additional risks with increasing maternal age, including miscarriage, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, chromosomal abnormalities, preterm birth and stillbirth. However, medical experts stress that most healthy people who become pregnant in their late 30s and even early 40s have healthy babies.
As Johns Hopkins reproductive endocrinologist Vasiliki Moragianni explains, “age is one of the most important factors in fertility,” but overall health, medical history and individual circumstances matter too.
Celebrity pregnancies can be inspiring, but they shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee—or a warning. For anyone considering pregnancy later in life, an honest conversation with a healthcare provider can provide a much more realistic picture of fertility, potential risks and available options.
