The 48-year-old Oscar Winning actress, Hillary Swank, announced the birth of her twins. She took it to her Instagram handle to disclose the news to everyone, “It wasn’t easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it. 👼🏼🤍👼🏼”
Yet with so many celebrities, such as Hillary Swank, Cameron Diaz, and Paris Hilton, announcing pregnancies in their 40s, the public is split, with many asking whether it is possible to conceive at this age using one’s own eggs. Although it is none of anyone’s business, how or when a person decides to start a family, there are still certain awareness-related questions for the public.
Media depictions of celebrities bearing children at later maternal ages might inflate expectations or minimize the risks connected to late-in-life pregnancies.
In this age group, one’s eggs might not even be conducive to conceiving a baby, the most common ways of conception are by advanced fertility treatments such as egg donation and IVF. While the public is misled into believing that they can wait till their mid 40’s to start a family through these treatments, no light is shed on the drawbacks of using these methods at such an age. The natural fall in fertility that occurs in one’s mid-40s may cause these methods to have a lower success rate, which is only one potential problem. Along with the numerous additional negatives, there may also be a rise in health risks for both, the mother, and the child.
Lastly, fertility treatments may come with increased risk and challenges at this stage in life and hence it’s very crucial for one to carefully plan their pregnancy by including medical evaluations and consultations as well as by keeping in mind the drawbacks that come with bearing a child at an older age.