Actress Hillary Swank Pregnant with Twins at 48

[Minnesota!]

My cousin had twins (her first pregnancy) at 51. We had lunch together a few weeks ago...her kids are now 14, she is 65. She said they are what keep her young and that having them later in life has been the best thing she could have ever done for herself. She absolutely ROCKS being a mom, and I am so glad she got the chance before she was "too old" by nature's standards.

 

[fly girl]

I promise I’m not picking on you, but just using your comment as a jumping off point. I’ve heard people make this kind of comment about “can’t imagine starting over at such-and-such age” so many times before yet no one seems to recognize the fallacy in it. She’s not starting over. She’s just getting started and she’s no doubt as fresh and eager and full of anticipation as anyone else who is becoming a first time parent, whether they’re 22 or 31 or whatever. It’s not like she’s been parenting for the past 20 years and is now being handed two new babies. She’s not worn down yet, her energy reserves are still full.

Good point, but hear me out.

I had my child at age 33, so I started late. Still can’t imagine starting at 48. I still have plenty of energy, but it’s not the same as it was 10-15 years ago. And I am in good physical shape - I eat well, exercise, and not overweight.

I get exactly what your saying. It’s absolutely valid, but realize when this statement is said it’s not about me starting with my next child. It was referenced to starting new but knowing what I know. And it was hard enough with 1 at 33 years old. 2 at 48, never say never but wowsa yeah I can’t imagine it!

 

[mom2rtk]

I am only 44 but my kids are 18 and 16 and there is not enough money in the WORLD to convince me to have a baby at this age.

But, you know, she apparently tried a long time for this and they have means, so I'm very happy for her and wish her the best.

I contend that a 48 year old who hasn't raised teens is mentally and physically younger than a 44 year old in the process of raising 2 teens.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Whew, that's brave

 

[Buzz Rules]

This may be a dumb question but I thought I read that the trend of society is that women are having babies at a later age (30+) than a younger one (20+). So is it just becoming more common that women are having babies in their 40’s due to culture/medical advancements?

 

[DLgal]

I contend that a 48 year old who hasn't raised teens is mentally and physically younger than a 44 year old in the process of raising 2 teens.

Good point. Although my boys have been absolute angels since they each turned about 8. It was the early years that aged me rapidly.

 

[DLgal]

This may be a dumb question but I thought I read that the trend of society is that women are having babies at a later age (30+) than a younger one (20+). So is it just becoming more common that women are having babies in their 40’s due to culture/medical advancements?

Sort of true. The average age of first birth has gradually been ticking up, but I think it's just recently become 30 at the last US census. When I had my first kid in 2004, it was 25. I was also 25.

Having babies in your 40s and beyond has always happened but has become more common with medical advancements, certainly. Those types of pregnancies in the past have usually been "oopsies."

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Good point, but hear me out.

I had my child at age 33, so I started late. Still can’t imagine starting at 48. I still have plenty of energy, but it’s not the same as it was 10-15 years ago. And I am in good physical shape - I eat well, exercise, and not overweight.

I get exactly what your saying. It’s absolutely valid, but realize when this statement is said it’s not about me starting with my next child. It was referenced to starting new but knowing what I know. And it was hard enough with 1 at 33 years old. 2 at 48, never say never but wowsa yeah I can’t imagine it!

33? Why, you were just a baby! I had mine at 36, 39, and the next one will arrive when I’m 42. While it’s true that I wouldn’t have the same energy I did in my 20s for clubbing into the wee hours of the night and then showing up without sleep for work the next day, fortunately parenting hasn’t required me to have that kind of stamina. And, part of the reason it’s been fairly easy is because I’m in a better financial position now than I was when I was younger (as is pretty typical for many people). I can be a SAHM now and I don’t have to try to juggle kids and a job, so I’m not stretched as thin and I can take a nap in the middle of the day if I had a rough night. That would not have been an option for me in my 20s as there was no way we could’ve afforded to live on one income back then.

That seems to be the general trend with the older moms I know. They either stay at home or they’re established enough in their careers where they have a lot of flexibility, if not outright own the business themselves, and they can all afford to hire help and/or breaks from childcare in the form of mother’s helpers, nannies, daycare, housekeepers, kids’ camps and other organized activities. I don’t imagine most of them would have been able to do that when they were just starting out. There are benefits to having your kids young, for sure, but there are also some benefits to having them when you’re older. Knowing what I know now, I would still chose to wait until I was older to have them.

 

[nancipants]

As someone who struggled several years to have a child, I am so happy for her that her dream is finally coming true.

The comments I've seen on social media regarding her age and the dangers of an older pregnancy are really disgusting. Every pregnancy is dangerous. And if she had IVF, the embryo has likely already been screened, and there's a good possibility she used a donor egg or frozen eggs from when she was younger.

 

[MillauFr]

2 One Million Dollar babies. Clint Eastwood will be the nanny.

 

[fla4fun]

It appears that this pregnancy is something she and her husband have wanted for a while and they are very happy about it. If they are happy, I can only wish them the best for a healthy pregnancy, easy birth, and healthy children.

I personally wouldn’t do it, but then I never wanted children and have spent my entire adult life doing everything in my power not to get pregnant.

 

[Mysterian]

I don't know anything about Swank (she was great in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby though), could be that her lifestyle may have finally allowed time for this, or what, who knows.

Some people have said that having kids ages you. I was curious if it's a number of factors like sleep loss and/or stress. Then I did a Google walk, and it turns out mothers will actually experience cellular aging from pregnancy. Telomeres shorten dramatically as cell production works to develop the baby. That's pretty intense, as that's a cellular sacrifice on the mom's part.

Also something to remind your kids about, when next Mother's Day is around the corner.

 

[Buzz Rules]

2 One Million Dollar babies. Clint Eastwood will be the nanny.

Mrs. Doubtfire 2.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I don't know anything about Swank (she was great in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby though), could be that her lifestyle may have finally allowed time for this, or what, who knows.

Some people have said that having kids ages you. I was curious if it's a number of factors like sleep loss and/or stress. Then I did a Google walk, and it turns out mothers will actually experience cellular aging from pregnancy. Telomeres shorten dramatically as cell production works to develop the baby. That's pretty intense, as that's a cellular sacrifice on the mom's part.

Also something to remind your kids about, when next Mother's Day is around the corner.

It might be a reason surrogate motherhood is a popular option in today’s society (not judging anyone).

 

[OppR2nist]

Well, there goes any chance of her appearing on Cobra Kai.

I came here to say this.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I came here to say this.

Season 7. The writers want at least 2 more seasons.

 

[OppR2nist]

Season 7. The writers want at least 2 more seasons.

Hopefully they get their wish, and it times out with her raising those two noobs, then.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Hopefully they get their wish, and it times out with her raising those two noobs, then.

They can be in season 7 too.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I don't know anything about Swank (she was great in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby though), could be that her lifestyle may have finally allowed time for this, or what, who knows.

Some people have said that having kids ages you. I was curious if it's a number of factors like sleep loss and/or stress. Then I did a Google walk, and it turns out mothers will actually experience cellular aging from pregnancy. Telomeres shorten dramatically as cell production works to develop the baby. That's pretty intense, as that's a cellular sacrifice on the mom's part.

Also something to remind your kids about, when next Mother's Day is around the corner.

I would have never had children if I had known this. My telomeres are very important to me.

 

[DLgal]

I don't know anything about Swank (she was great in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby though), could be that her lifestyle may have finally allowed time for this, or what, who knows.

Some people have said that having kids ages you. I was curious if it's a number of factors like sleep loss and/or stress. Then I did a Google walk, and it turns out mothers will actually experience cellular aging from pregnancy. Telomeres shorten dramatically as cell production works to develop the baby. That's pretty intense, as that's a cellular sacrifice on the mom's part.

Also something to remind your kids about, when next Mother's Day is around the corner.

Babies also permanently leave behind DNA in the mothers body and it can affect her health for the rest of her life. Here is a good article about that.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...ns out that all,plummet but some cells remain.

I know for a fact that certain medical conditions I have got significantly worse after having kids. I had IBS as a teen and it goy 100X worse after having kids and then even worse after my second kid caused gall bladder issues and I had that removed. My migraines were insufferable during my pregnancies and they got worse for many years after having my kids. They have calmed down a bit, finally.

My kids are also both autistic and that took a MASSIVE mental toll in those difficult early years. I developed clinical anxiety from all the worry. The stress of dealing with 2 special needs kids while my husband was often absent due to military deployments probably aged me way faster than anything else. At 44, I'm tired. I feel 60.