To be envious that Victoria Coren Mitchell has a second baby at 51

[Monetm]

https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/breaking-victoria-coren-mitchell-baby-31338022.amp

Just that, really. I’m sure there will be a lot of posts on here about it’s too old and she should have done it sooner, but given that she didn’t, I am envious that she has the money and the luck and the situation to be able to do it now.

Can you imagine how different women’s lives would be if we just didn’t have to worry so much about the end of our fertility?

Donor egg? A lot of people, myself included, find it really unethical to purchase the products of another women’s body to secure a child for yourself. Women’s bodies are not for sale or hire is my view.

She looks fabulous! Congratulations to both of them.

I am speaking in general I don't think it is fair on a child to have parents that old, they will be 20 when the parent in 71 for example, I think it is incredibly selfish

And no i dont care what replies I get to this

I think they're both too old and I don't care about gender (although women tend to live longer so if anything I'm more against older fathers) they were pretty old when they had their first!

I had older parents and my dad is long gone. Both parents had had cancer by the time I was 15. I can confidently say both were age related as they were very healthy people who looked after themselves well, didn't drink or smoke etc. but they both got "old age" related cancers (bowel and prostate) and I was very lucky not to have lost my mother in my teens-thankfully she is still with me now.

Why do people think everyone would rather be born than not? Why is it so taboo to say actually I'd rather not have been? It's not like anyone would know if they weren't born is it?

I don't want a family of my own, I was super close to my parents and that's the only family I wanted (with my grandparents who I was super lucky to have at all)-but nearly all my family are gone now. Maybe some people wouldn't care but I would've liked to have not been robbed of so many years. My siblings had so much more time, how is that fair really?

Why is a parents needs so much more important than giving ANY thought at all to what a child might think? "Oh they'd rather be born than not", don't be too sure...

It didn't used to be that rare, 'change of life' babies, frequently called Gerard, were not uncommon until the 1960/70s.

My great grandmother had a Gerard, my grandmother was 19 when he was born, and yes it was her brother not a hidden teenage pregnancy.

It’s very likely she has used another woman’s eggs to conceive these children, as even at 43 the chances of IVF working are extremely slim (5%). I have ethical objections to this practice, so I don’t see this as a positive story.

What a weird comment. Plenty of us are childless. I am childless not by design; I wouldnt want to have a first child at 51. I'd love a child but not at that age.

Congrats to them but my goodness I hope they have lots of help and support. I had a child at 33 and am still completely knackered 5 years later. Its worth it though.

Woman has baby. MNetters be dicks about it?

WTF is up with the doom merchants and judgey arses on this thread? A baby has been born. Both baby and mum are doing well. Why would anyone want to be a dick about that?

While I wish them all the best, it's definitely a 'no thanks' from me.

No way could I cope with a teenager now at 65. The poor kid would not be happy having a pensioner mum come along to parents evening, pick them up from friends etc.. Yes, the Coren Mitchell’s can afford nannies but I can’t imagine being 72 at my kids graduation would be nice for them.

Baby’s parents are going to be in their 70’s when baby graduates university. Unless baby marries or starts a family at quite a young age, baby’s parents are unlikely to see baby get married or meet their grandchildren, or if they do, they’ll be too elderly to have any meaningful participation or involvement in either life event. That is why people are being judgey.

@Monetm the only reason women have to ‘worry’ about the end of their fertility is because of the awful, sexist and misogynistic world we live in.

It women were respected and had proper security, support and treatment in working life, in carrying a baby, with their health etc then there would far less of the worry you speak of.

I agree it’s a good thing for her and I’m glad she was able to do it.

So many people on this (and other) threads describing the Coren-Mitchells - and by extension all of us older parents - as “selfish” which implies you believe your own decision to have children, at whatever age, for whatever reason, was “selfless”? What a ludicrous notion. Having children under whatever circumstance is necessarily selfish in that it’s a decision taken by an individual because they want to.

Do they want this child, will they love and care for her? Can they provide for her? Have they made provision for unforeseen events? Given they appear to be kind and decent people of means and intelligence I would presume the answers are yes. I read thread after thread on here from women who have children with or are pregnant to lazy, feckless, stupid, unkind and often straight out abusive men. I know whose child I would rather be.

I'd say that a person is really only child free if they never wanted family. It's an entirely different story if you wanted children but couldn't have them.

Agreed.

We're all different, but being without family when you're also an only child is no joke. Sometimes life doesn't turn out the way you expected.

I finished up caring for both my parents and then my husband. ironically, I was a secondary school teacher. One of my miscarriages happened the day after I was punched in the stomach at work.

At 48 I have an absolute horror of getting pregnant and starting again, but good luck to them if that's what they want.

Yes, my great-grandmother had her last child the same time my grandmother had her first.

When is having a child not a selfish decision?

I can't think of anyone I know who's had a child to 'keep the population stable for the future economy'

My mother had me when she was 27 and I still ended up raised by my grandparents, so I think you're being overly judgemental tbh

I don’t know whereabouts in the country you live, but I am amazed there is only one other only-child in your DD’s class. Half the children at my nephew’s birthday party were onlies (this was a group of 6-7 year olds). It seems to be quite common these days.

Someone I know got pregnant naturally age 49, she went to the doctors expecting to be told it was the menopause, but she was 12 weeks pregnant. Her other two dc were at the age of either doing A levels or had just started at university. She had all the tests & everything came back clear, sailed through her pregnancy, said she was less tired than when she had her elder dc. She went to the gym every day, did yoga, swam, went walking, was very active, went into labour bang on 39 weeks, had a fairly easy labour & was back home with a baby daughter 6 hours afterwards. Both her & her husband say having their youngest daughter has kept them young, they both chose to take early retirement age 57 after working part time from when dd started school, they were both very involved with school, were both governors, went into school to help do things like listen to reading, went on school trips. Dd is 19 now & at university, they have bought a campervan & disappear off on their adventures when they want. They both say that having a late baby, while being a shock, was the best thing they had ever done, it made them see there are more important things than work & realise how much they missed out on when their older dc were young.

I've just remembered, when my brother was in VI form one of his friends became big brother to a baby girl.

Cherie Blair was well in to her 40s when her youngest was born.

As to parents being in their 70s when their children graduate, well I didn't start uni until I was in my 30s and I studied part time.

If I were to have a baby now (53) I would need to have a life in nanny to help me. There’s no way I’d have enough energy for a baby. I can barely get through the working week!

@LittleRobinRedBreast2023

i never understand the “it’s selfish” mentality.

Is it also selfish to have children when you rely on benefits ? When you aren’t a home owner? When you can’t afford to help them get on the housing ladder ? When you live in an area with low life expectancy?

There is never a “right” time, so why judge others on what they value ? Kids don’t care about this stuff as long a they have their needs provided and are loved and prioritised.

good on them I say. They can afford it, and I bet they are brilliant parents.