OK, a bit of a random choice of story, but posted in the hope of cheering us all on!
I'd heard that Arlene Phillips (i.e. formerly of Strictly Come Dancing) had had a late baby, but wasn't sure if she'd had some sort of 'help'. I came across this old article from the Sunday Times which makes clear it was definitely an 'oops' baby. Lovely story!
I've pasted some below and the rest is here (it might need the online subscription service): www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/article58623.ece
"I was 47! To be honest, I was expecting to be told that it was the start of the menopause, not motherhood.
Once I’d got over the initial shock, the doctor told me that my age increased the chances of Down’s syndrome. I’d become pregnant with my first child, Alana, when I was 36. And even at that age I was warned about the risk of Down’s. This time round, the doctor asked me if I wanted to have a CVS, which is like amniocentesis ... Both carry a risk of miscarriage, but the CVS even more so. I was told to go home and think about everything.
When I told my partner, Angus, the news, he couldn’t believe it either. It’s true we weren’t using contraception, but that was because we thought the likelihood of me getting pregnant was so low. We certainly weren’t planning to have any children. Angus never particularly wanted to be a father, and he very much thought of Alana, who has a different father, as both of ours. Of course, that night my head was full of all the things that could go wrong, but then I think we both got to the point where it dawned on us that in some way this child must be a gift.
We decided to go ahead with CVS, and Angus came with me to the Portland hospital ... The results took a week, but it felt like the longest week in my life. When we got the news we were going to have a healthy baby girl, I can’t tell you the joy I felt. If there had been something wrong, I don’t know what I would’ve done. But ultimately I never had to confront that issue. My biggest fear was over.
... Despite the lethargy and the terrible morning sickness, I carried on working, and luckily I didn’t suffer from things like high blood pressure or swollen ankles. The only thing I did have was pain where the scar tissue from my earlier caesarean hadn’t healed properly. As a result, it was agreed I’d have another caesarean, and on September 29, Abi was born. Angus and I were over the moon.
... To anyone facing a similar journey to mine, I would say if you want to be a mother and have an opportunity to have a late baby, then you should. Being a mother is the most wonderful thing. Children make you feel young and active and they bring unimaginable joy."