From the day we are born, we as women feel like our lives are dictated by a figurative biological clock that feels more like a ticking time bomb. From the day we start our menstrual cycle, it feels like we're forced to keep a consistent schedule that includes advancing our careers, finding love, starting a family, and somehow keeping our sanity in the midst of the chaos. If you're a woman who has a desire to be a mother but may be scared that your biological clock has now inevitability run out of time, Halle Berry wants you to feel the fear and do it anyway.
If there's anyone you should take advice from about late in life pregnancies, it's Halle Berry. After having her first child, Nahla, at age of 41, the John Wick: Chapter 3 actress gave birth to a her son, Maceo, six years later and her life hasn't been the same since. The now 52-year-old actress says that her miracle babies changed her entire perspective on life because, at the time, pregnancy wasn't something she thought would ever happen for her. In 2004, the actress told Ellen:
"I didn't think it was possible at my age, honestly. They call it a geriatric pregnancy. I was, you know, on my way. This is probably way TMI, but I was kind of premenopausal, so to have this happen was huge."
While the idea of having a baby later in life can be scary, Halle Berry said that every moment of her experience was worth it. The actress has this advice for ladies of 40 who still have dreams of parenting a child:
"Do it. Just do it."
I, in fact, am a living, breathing testament of the fact that it's never too late to pursue your dreams, especially if that dream is to become a mother. Although my mom had given birth to two children in her 20's and acted as a bonus mom to four stepchildren, things were much different after she gave birth to me at 39. I picked out my own clothes, I was taught to speak my mind and assert myself, even when it came to authority figures, and unlike my brothers and sisters, I didn't get spankings. Because this wasn't my mom's first rodeo, she was equipped with knowledge and tolerance that she didn't have when she was raising my siblings.
Along with having more patience, Halle Berry says that you can also be prone to having a greater appreciation for your pregnancy when you're older. Although all pregnancies are special, Halle Berry said that her miracle babies brought to light a number of truths about herself that she hadn't previously realized.
My mom's approach to raising me was different because she had some experience under her belt, and Halle Berry echoed that sentiment in her interview with Us Weekly:
"You're so much more ready to be a parent after 40 than when you're 20. You know yourself better. You've done a lot of things for yourself, selfishly. When you wait later in life, you can really put your kids forward I think in a more meaningful way."
While the term "geriatric" may a turnoff in and of itself, having a baby over 40 might be the best decision you'll ever make.
These high risk pregnancies can be dangerous, and there are certainly other routes you can take if traditional conception isn't an option for you. Whether you decide to adopt, try IVF treatments, or get it on the old-fashioned way, Halle Berry and her beautiful kids prove that the only person standing in the way of your dreams of becoming a mother is you.
Featured image by Mike Coppola/WireImage)