Can you still have a baby after 40? Fertility expert reveals what the celebrity ‘geriatric pregnancy’ boom isn't telling you

From Hilary Swank at 52 to Lady Gaga at 40, celebrity pregnancies are making headlines. But what does a fertility expert say about having a baby after 40?

Taylor Hill/Kevin Mazur/Mike Marsland/Getty Images

Published: October 19, 2026 at 10:59 AM

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If you're over 40 and still hoping to have a baby, the latest wave of celebrity pregnancy announcements might have caught your attention.

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From Hilary Swank expecting another child at 52 to Lady Gaga becoming a first-time mum at 40, famous women are putting later motherhood firmly in the spotlight.

For women who haven't yet started or completed their families, these stories can offer hope. But they also raise a question: if celebrities are having babies well into their 40s and beyond, does that mean the same is possible for everyone?

The reality is more complicated. While pregnancy after 40 is possible, both naturally and with fertility treatment, age can significantly affect your chances of conceiving. And behind the celebrity headlines is a much bigger story about why women are becoming mothers later in life.

Why are more women having babies later in life?

It's tempting to describe later motherhood as a lifestyle choice, but for many women, the timing of having children isn't entirely within their control.

Finding the right partner, establishing a career, securing somewhere suitable to live and feeling financially ready can all take longer than expected.

Research from University College London, following people born in the early 1990s, found that just 44% of women had become mothers by 30, compared with 58% of their mothers' generation and 81% of their grandmothers' generation.

Among 32-year-olds who wanted a child or another child but weren't yet trying, 46% said they didn't feel ready, 28% cited financial reasons, 24% didn't have a suitable partner and 22% pointed to work or study.

It's a reminder that reaching 40 without having children isn't necessarily the result of deliberately putting motherhood on hold.

And the shift is particularly noticeable in London, where the average age of mothers reached 32.5 in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Why becoming an older mum can have its advantages

While fertility becomes more challenging with age, the experience of motherhood itself can feel very different later in life.

MadeForMums contributor and mum-of-five Sybilla Hart recently reflected on having her fifth child, Benjamin, at 38, compared with becoming a first-time mum at 26.

In her twenties, she felt pressure to prove she could balance motherhood with her writing career. By her late thirties, she was less concerned with other people's opinions and more confident about enjoying the newborn years.

I had grown hugely in levels of emotional maturity and was happy to stay in the newborn bubble and baby chaos for as long as it took

Sybilla Hart

There were challenges, including the physical demands of parenting and looking after four older children. But with experience came perspective.

It's an important distinction: feeling more emotionally ready for motherhood later in life doesn't necessarily mean finding it easier to conceive.

Are celebrity pregnancies giving women false hope about fertility after 40?

With so many famous women announcing pregnancies in their 40s and 50s, it's understandable if you're wondering whether the window for having a baby is wider than you once thought.

But while these stories can be encouraging, they don't always tell us the full picture. Celebrity pregnancy announcements rarely reveal the details of someone's fertility journey, including whether they conceived naturally, through IVF, using eggs frozen at a younger age or with donor eggs.

And while some women do conceive naturally in their 40s, others may spend months or years trying, face fertility treatment or experience the heartbreak of miscarriage.

The important thing to remember is that having a baby after 40 is possible, but it's not necessarily typical or straightforward. And someone else's pregnancy success, celebrity or otherwise, isn't a reliable guide to your own chances of conceiving.

Can you still get pregnant naturally after 40?

The short answer is yes, although it can take longer than it might have earlier in life.

Dr Justin Chu, UK Medical Director at TFP Fertility, explains that there are several routes to motherhood later in life.

Pregnancy in your 40s is absolutely possible, both naturally and with fertility treatment.

Dr Justin Chu, UK Medical Director at TFP Fertility

However, fertility declines gradually throughout adulthood, becoming more pronounced from the mid-30s.

By your 40s, both the number and quality of eggs have typically decreased, making conception more difficult and increasing the risk of miscarriage.

Women in their early 40s may have around a 5% chance of conceiving naturally each month, according to figures cited by The Independent, although individual circumstances vary.

Pregnancy is also possible during perimenopause, when periods may become irregular but ovulation hasn't stopped completely.

Can IVF help you have a baby after 40?

IVF can offer another route to pregnancy, but it isn't a guarantee.

Figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) show IVF accounted for 11% of UK births to women aged 40 to 44 in 2023, compared with 4% in 2000.

However, success rates decline with age when using your own eggs.

In 2022, the IVF birth rate per embryo transferred was around 10% for women aged 40 to 42, falling to approximately 5% for women aged 43 to 44.

Using eggs frozen at a younger age or donor eggs may improve the chances of success, although outcomes vary.

And treatment isn't equally accessible. In 2023, just 24% of IVF cycles in England were NHS-funded, compared with 54% in Scotland, according to HFEA figures.

For women already facing financial pressures, fertility treatment can introduce another significant challenge.

What should you do if you're over 40 and want a baby?

Dr Chu recommends seeking advice sooner rather than later.

You don't need to wait until you've been trying unsuccessfully for months. Speaking to your GP or a fertility specialist before you start trying can help you understand your circumstances.

Depending on your situation, your options might include:

Importantly, not everyone over 40 will need fertility treatment.

If having a baby is something you know you want, getting the right information early on gives you more time to understand your fertility and the choices available.

Dr Justin Chu, UK Medical Director at TFP Fertility

Is 40 really too old to have a baby?

Despite the outdated term 'geriatric pregnancy', historically used for pregnancies in women aged 35 and over, turning 40 doesn't mean your opportunity to become a mum has disappeared.

But the growing visibility of later motherhood shouldn't obscure the biological realities.

For some women, having a baby after 40 is a positive, deliberate decision. For others, it's where years of navigating relationships, careers, housing costs or fertility difficulties have brought them.

And while celebrity pregnancy announcements can offer hope, they don't always reveal the medical, emotional or financial challenges involved.

The message isn't that women should abandon their hopes of having a baby after 40. It's that later motherhood is possible, but individual circumstances matter.

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Because while society's timeline for having children has changed, our reproductive biology hasn't changed with it.

Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.

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