A mother who gave birth to twins at 51 has warned that later-life motherhood, while filled with gratitude, also requires immense grit. Caroline Morgan, 55, spoke out after Cameron Diaz, 53, announced the birth of her third child with husband Benji Madden.
Caroline, who welcomed twins after a long fertility battle, told the Mirror that it is time to move past the 'fairytale' narrative and have 'full-on honest conversations around age and fertility and support.' She said: 'I honestly think later motherhood is beautiful but it's not the fairy tale that people think.'
Caroline met her partner Richard when she was 44. After unsuccessful attempts to conceive naturally, they turned to IVF. Due to limited NHS options, they went private and sought treatment in Spain. Caroline endured three chemical pregnancies and a miscarriage at eight weeks when she was 49. She became pregnant on the sixth IVF cycle at age 50.
Her pregnancy with twins was high-risk, and she suffered anxiety, having weekly scans. She felt judged by medical staff due to her age. At 30 weeks, her waters broke, and her babies were delivered by caesarean section at Royal Derby Hospital on April 19. The twins, now two, weighed 4.5lb and 4lb.
Caroline now hosts the podcast Motherhood In Stereo, discussing the reality of later motherhood. She believes stories like Cameron Diaz's matter but should be accompanied by honesty about the challenges. She added that Diaz has not disclosed details of her pregnancy journey and that no one has a 'right' to that information, calling instead for celebration.
