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Celebrity pregnancy announcements have renewed attention on having a baby after 40, but they do not show how those pregnancies were conceived or predict another person’s chances. Fertility expert Dr Justin Chu says pregnancy is possible naturally or with treatment, while age-related fertility changes can make conception harder and treatment outcomes vary.
Recent celebrity pregnancy announcements, including Hilary Swank expecting another child at 52 and Lady Gaga becoming a first-time mother at 40, have renewed questions about having a baby later in life. A MadeForMums report featuring Dr Justin Chu, UK medical director at TFP Fertility, says pregnancy after 40 is possible, but celebrity news rarely reveals whether conception involved fertility treatment, previously frozen eggs or donor eggs — and cannot predict another person’s chances.
Chu said pregnancy in a woman’s 40s can happen naturally or with fertility treatment. He also described fertility as declining over adulthood, with the change becoming more pronounced from the mid-30s. By the 40s, the number and quality of eggs have typically decreased, which can make conception more difficult and raise the risk of miscarriage. Individual circumstances differ, so population figures should not be read as a personal forecast.
The report cites an estimate, attributed to figures reported by The Independent, that women in their early 40s may have about a 5% chance of natural conception per month. It says pregnancy can also occur during perimenopause if ovulation continues, even as periods become irregular. The estimate is not a guarantee and does not describe every person’s circumstances.
UK treatment figures show both the role and limits of IVF. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) reported that IVF accounted for 11% of births to women aged 40 to 44 in 2023, up from 4% in 2000. In 2022, the birth rate per embryo transferred using IVF was about 10% for women aged 40 to 42 and around 5% for those aged 43 to 44. These are specific measures, not the chance that any one person will have a baby after starting treatment.
Why Celebrity Pregnancies Can Mislead
High-profile pregnancies can offer encouragement to people considering parenthood later in life, but announcements provide only a limited account of what happened. They typically do not disclose whether a pregnancy followed natural conception, IVF, eggs frozen earlier or donor eggs. Without those details, the stories cannot show how common a particular outcome is or what someone else’s prospects will be.
The distinction matters because possibility is not predictability. A person may conceive naturally in their 40s, while another may need treatment or face difficulty conceiving. IVF is also not a guarantee, and reported success rates change with age and with the measure being used. Readers weighing options need information tied to their own health and circumstances, rather than a celebrity announcement alone.
Access adds another practical concern. HFEA figures cited in the report show that in 2023, 24% of IVF cycles in England were NHS-funded, compared with 54% in Scotland. The difference points to unequal access to publicly funded treatment across the UK; it does not establish what any individual patient will qualify for.
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Later Motherhood Beyond Celebrity Headlines
The report places later pregnancy in a wider social context, arguing that the timing of parenthood is not always simply a matter of choice. Finding a suitable partner, building a career, securing housing and feeling financially prepared can all affect when someone tries to have a child.
Research from University College London tracking people born in the early 1990s found that 44% of women had become mothers by age 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 were not yet trying, 46% said they did not feel ready; 28% cited finances, 24% a lack of a suitable partner and 22% work or study.
In London, the average age of mothers reached 32.5 in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figures describe wider patterns, not the reasons or fertility prospects of any one woman. The report also separates the experience of parenting from the biology of conception: MadeForMums contributor Sybilla Hart said she felt more emotionally mature when she had her fifth child at 38 than when she became a first-time mother at 26, but that personal reflection does not mean conception is easier with age.
“Pregnancy in your 40s is absolutely possible, both naturally and with fertility treatment.”
— Dr Justin Chu, UK Medical Director at TFP Fertility
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What Celebrity Announcements Leave Out
The report does not identify how Swank, Gaga or other celebrities conceived, and no method should be inferred from an announcement. It is unclear whether any particular pregnancy involved IVF, eggs frozen at a younger age, donor eggs or natural conception. The source also does not provide individual medical details or establish whether a celebrity’s experience is representative.
The figures cited are population-level measures with different definitions and time periods: monthly natural conception estimates, births involving IVF and IVF births per embryo transferred are not interchangeable. They cannot determine an individual’s chance of pregnancy or live birth. The report’s final advice from Chu is also incomplete in the supplied text, ending mid-sentence, so his full recommendation cannot be confirmed here.
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Seeking Advice About Fertility Options
For readers considering pregnancy after 40, the report says Chu recommends seeking advice sooner rather than waiting through a prolonged period of unsuccessful trying. The supplied source cuts off before completing his explanation, and it gives no specific clinical steps or individual treatment plan. People seeking guidance should discuss their own circumstances with a qualified fertility professional or healthcare provider.
For the broader picture, the relevant next points are the publication of updated HFEA and ONS figures and any fuller account of the fertility journeys behind public pregnancy announcements. Until those details are available, celebrity stories remain evidence that some pregnancies occur later in life, not a reliable measure of what another person can expect.
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Key Questions
Can someone get pregnant naturally after 40?
Yes. Dr Justin Chu says pregnancy after 40 is possible naturally as well as with fertility treatment. The report says age can make conception harder, and individual chances vary.
Do celebrity pregnancies show what my chances are?
No. Announcements usually do not disclose whether conception was natural or involved IVF, frozen eggs or donor eggs. A celebrity’s experience cannot reliably predict another person’s fertility.
What do the IVF figures in the report mean?
HFEA data cited by the report says IVF accounted for 11% of births to women aged 40 to 44 in the UK in 2023. Separately, the IVF birth rate per embryo transferred in 2022 was about 10% for women aged 40 to 42 and around 5% for women aged 43 to 44. These are different measures and are not an individual guarantee.
When should someone over 40 seek fertility advice?
Chu recommends seeking advice sooner rather than waiting for months of unsuccessful trying. The source text cuts off before his full advice is given, so it does not specify a precise timetable or clinical plan.
Source: rss
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