The year of 2026 looks set to become the year that the description “geriatric pregnancy” disappears from our lexicon. We’re witnessing an A-lister over-40s baby boom that is softening even the most judgmental of “too-old-to-be-having-children” critics.
Oscar-winning actor Anne Hathaway, 43, is expecting her third child, while 44-year-old fellow Oscar-winner Natalie Portman is also pregnant with her third. Meanwhile, 44-year-old Sienna Miller had her third child in May, two months after singer Paloma Faith – also 44 – welcomed her third. These celebrities aren’t just adding to their families, they’re challenging outdated attitudes about their ages. Faith described herself as an “OAPmilf” on Instagram while Miller said maternal age is “unbelievably misogynistic and anti-feminist”, adding that “no one has anything to say about… Al Pacino and Robert De Niro having kids in their eighties”. She told : “If your body is capable of it, have the baby. And by the way, I’m a better mother now, and it’s a much more grounded experience. Forget about your age! It’s absolutely irrelevant.”
But while age is just a number, there are some differences – both good and bad – about having children in your mid-forties. I should know: I had my third child, Juno, age 44. I found the early weeks when she was a newborn much harder than with my older two children. I still don’t know whether it was hormonal – I was deep in perimenopause – or whether I simply found the juggle of trying to meet three young people’s needs really hard. But I was far more emotional and overwhelmed than I’d previously experienced.
Putin has a sinister new plan. We should all be worried
The last month has seen the fiercest exchange of missile attacks between Russia and Ukraine in more than four years of war.
But the fighting is in dynamic impasse, with a huge amount of killing and damage on either side with little to show for it. Russia now looks to be trying to shake that up.
What has changed?
In the past week, Vladimir Putin has urged new field commanders to get the job done to seize the whole of Donetsk by the end of the year.
Lithuania warned a few days ago intelligence services thought Russia could try to provoke allies in the region in the next few weeks. This points to a dangerous new phase of the war.
The sinister new plan
Russia is using three lines of attack to break the will of Ukraine: to bring misery, a lack of power and utilities with the onset of winter and to grind down the forces on the front line.
The new military appointments and exhortations suggest Putin intends to intensify ground attacks in Ukraine.
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What does this mean for Ukraine?
- The numbers look bleak for Ukraine going into the winter.
- The trashing of its cities, including the targeting of filling stations, aims at depriving Ukrainians of heat and comfort, and even adequate food.
- Ukraine is fighting back hard, but the next phase of the war could stretch it to breaking point.
Why you shouldn’t use your 1999 solar eclipse glasses
With a rare partial solar eclipse later today, many are casting their minds back to the last major eclipse over the UK before the turn of the century.
But experts have warned people not to re-use glasses bought for the astronomical event 27 years ago.
What you need to know
Many parts of the country will experience more than 90 per cent coverage of the Sun.
Depending on your location, it will occur between 6.15pm and 8pm. People in the south-west of England are likely to get the most coverage. For the best view, it is a good idea to head to high ground.
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When will this happen again?
There has been a last-minute rush for eclipse glasses, as many high street shops and online retailers have sold out.
The next total solar eclipse over the UK will not happen until 2090.
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Put the old glasses away
- Only specialist glasses that are ISO 12312-1 certified should be used, experts said.
- People should only use glasses that are undamaged and no more than a decade old.
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How solo working is driving rising hours spent alone
Working from home and other solitary working habits are a bigger driver of loneliness than screen time, research suggests.
What you need to know
- The Resolution Foundation made the findings by analysing UK Time Use Survey.
- It found the average number of people doing paid work alone has nearly tripled in under a decade.
- Working from home accounted for roughly two-thirds of the rise in work done alone.
- The research found that “paid work is the biggest driver of rising time alone among working-age people”.
- Parth Pandya, researcher at the Resolution Foundation, said: “If policy makers are serious about improving young people’s wellbeing, then work needs to be part of the debate as much as screen time.”
The story in numbers
15%
Among 18 to 69-year-olds, the average proportion of people who were doing paid work alone in the standard working day increased from five per cent in 2014 up to 15 per cent in 2023.
90 minutes
The biggest change was among men aged 18-29, who spent an additional 90 minutes working alone each day.
This means they spend more than two-fifths of the hours they are awake alone.
What does this mean?
The research said: “It is more solo working, rather than screen time, that has driven the rise in reported time alone.
“Despite likely under-reporting of screen time, time alone for young people is still up. So, something else must be driving it – and the diary data points to a sharp rise in solo working.”
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Timeline of recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure
Ukraine has maintained near-daily attacks on Russian oil refineries, pumping stations and exports – targeting the lifeblood of Moscow’s war economy.
By some estimates, the campaign has knocked out a third of Russia’s oil processing capacity.
What you need to know
On 18 July, Kyiv ushered in a new era, targeting Wildberries warehouses – Russia’s equivalent to Amazon and one of the country’s largest companies.
For many Russians, the war now feels a lot closer to home, with social media filled with videos of explosions and business owners crying over their destroyed stock.
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The timeline of key events
Kyiv has raised the stakes in recent weeks with dozens of attacks. The logic is to aggravate economic problems and harm public support for the war.
- 30 April – Ukraine said it hit one of Russia’s largest oil refineries more than 1,500 kilometres from the front line.
- 24 June – A strike on an electricity substation took out the power in the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol.
- 4 July – Ukraine hit a major oil terminal in St Petersburg.
- 2 August – Kyiv said it hit an oil refinery and airfield 600 kilometres from the border in Saratov region.
- 3 August – A drone hit a Wildberries warehouse in one of a series of similar attacks on the company.
- 6 August – Ukraine hit two oil refineries, trying to reduce the profits of Russian oil.
When and where to catch a glimpse of Perseid meteor shower
Just hours after the partial solar eclipse, Wednesday night will see stargazers treated to yet another astronomical event.
But what is the Perseid meteor shower and where can you see it best?
Everything you need to know
The Perseids are seen as streaks of bright meteors across the night sky. They are caused by debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet and are seen in the UK every summer.
Its peak nights are 12 and 13 August this year. Much of the UK will have clear skies overnight, with a new moon meaning the display should also be more visible.
Where best to see it
- Try to go somewhere without light pollution, preferably away from cities.
- Allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness and gaze up towards the widest clear expanse of sky.
- You could see hundreds of “shooting stars”, with the best time between midnight and sunrise.
- Areas of the Highlands, mid-Wales and rural Northumberland are often cited as having the least light pollution.
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Why billionaire Lord Sugar has hit out at American Express
Lord Alan Sugar has called American Express “a bunch of idiots” after he was denied an increase on his credit limit.
star, 79, who has a reported net worth of £1.138bn, said he spoke to someone who was aware of his “financial status”, but it made no difference.
What is the row about?
Lord Sugar wrote on X to complain he had been on the phone with American Express for an hour, and eventually “my request was refused due to their system”.
Replying to some criticism in his comments, the entrepreneur responded: “I AM NOT MOANING JUST EXPOSING WHAT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS AMEX ARE.”
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Council flat to billionaire status
Some in Lord Sugar’s comments accused him of “trying to flaunt your status” after championing his modest background.
- Lord Sugar was born in Hackney, east London, in 1947 and grew up in a council flat.
- He left school at 16 and briefly worked in the civil service as a statistician.
- He founded electronics company Amstrad at the age of 21 and found commercial success by mass-producing affordable consumer electronics.
- Sugar began hosting reality competition show in 2005.
- He sold his stake in Amstrad to BSkyB in 2007 for £125m.
- His net worth is reportedly £1.138bn.
Are you having as much sex as everyone else?
It’s natural for libido to wax and wane due to life events, dating status or hormonal changes.
And it can be hard to say what a “normal” sexual frequency is. But research and case studies give us a rough idea.
The statistics
When it happens
61%
A 2023 survey concluded that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of us wait until night-time to have sex.
Only 14 per cent opt to get busy in the early evening, and 10 per cent in the morning.
Research from 2019 suggests that the average number of times British live-in or married couples have sex per month is three.
Are Gen Z having less sex than older people?
I see my partner on the weekends and have sex with others in the week.
Leanne, a 27-year-old influencer from Bristol has sex three or four times a week, but only sees her long-distance partner on the weekends. They have agreed they can both sleep with other people during the week.
35-year-old Rebecca usually sleeps with her partner once or twice per week due to not having much child-free time.
Clare, 32, says her job is busy and she has to schedule sex with her partner on weekends, or some afternoons twice a month. “Occasionally this slips and I do worry that it makes us not as connected,” she says.
I haven’t had the issue of my sex life drying up with menopause. I’m more aroused now.
I’ve been married for 15 years. I love my husband, but our sex life is non-existent, and has been for about five years.
I’m not really motivated to seek out partners; I vaguely like the idea of it but not enough to take any action.
I’ve been married for 20 years and sex has become something of a rarity. We maybe have sex once a week on a Sunday morning as we’re both relaxed and I can take Viagra late on Saturday night – without it, I can’t perform.
JACK, 63, OFFICE WORKER, KENT
The seven rules that could save your marriage
Keep your sense of self
I did what I thought I was supposed to do and forgot my needs and wants. I think it’s really important that you’re an individual and not just a person who is married.
KATIE STRATFORD*, A 55-YEAR-OLD MUM OF TWO, WHO DIVORCED ATER 19 YEARS
Seven rules to save your marriage
The small things
Small things, like being brought a cup of tea or saying thank you, make a big difference.
Karen Deulofeu, who ended her six-year marriage, believes all couples should seek support, even before they think they need it.
Listen properly by repeating what you have heard and ask if you’ve got that right.
Don’t lose communication
People don’t talk about the deep issues; nobody else is going to do it for you. You don’t want to ask questions because it might rock the boat…you have to keep talking, and talk about what it is that you want within the relationship to keep going forward.
KATIE STRATFORD
Seven rules to save your marriage
Remember that things change
“What you see on social media and what friends say is quite often the nice version. Everything is a phase,” says Deulofeu.
Look at yourself first
“Focus on what’s in your control and what you can do differently, rather than the other person or a situation that you can’t control. Invest in understanding yourself,” she adds.
I was a solo mum when I had my eldest two children, using donor sperm, and Juno was my first baby conceived with a partner. Well-meaning friends would speculate that it must be much easier with two adults around. I felt confused that it wasn’t. “I don’t know whether I’ve got post-natal depression, whether I’m perimenopausal or whether I’m just exhausted,” I told a neighbour. I remember her replying: “It could be all three.”
By the time Juno was one and I had started taking HRT and getting more sleep, I loved the joyful chaos of being outnumbered. I now rarely think about my age, except to sometimes reflect on how having babies later makes me feel younger than friends whose children are leaving home: they’re at a different life stage. I’m sometimes genuinely surprised when I remember I’m not as young as my children make me feel. I’m sure that I’m a better mother than I would have been in my twenties: I know myself better.
Occasionally, though, the unspoken fear creeps up on me, the one that I believe crosses the mind of most older mums, especially those whose parents have died: what if my children lose their mum too young? My children need me and will continue to for many years to come. It’s not possible to control the roulette of life, but I love them so fiercely that I will myself to be here, fit and healthy, until very old age. I got to enjoy having my mum around until I was 47; for my children to experience the same, I’ll need to see 91. I hold onto research from the New England Centenarian Study that women who give birth over 40 are four times more likely to live for a century. Please let me be one.
Lisa Oxenham, journalist and beauty editor, had her second baby, Wolfgang, as a solo mum aged 49 and didn’t experience the exhaustion I felt during those first newborn months. Her son is now 11-months-old. “I have the same energy that I’ve always had – if anything, I feel younger,” she tells me. “I know what I need to do to keep my family running, both financially and emotionally, as well as managing my own energy. I also feel more confident and settled in myself. I’m more emotionally aware, I know my limits and I have a much clearer perspective on what really matters.
“What has surprised me most isn’t how I feel about becoming a mother in my forties, but how surprised everyone else seems to be. There is still so much fear and negativity, as though women should be worried or somehow apologetic for wanting it. But I feel strong, my body adapted quickly, and, in many ways, I’ve coped better than I did when I had my first baby.”
There’s no doubt that conception is harder as we grow older. Lisa went through four years of IVF treatment and three ectopic pregnancies to have Wolfgang. For women under 35, an IVF embryo transfer has almost a 50 per cent chance of resulting in a lasting pregnancy. For those over 40, that reduces to 10 to 15 per cent. Even for women who use donor eggs, fertility treatment becomes less successful from the age of 49. New research shows egg donor IVF results in a healthy baby 45 per cent of the time for those in their thirties, compared to 32 per cent for women aged 49 and over. As for natural conception, it does happen – my daughter Juno is testament to that – but the monthly chances of conceiving at 44 are 1 per cent, while the chance of miscarriage is between 40 and 50 per cent.
It also means the chances of secondary infertility are higher. Gilly Seagrave, 50, founder of craft knitwear brand Ekawear and a former competitive snowboarder, has a 10-year-old daughter called Tilda. She started trying to conceive in her mid-thirties and it took almost four years to become pregnant, “way longer” than she’d expected. Having been warned that her age was affecting her fertility, she started trying for another baby six months after having Tilda. But they struggled again.
“We went for IVF checks and the clinician opened by saying that my partner had given a sperm sample that was one of the best she’s ever seen. So it was all me. It was a kick in the teeth. I peeled myself off the floor and took that as a sign to give up on the chance of another baby,” she says. She is part of parent group Mother Wild and has found support from other women to come to terms with having one child and the loss of an expected future. “I had an image of recreating the childhood I had and that was with a sibling,” she says. “Obviously, I know how lucky I am to have one healthy and wonderful child. The internal work I’ve done with Mother Wild has also really opened me up to the idea of accepting what the universe has given me.”
Gilly, like every one of the dozens of people I spoke to for this article, appreciates the freedom of being an older parent. “I feel less bound by what society thinks mothers should be. I think that would have been harder for me in my twenties or early thirties. I took my daughter down to the snowboard park last winter and it felt incredible: I can show her how she doesn’t need to put limits on herself.”
But people’s experiences of whether they “fit in” as an older mum is more mixed. Lucy Baker, a confidence coach, who is 50 with three children aged 16, 13 and seven, tells me: “I’ve just been to a meet-the-teacher session at school for my son’s next academic year and I didn’t feel any older than the other mums, but I bet I am 15 years older than the majority of them.
“I had my first baby at 34, so not young by any stretch – but I did feel young and immature and so the difference between 34 and 43 was big for me – I grew up in that time.” She was taken aback by the judgemental comments when she was pregnant with her third. “I remember being told, ‘But you are going to be 47 when the baby starts school.’ I was five-months pregnant and feeling vulnerable.”
One friend, 54, whose son is now 10, says she’s noticed how she subconsciously tends to gravitate to older mums. She’s sometimes taken aback by how young teachers are. “My son was taught for one year by a new teacher who was less than half my age,” she remembers. “When I heard he was getting a rough ride, I felt a bit sorry for him and perhaps a bit protective, or maternal, which was a slightly unwelcome emotion.”
For nutritionist Monica Kranner, who was 52 when her son Lewis, now almost three, was born, the judgement has shocked her. “I’ve been told, both directly and indirectly, that it’s selfish to become a mum at my age, that I’m somehow making Lewis’s life less fun by not being a ‘young’ mum. Others have said I should be enjoying menopause instead of ‘interfering with nature’s choice.’
“There’s an assumption that my choice was reckless or self-indulgent, rather than years of loss and trying,” she says. She had seven miscarriages before giving birth to her son and felt a “fear that never switched off” during pregnancy.
She says other women are the most judgemental – more so than men. “What’s easier, though, is that I don’t absorb it the way I would have in my twenties – I’ve got enough life experience to let comments go and trust my own judgement.”
Despite the difficulties of conceiving as we get older, the over-40s are the only age group seeing a consistent rise in women having babies in the UK, while overall we have a declining birth rate. Of course, a lot of this is being driven by factors beyond our control. It is estimated to cost £250,000 to raise a child to the age of 18 and this is unfathomable to many people who are juggling the cost of living.
The average age of first-time buyers in the UK has risen to 34, a rise of five years since the mid-1990s according to Skipton Group’s annual home affordability index. And as men feel no pressure to meet a long-term partner or have children until they are financially stable – even though age affects male fertility too – a growing number of women aren’t meeting partners with whom they want to have children with until later.
Soon, it will be almost average to have babies in our forties: while the median age of having a baby was 26 in 1978, by 2061 it is projected to be aged 36, the Office of National Statistics predicts. Oxenham believes it makes sense. “For many women, our forties are when we have life experience, confidence, established careers and, often, greater financial stability. We know ourselves and what we want. So, if having a baby is something you truly want, why should anyone be surprised that you go after it? Later motherhood is only going to become more accepted, and more and more women will choose this path.”