The Devil Wears Prada 2 star’s pregnancy has reignited conversations around fertility after 35. Living360 asked experts to separate the myths from reality — and explain why there’s no single timeline for parenthood.
For Anne Hathaway, 2026 is shaping up to be a banner year. Alongside a packed slate of film releases, including the hotly anticipated The Odyssey, the Academy Award-winning actor recently announced she’s expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman (they already have two sons, Jonathan, 11, and Jack, six).
Anne shared the news on Instagram on 20 June, posting a video revealing her growing bump alongside the caption: “Baby I’m yours. X”. The news was met with messages of congratulations. But alongside the excitement came a familiar conversation. At 43, Anne’s announcement reignited the debate around fertility, pregnancy after 35 and the realities of having children later in life.
Later motherhood is becoming increasingly common. Whether because of careers, finances, relationships or simply waiting until the timing feels right, many women are having children later than previous generations did. Yet despite that shift, misconceptions around fertility and pregnancy after 35 remain widespread.
Living360 spoke to health experts and women who have experienced later motherhood themselves about the realities behind the headlines.
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Is it normal to have a child after 35?
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding later motherhood is that becoming pregnant after 35 is unusual. According to senior educational and child psychologist Dr Sasha Hall, that simply doesn’t reflect modern family life.
“Motherhood in the late thirties and forties is far more common now and far more socially visible than it’s ever been,” she says.
She believes several factors have contributed to that shift, from women pursuing higher education and establishing careers before having children to greater financial independence and more open conversations around fertility treatment and IVF. Together, they’ve helped normalise a much wider range of journeys into parenthood.
What about the ‘fertility cliff’?
Many women grow up hearing about the so-called ‘fertility cliff’ at 35, often leaving them with the impression that pregnancy afterwards is unlikely. But experts say fertility is far more nuanced than a single birthday.
For author Catherine Yardley, those messages stayed with her for years. “I thought after 35, it’d be over,” she says. “The fertility cliff was a so-called ‘reality’ I’d always known of.”
After experiencing both an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage, Catherine went on to have two children after 35, including her youngest at 41.
“I was fitter and happier. I was also grateful. I didn’t think I’d get pregnant at 40, but within three months, I was with child.”
Her experience also challenged assumptions about pregnancy itself. Although she developed gestational diabetes during an earlier pregnancy at 36, she didn’t experience it at 41. “I never felt better,” she says. “The only real downside was the blood thinners I had to take. Not fun.”
While age undoubtedly plays a role in fertility, Catherine believes conversations often become overly simplistic and unnecessarily frightening.
“I know a lot of women who got pregnant at 40. A fair amount had IVF. It’s about each individual woman. There’s an awful sexism towards older mothers. You can be the healthiest you’ve ever been at 40.”
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Pregnancy later in life can bring emotional challenges, too
Conceiving later in life isn’t the only source of anxiety. Pregnancy itself can feel emotionally more complex, particularly when routine screening introduces uncertainty.
During her second pregnancy, Dr Hall received screening results indicating roughly a one-in-100 chance of a chromosomal condition, such as Down syndrome or Turner syndrome.
“When I saw the screening results, I experienced immediate fear and panic, followed quite quickly by guilt and self-reflection,” she says.
She and her husband decided to have a private non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT), receiving the results on Christmas Eve. “It showed a very low likelihood of chromosomal conditions, and we also found out the gender at the same time. It became a very emotional, but also meaningful moment for us.”
Looking back, she says she’s glad no one had mentioned age-related pregnancy risks — mainly because she already understood them. Dr Hall says: “What matters more is that women are supported emotionally through the uncertainty that can come with pregnancy at any age, rather than being made to feel there’s a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ time.”
She also believes becoming a parent later in life brought benefits she might not have experienced otherwise, including greater financial stability, a stronger sense of identity and feeling she’d already enjoyed many of the life experiences people often worry about ‘missing out’ on after children.
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Can celebrity pregnancies create unrealistic expectations?
Celebrity pregnancies often spark debate, but do they actually help women feel more positive about later motherhood?
Dr Hall believes they do.
“I think these stories are largely positive because they help normalise later motherhood and reflect the reality that many women are having children later in life for a range of reasons,” she says.
At the same time, she cautions against assuming they represent everyone’s experience. “It’s important these stories aren’t interpreted as guarantees about fertility, because everyone’s journey is different.”
Fertility dietitian Jess Willow agrees. While she believes celebrity pregnancies can inspire hope, they can also create unrealistic expectations if they aren’t accompanied by honest conversations about fertility.
“While a healthy pregnancy at 43 is entirely possible, it may involve a complex, non-linear path.”
She notes that Anne Hathaway has previously spoken openly about miscarriage and fertility struggles, helping create a more nuanced, contextualised conversation grounded in realistic expectations.
How to support fertility after 35
While no diet or supplement can reverse the effects of ageing, Jess says there are practical ways women can support their reproductive health.
“The biggest myth I encounter is that a ‘superfood’ or sudden detox can instantly reverse age-related fertility decline,” she says.
Instead, she recommends focusing on consistent lifestyle habits over a period of at least three months, including eating a balanced diet rich in folate, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and CoQ10, alongside managing conditions such as PMOS (formerly PCOS) or endometriosis with appropriate medical support where needed.
Rather than focusing on what can’t be changed, she encourages women to concentrate on the factors they can control. She explains: “It’s vital to understand that while your chronological age is fixed, your biological age can be positively influenced.”
Challenging the double standard around older parents
One conversation Anne Hathaway’s pregnancy has reignited isn’t just about fertility — it’s about who society judges.
Women becoming mothers later in life often find themselves scrutinised in ways older fathers rarely are. While celebrities including Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Naomi Campbell and Kim Kardashian have all faced commentary about their age, older fathers such as Al Pacino, George Clooney and Alec Baldwin have generally received far less criticism for having children in their fifties (or even older).
For Catherine, that’s exactly why these conversations matter.
“Don’t let anyone make you feel too old,” she says. “You’re not. Your baby doesn’t care how old you are.”
While fertility naturally changes with age, experts agree there’s no universal timeline for parenthood. Later motherhood is becoming increasingly common, and although every journey is different, the conversation is slowly shifting away from fear and towards informed, compassionate support.
Feature image: Alamy
