This morning, Janet Jackson confirmed—via an exclusive photo from People magazine—that she is pregnant. This will be the pop icon's first child ever, and she is doing it at 50.
Of course, having a baby at any age is thrilling. (According to People, Jackson and her husband, Wissam Al Mana, are "super excited" and "[thanking] God for [their] blessing.") But Jackson's pregnancy is particularly meaningful because it's an example of a woman in the spotlight throwing that metaphorical biological clock in the trash.
Women have long been told that their timeline to have children is finite—and as a result, women have long felt immense pressure to have babies, and to have them quickly. Over the last decade, however, women are increasingly bucking these conventions—in some cases choosing to have babies later in life (either using in vitro fertilization or a surrogate), and in some cases choosing not to have babies at all. Janet Jackson is choosing to have a baby at 50.
Jackson certainly knows a lot about bucking conventions. Her 1986 album (Control) broke her from brother Michael's shadow and established her as a bona-fide pop provocateur. She had moves that matched MJ's and a strong, feminist message that rivaled Madonna's greatest cuts. In the '80s, that was groundbreaking—but for Jackson, it was just work.
She spent the next 30 years becoming pop music royalty. (Jackson has sold 100 million records, released 18 consecutive top-10 hits, and has five Grammy Awards—not to mention an estimated net worth of $150 million.) At 48, she debuted a new album (2015's Unbreakable) and launched a subsequent tour that ran for eight months.
Then, at 49—an age where most women think having children is unlikely—Jackson decided to start a family.
Of course, it's important to make sure that your health (and your baby's health) come first, and there are certainly risks for women who want to conceive a baby naturally after 40. "Genetic risk to the fetus increases after a woman turns 40, and the pregnancy has a higher incidence of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and caesarean section," Dr. Christopher Sipe of the Fertility Centers of Illinois told us.
These risks are important to be aware of, but it doesn't mean they're guaranteed to happen. In fact, Sipe said the "most likely outcome of a pregnancy is a healthy full-term pregnancy" for women over 40. The best way to make sure this happens, though, is to "follow up with normal annual screening tests and take medications that are safe during pregnancy," according to Sipe. Dr. Kimberley A. Thornton from the Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York recommends that women especially over 45 should have a medical evaluation prior to conceiving.
There are alternatives to natural childbirth, too. Women can adopt or use a surrogate, which Sarah Jessica Parker used in 2009 (at 44) to have her twins, Marion and Tabitha.
Whatever your choice—or whether you want to be a mother or not—Jackson's move is just another illustration of the fact that there isn't only one way (or one time) to be a mother.
Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/janet-jackson-is-having-a-baby-at-50
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