The Oscar-winning actress, Anne Hathaway, with her unexpected pregnancy at 43 years old is drawing attention to an important medical reality: while fertility declines significantly with age, spontaneous pregnancies can still occur, and many women over 40 go on to have healthy pregnancies with appropriate prenatal care.
During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Hathaway admitted she and husband Adam Shulman were caught off guard when they learned they were expecting their third child. "It's amazing. I mean, we knew what we were doing but we were so shocked it worked," Hathaway joked, adding that she and Shulman now call the pregnancy their "buzzer beater."
The couple, who have been married for 14 years, are already parents to sons Jonathan, 10, and Jack, 6. Hathaway has been publicly showing her baby bump while promoting her upcoming film The Odyssey, in which she stars opposite Matt Damon.
As Hathaway's pregnancy has generated excitement among fans, it highlights a common misconception about fertility after age 40. The chances of natural conception decrease as women get older, but pregnancy is still possible, and experts emphasize that age alone should not be viewed as a barrier to having a healthy baby.
The Challenges the Actress Faced in Her Pregnancy Journey
The actress has been candid for years about the emotional difficulties she faced while growing her family. Hathaway revealed she experienced a miscarriage in 2015 while performing an emotionally and physically demanding one-woman off-Broadway production that required her to simulate childbirth each night. "It was too much to keep it in when I was onstage pretending everything was fine," she previously said.
When announcing her second pregnancy in 2019, Hathaway also acknowledged that conceiving had not been easy. "For everyone going through infertility and conception hell, please know it was not a straight line to either of my pregnancies." She later told the Associated Press that infertility can be "really painful and very isolating and full of self-doubt," sentiments that resonated with many people experiencing similar struggles. Given that history, her naturally conceived pregnancy at 43 came as a welcome surprise.
Advanced Maternal Age: Pregnancy and Fertility After 35
According to the Cleveland Clinic and NCBI, medical experts describe pregnancies in women aged 35 and older as advanced maternal age (AMA), a term used because certain pregnancy-related risks gradually increase with age. However, the designation does not mean healthy pregnancies are uncommon.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), age is one of several factors that influence pregnancy outcomes, and many women in their late 30s and 40s experience uncomplicated pregnancies with appropriate prenatal care.
One of the primary reasons fertility declines is that both the number and quality of eggs decrease over time. As women age, eggs are more likely to develop chromosomal abnormalities, making conception more difficult and increasing the likelihood of miscarriage.
Research cited by the Cleveland Clinic indicates that by age 40, the chance of conceiving naturally during any menstrual cycle falls to roughly 10%, compared with approximately 25% during the early 30s. Despite this decline, natural conception remains possible, as Hathaway's experience demonstrates.
What Are the Risks of Pregnancy After Age 35?
It may be noted that many women deliver healthy babies later in life; healthcare providers monitor pregnancies more closely because certain complications become more common with age.
According to the ACOG, the Cleveland Clinic, and the National Institutes of Health, advanced maternal age is associated with an increased risk of:
- Miscarriage
- High blood pressure during pregnancy
- Preeclampsia
- Gestational diabetes
- Preterm birth
- Low birth weight
- Cesarean delivery
- Chromosomal conditions such as Down syndrome
The overall risk rises gradually rather than suddenly at age 35, making regular prenatal visits, screening tests, and individualized medical care especially important.
Healthcare providers may also recommend additional genetic screening or diagnostic testing based on a woman's age, medical history, and pregnancy risk factors.
The Significance of the Actor's Pregnancy Journey to Other Mothers
Celebrity pregnancies often create unrealistic expectations by focusing solely on successful outcomes. Hathaway's openness about both miscarriage and infertility offers a more balanced perspective, acknowledging that the path to pregnancy can be emotionally challenging while also showing that natural conception later in life is still possible.
Her experience does not mean pregnancy after 40 is typical or guaranteed. Instead, it underscores that fertility exists on a spectrum, and age is only one factor influencing reproductive health.
Medical experts emphasize that women considering pregnancy after age 35 should discuss family planning with their healthcare provider as early as possible. Early conversations can help assess fertility, review medical conditions, discuss lifestyle factors, and determine whether additional fertility evaluation or prenatal screening may be beneficial.
It May Not Be Too Late to Start a Family
Hathaway's pregnancy serves as a hopeful reminder that declining fertility is not the same as infertility. While spontaneous conception becomes less likely with age, many women continue to conceive naturally in their 40s, and others build families through fertility treatments or assisted reproductive technologies. The key message from obstetric experts is not that pregnancy after 40 is easy, but that healthy outcomes remain achievable with informed decision-making and consistent prenatal care.
For women wondering whether it is "too late" to start or expand a family, Hathaway's story highlights an important medical reality: every fertility journey is different. Understanding how age affects pregnancy, seeking medical advice early, and receiving appropriate prenatal care can help women make informed decisions about their reproductive health, regardless of when they choose to pursue pregnancy.
