More and more women are having babies in their 50s, Woman Alive deputy editor Jemimah Wright looks at what the Bible says about having a baby in ‘old’ age.
Earlier this month, writer and presenter, Victoria Coren Mitchell had a baby at 51. If you don’t know who she is, you may know her husband, comedian and actor, David Mitchell, 49. He is one half of the comedy duo, Mitchell and Webb.
Victoria and David married in 2012, and had their first daughter in 2015. They recently announced that Victoria had given birth after a "surprise pregnancy" to another daughter on the 1st November this year.
Having a baby is a cause for celebration, and some good news amidst the wars and terror we hear about daily. Of course, there have been a few nay-sayers, mostly commenting on the fact that Victoria will be taking a pension when her daughter is starting high school.
The point that connects all these births, is that they were not the norm, they were a miraculous act of God.
Victoria is not the only celebrity who has given birth later in life. Also this month, Gordon Ramsey’s wife Tana, 49, gave birth to their sixth child.
Brigette Nielsen had her fifth child at the age of 54, after undergoing fertility treatment for almost a decade and Janet Jackson gave birth for the first time at the age of 50 in 2017. There are more giving birth in their late forties - the Gospel singer, Sinach, gave birth at 46, skincare expert, Liz Earle at 47, and actress Rachel Weisz at 48.
So what does the Bible say about having a baby in old age? Well, there are quite a few women who did. Sarah, for example:
Genesis 21:1 ‘Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.’
Sarah was 90 when she gave birth!
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And what about Samuel’s mother Hannah in 1 Samuel? We don’t know how old she was, but we know she suffered from infertility for many years.
Then in the New Testament we have Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Again we don’t know her exact age, but when Gabriel tells Zechariah he is to have a son, he responds, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years.’" Luke 1:18
The point that connects all these births, is that they were not the norm, they were a miraculous act of God.
In 2023, having a baby naturally at 50 may still be perceived miraculous, but it is not impossible. I think it would be fair to say Sarah and Elizabeth’s situations were impossible.
Some have said it is not fair on the child to give them such old parents. Eleven years ago filmmaker, Naomi Gryn had a baby at 51. She said: ‘The obvious question is how long I’ll be around for. But no one knows what the future holds, regardless of age. Tragically, some mothers die in their 20s. Hopefully I’ve got my mother’s genes – she’s 92 and still energetic. My grandmother also lived until 106. I wouldn’t advise anyone to actively wait until their 50s to become a mother. It’s much harder to fall pregnant and if circumstances hadn’t conspired against me, I’d have done it sooner.
It seems that the children born to women later in life were born for a greater cause than just fulfilling the desire for motherhood.
To answer the question, what does the Bible say about having a baby at 51? It seems that the children born to women later in life were born for a greater cause than just fulfilling the desire for motherhood. Although in each mother’s case there was a deep desire for a child that was unmet.
All the children born to older mothers in the Bible were people God used to see his plans fulfilled on the earth. Their births were contended, and their mother’s wombs made barren, until the appointed time.
So if you are childless, and long for a baby, is this something to pray for? I guess, if God has given you a promise, then hold on to it. Many may say this is unwise, and shudder at the thought of sleepless nights and nappy changing in their 50s, but then I think Matthew 9:29 might be an answer to this: “According to your faith be it done to you.” Hebrews 11:11 says: ‘And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.’
Whatever people say, one thing is for sure, Victoria Coren Mitchell and Tana Ramsey, new mothers this month in their ‘old’ age both see their children as a blessing, hard work, of course, but still a blessing.
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