At 51 years old, Grace Collins was lying in a hospital bed in Texas as she was induced at 35 weeks pregnant . She had previously given birth to her first child aged 44 and had her second born at 46. But this time round, Grace decided to share her motherhood journey with people online – with some of her TikToks reaching 3 million views.
Her newborn son, now nearly three months old, is her third child, but the labour wasn’t so smooth. Her baby boy had turned sideways, forcing an emergency C-section. ‘It was a rough few days,’ Grace said on TikTok.
‘It’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened and I need some time to process it.’ But as she announced her happy news to the world, she was intrigued by the amount of women who shared that being pregnant at her age would be a ‘new fear unlocked’. Turned 51 yesterday and currently 29 weeks pregnant.
#advancedmaternalage #geriatricpregnancy #oldermom #over35andpregnant #over40andpregnant #over45andpregnant #over50andpregnant #over50andfabulous #pregnant #pregnantlife #pregnanttiktok #pregnacy #oldermomsoftiktok #fyp ‘Oh my God, I’m 41 and I have nightmares about being pregnant, even though I had my tubes tied 15 years ago,’ commented TikToker Shannon. Grace shared she’s received more ‘horrible comments’ about her being pregnant as an older woman. ‘I can do maths – I know how old I will be when my kids are 20.
There are a lot of people on here that say “you’re so selfish”, “that poor child is never going to have any parents”,’ she said. ‘I just want to educate people. I had to do a lot to get pregnant at age 50.
.. all my babies are IVF babies .
‘I had to get a colonoscopy, I had to make sure I was up to date on my mammogram and my pap smear (smear test), I got an EKG, I got all the blood work done...
made sure everything was perfect. ‘I’m not deaf to the fact that I will be an older mum, I can do maths. I want to be there for my children and my grandchilden.
There’s no guarantees whether you’re 50 or whether you’re 20, whether you’re going to be there for your kid’s life.’ Grace’s husband is 36, and he was 25 when she met him at age 40. ‘I’ll admit it, it does sound weird,’ she explained.
‘If you knew us you’d know it’s pretty normal and it just works.’ The couple met at a restaurant when he waited on her table, so she began to go to the restaurant more frequently and they flirted with each other plenty before he asked her out. ‘We fell madly and quickly in love and it was beautiful,’ she said.
‘It’s been great, he’s a bit of an older soul than I am.’ The couple then decided to have their first child four years later and that’s why Grace has become an older mum. Being induced today! #advancedmaternalage #geriatricpregnancy #oldermom #over35andpregnant #over40andpregnant #over45andpregnant #over50andpregnant #over50andfabulous #pregnant #pregnacy #oldermomsoftiktok #infertility #infertilityjourney #ivf #ivfjourney #ivfsuccess #preeclampsiaawareness #preeclampsiaawareness #laboranddelivery #birth #induction ‘It’s hard being pregnant no matter what age.
For all you naysayers out there...
my kids keep me young, and I want to continue to life a healthy, happy abundant life,’ she said. ‘I do all the things the younger mums do. I am on the floor playing, I am going to the tee ball and the gymnastics.
I’m going to be a good mum – I am a good mum.’ This isn’t to say her first few months with her newborn son have been easy. He’s got colic and is constantly uncomfortable, making it tricky for Grace.
‘I haven’t slept in I don’t even know how long...
If he’s awake he’s usually screaming, so there’s not much enjoyment. I feel robbed of my infant time with him,’ she said. More Trending Boy, 8, killed in fire at house where people leapt from windows to escape The teen boys who ended their lives after being scammed by sextortion gangs I'll always remember the first time my child told me to f**k off My brother made me play ‘naughty exercises’ - I didn’t realise it was abuse ‘I’m overjoyed but he’s had some feeding issues and I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.
I’m in the trenches...
it just seems a lot harder and I’m disheartened. Literally every minute of my life is spent caring for my children..
. thank God I’ve had help.’ While she describes every day as a challenge, she’s set on being open and honest about her postpartum journey at 51.
We are in a hard season but i know we’ll get through. Newborn phase can be hard! #advancedmaternalage #geriatricpregnancy #colic #purplecrying #postpartum #newborn ‘Right now I’m just hanging in there and it’s hard because I love him, I wanted him so bad, and I know he’s struggling as much as I am..
.but were going to get through this.’ Grace is so grateful to have had her baby though, despite the struggles and is adjusting with her husband to being a family of five.
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