When it comes to our favorite (and maybe not so favorite!) celeb moms, what a lot of us do not realize is that some of these movie, music, and television stars had their kids past the ripe old age of 40. Sure, forty does not seem old, yet, it is old for getting pregnant and having a child, whether you are celebrity or not.

Forty years old is considered old to have a baby, many doctors believe. Yet, to moms who are this age and want to get pregnant, they may see age as just a number. Others may think they are way too old, however. What is your stance on having children at an older age? Do you think a woman should get pregnant past the age of 40?!

These celebrities likely put family life on hold while they pursued and succeeded with their careers. Many of the women on this list are highly successful and award winning stars. While they have and do continue their careers, they all decided that they would get to have a family, despite the age they were when they did go after that dream. Read on and discover which celeb moms had kids at the age of 40 or beyond, some may shock you!

15 Mariah Carey - IVF Battle Until 42

Super star singer Mariah Carey has had quite the career. Notorious for being a diva, it is no wonder Mariah wanted until she was in her 40s to have children. Mariah has been in the spotlight for decades, and now, it is for a good reason, because she is a mom.

Mariah was 42 years old when she gave birth to her twins, a boy and a girl named Moroccan and Monroe, with her then husband, Nick Cannon. When Mariah had her kids, they were, and continue to be, the center of her universe and also in the spotlight. Mariah has said that they will be her only children, but not because of her age, more because they get jealous too easily, even when she pets the dog!

14 Meryl Streep - Fourth Child At 41

Is there anyone who doesn’t know who Meryl Streep is? The award winning mega star actress actually has four children, did you know that? The icing on the cake is that Meryl gave birth to her fourth child when she was 41 years old, far past the typical age for having a baby.

Yes, it is unbelievable to think that this actress who has appeared in numerous blockbuster movies actually has four children, and that she continued having her kids into her 40s. All the while she was working! Meryl is open about how motherhood is all about balance. And that it is the most rewarding job anyone could ask for. Meryl would be one to know after all, since she has played just about every role we could think of!

13 Nancy Grace - Twins At 48

The brass news woman known for always giving her true opinion, Nancy Grace, never thought children were in the cards for her. She has previously stated that she never thought it was in God’s plan for her to have children. She thought it was just not meant for her, and was at peace with it, even though it was always what she wanted, having grown up surrounded by a large family.

Then everything changed, and for the better. Nancy found herself pregnant with twins at the age of 48! That age is considered quite old to have children, let alone twins! She says she feels blessed and went along with what she said was God’s mysterious plan. This tough talking lady softened up after her twins, John and Lucy, were born.

12 Geena Davis - Baby Girl At 46 And Twins At 48

Amazing actress Geena Davis is known for quite a few roles, including the hit A League of Their Own. This powerful woman focused on her career, and decided she would have a family later on in life. And she did just that.

Geena has three children, all born when she was in her late forties. She was 46 when she gave birth to her first child, a baby girl by the name of Alizeh. Even though Geena was 46, she knew she wanted more children, and siblings for her little girl. She achieved that wish! Geena had twin boys, Kaiis and Kian, at the age of 48. Can you believe it?! She was pushing 50 when she had twins- TWINS!! If that sounds overwhelming to you, Geena agrees, she has said it is overwhelming, but also immensely wonderful.

11 Nicole Kidman - Kids At 40 And 43

Oscar winning superstar actress Nicole Kidman claims having babies later in life is a family thing. Nicole’s grandmother had a baby when she was 49 years old! Nicole was not that old when she had kids, but she was definitely past what many doctors would consider the prime age to have a baby.

Nicole had a baby girl, named Sunday Rose, when she was 40. She had another baby girl, Faith, when she was 43. Nicole has been very open about wanting more kids, and has felt that she would have no problem being pregnant and having a baby at any age! In fact, back in 2014, Nicole said in an interview that every day she wakes up and actually hopes she is pregnant again!

10 Kim Basinger - Baby Girl At 41

Actress Kim Basinger may have waited until after age 40 to have a child, but that did not stop her from being a free spirited mother. Kim had a little girl by the name of Ireland with her then husband, Alec Baldwin, when she was 41 years old. That was many years ago, as Ireland has made her own name known in more ways than one, now that she is in her 20’s.

There may be a reason for that. After Kim and Alec divorced, Kim decided to take a free spirit approach to parenting Ireland. In other words, she basically let Ireland do whatever she wanted. Ireland could go where she wanted, see who she wanted, and do whatever it was she wished. Kim said she wanted Ireland to have a childhood filled with love and light.

9 Tina Fey - First Child At 41

Funny lady Tina Fey did not think it was funny, nor wise, to put off having another child. She has been very open about having a baby past the age of 40. It was always her plan to have children, and she was not going to let anything stop that from happening.

Comedian Tina Fey gave birth to her second child, a baby girl by the name of Penelope, when she was 41 years old. She already had another child, and knew that her first child should have a sibling. Despite her career going strong, Tina has stated that she and her husband knew that if they did not try for their second child, that they would end up looking back and regretting it. Tina followed through, and now has a perfect family of four.

8 Salma Hayek - Waited Until 40

Leading lady Salma Hayek always wanted to have a child, but knew she was better off waiting until she was completely ready. And waiting she did. Salma did not have a baby until she was 40 years old.

We all have seen Salma’s little mini me, her daughter, Valentina. Salma is open about having a child past the age that is typically recommended by doctors. She claims it worked out perfectly for her. She says she is more fulfilled and ready to be totally present as a mother to Valentina, more than she would have been had she had her years earlier instead. Salma says Valentina is the one who benefits the most. She gets to have a completely devoted and well rounded mother, because she waited to have her.

7 Brooke Shields - PPD Hit Her Hard At 41

Well known leading lady has made a name for herself in more ways than one. This model turned actress turned designer turned postpartum depression advocate, had two children, a little girl by the name of Rowan, followed by another girl, whom she gave birth to when she was 41, by the name of Grier.

The thing is, after Grier was born, Brooke suffered severe postpartum depression. She has been very vocal about her experience with PPD, which she says caused her to not only neglect her children, but to not even want to live anymore. Brooke wrote a book about her struggles with postpartum depression, titled, Down Came The Rain. We can only hope her openness with PDD helped other mothers, including those who had children after age 40, cope with the debilitating condition.

6 Helen Hunt - An Uphill Battle At 40

Notable actress Helen Hunt thought she would focus on her career, and wait to have children, even if that meant later in life. However, for Helen, it was not as easy to get pregnant as she thought it would be, and she has been very open about her experiences with having a baby later on in life.

Helen and her husband tried and tried and tried to get pregnant, to no avail. It got to the point of being somewhat of an obsession to her, and all she wanted was a baby. She and her husband were ready to adopt when Helen got pregnant. She gave birth to a sweet baby girl named Makena Lei when she was 40 years old, and she has been forever grateful with a blessed feeling for finally having had a baby.

5 Gwen Stefani - A Surprise Miracle At 41

Music powerhouse Gwen Stefani has accomplished quite a bit, as the lead singer of the hit group No Doubt, winning Grammy awards, being a judge on the hit television show The Voice, and much more. But perhaps her biggest accomplishment has been having a baby past the age of 40!

Gwen was already a mom to two boys, Kingston and Zuma, when she discovered she was pregnant yet again. She ended up having another little boy, named Apollo, at the age of 41. Gwen has been public as to why she had another baby, she calls Apollo a surprise miracle. She has also said that having her third child later in life took much of her energy away from her other ventures, but it also put in her a new spiritual place.

4 Halle Berry - Pushing 47

Sexy movie star Halle Berry decided to gain fame by accomplishing just one more feat, and that was having not just one, but two babies past the ripe old age of 40! Halle has been candid about many aspects of motherhood after having having her daughter, Nahla, at the age of 41, followed by a son, Maceo, whom she gave birth to at the age of 47.

Halle Berry has enjoyed motherhood, but loves to joke around about the differences between raising a girl versus raising a boy. She joked with Ellen Degeneres about breastfeeding a girl, who is nice and sweet and takes her time, versus breastfeeding a boy, who quickly chomps down, and as Halle put it, sucks the life out of her! We totally agree, there is a difference between boys and girls!

3 Susan Sarandon - Kids At 42 And 46

Superstar Susan Sarandon is one of the best known actresses in Hollywood. She has appeared in many hit movies, and well, just about everyone knows this lady! What many people may not be aware of, though, is that Susan Sarandon is a mom to three children, two of whom were born when she was in her 40s.

Susan was already mom to Eva from a previous relationship when she met a new man and ended up having two children with her then partner. She has shared that it was a shock, but that she decided to run with it. Maybe she never thought she would have more kids besides Eva. Well, she did. She had son, Jack, at age 42, and then gave him a brother, a baby boy named Miles, when she was 46.

2 Kelly Preston - A Baby At 48

Kelly Preston is an actress who is perhaps best known for being married to huge movie star, John Travolta. A decade and a half prior, the pair had a son who was diagnosed with autism. Fast forward sixteen years, and their beloved son, Jett, had a seizure and died.

That was Kelly’s only child. Heartbroken, she found out she was pregnant, just a year later. She has stated that she was in utter shock when she discovered she was going to have another baby. She did not think it was possible, and even woke up her husband in the middle of the night to share the news. At the age of 48- yes 48- Kelly gave birth to a baby boy, named Benjamin. Even she agrees how amazing it is that she was able to have a baby at this stage in life.

1 Celine Dion - Twins At 42

Grammy award winning singer Celine Dion had a tough journey towards motherhood, and even after she had children, she had perhaps an even tougher road ahead. Celine has been very open about her struggles with infertility. She has shared how emotionally difficult the journey through IVF can be, and was, for her.

Her road through IVF ended in happiness, though, At the age of 42, Celine gave birth to twin boys, Nelson and Eddy. Though she was immensely blessed and felt complete and in love with her baby boys, another emotionally difficult situation was on her horizon. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer, and died when her twins were only five years old. Celine is a strong woman, and continues to raise the best boys she possibly can, while honoring their father every day.

Sources: Entertainment Tonight, E! Online