by Mom Of Four Teens Was ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ To Fount Out A Surprise Baby At 46
Rachel Hodgson of four teenagers was sᴛᴜɴɴᴇᴅ when doctors told her she was almost five months ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ with her fifth baby – 20 years after having her first daughter. After mistaking sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs as the start of the ᴍᴇɴᴏᴘᴀᴜsᴇ.
Rachel, now 47, from Melbourne, Australia, and her husband Paul, now 48, welcomed their youngest daughter Peggie Jean into the world in November 2020 – just months after Rachel thought her ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅs had stopped due to the ᴍᴇɴᴏᴘᴀᴜsᴇ.
Rachel said: “I was 46 when I gave birth to Peggie. I was 19 weeks ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ when doctors told me but I didn’t look or feel ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ.I simply assumed my ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅs had stopped because I was 45 and entering ᴍᴇɴᴏᴘᴀᴜsᴇ. I never for a second thought I could be ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ – I ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ at the time.”
Rachel added: “I was modelling, wearing my usual sized clothes, working full time, and we were loving having a more ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ʟɪFᴇsᴛʏʟᴇ. I had my older children when I was 25, 27, 29 and 31. I thought I was old having my ‘last’ at 31. I cried a lot at first, but we decided it was meant to be and I accepted it.”
Rachel and Paul now have five children, Isabella, 22, Molly, 20, Olivia, 17, Will 15 and little Peggie.
Rachel added: “Peggie is our change of life baby, she certainly keeps us young and in the end it’s been the best thing in the world for us.”
Despite it being 15 years since her last pregnancy, Rachel had an easy pregnancy and birth.
She said: “Due to my age I was ʜɪɢʜ ʀɪsᴋ, but thankfully all the ᴛᴇsᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ I ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ʜɪɢʜ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅs ᴏʀ ᴅɪᴀʙᴇᴛᴇs. I was very lucky I am fit and ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ.”
Once the couple were over the ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟ sʜᴏᴄᴋ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀɴɴᴏᴜɴᴄᴇᴅ their news.
Rachel said: “Friends were so sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ but supportive. No one could believe I was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ. We were the couple with teenage kids and child free weekend ʙʀᴇᴀᴋs. The kids were very ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ for a baby sibling.”
Since giving birth, Rachel has reflected on the changes in pregnancy and looking after a baby since she had her eldest 22 years ago.
Laughing she said: “A lot has changed between my first pregnancy and last – including gender reveal parties, baby showers, maternity photoshoots and twinning mum and daughter outfits. Despite the new technology,parenting basics have remained the same. In some ways I felt like a first time mum again. We never had a sᴛᴇʀɪʟɪsᴇʀ or a video monitor with the older kids.”
Despite the age gap between the siblings, Peggie has settled in well to the family.
Rachel added: “She is queen of the house and the kids adore her. I’ve not yet been mistaken for her gran. I would like my story to be a message of hope to older women, those trying to conceive and a voice of reason to those with an unexpected, later in life pregnancy.
