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Naomi Campbell and other celebs who hit parenthood at 45 plus

Watch: Naomi Campbell's 9 month old daughter makes her debut on British Vogue cover

Naomi Campbell surprised fans last year when she revealed that she had a baby at 50. Though she remained discreet on her daughter's method of birth, which many assumed involved adoption, or a surrogate, she posed on the cover of British Vogue's March edition and said: "She wasn’t adopted – she’s my child.

71st Cannes Film Festival - News conference - Cannes, France May 12, 2018. Model Naomi Campbell poses before a news conference about her charity fashion gala event Fashion For Relief. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe - UP1EE5C12HZFY
The supermodel is delighted to be a mother. (Reuters)

"She’s a good girl: she sleeps very well, she hardly ever cries and I’m told she’s very alert for her age. She’s just started waving, which is fun. She laughs a lot.

"She’s almost talking... I think she might walk before she crawls. And she’s got six teeth already."

The supermodel, now 51, added, "My daughter comes first. Everything I do, I do for her – that's it. It’s so completely selfless, isn’t it?"

Asked if she wanted more, Campbell replied, "why not?"

But while some have raised eyebrows at the star's advanced age, Campbell's late journey to parenthood is increasingly normal for the A-list.

Read more: Naomi Campbell, 51, poses with her infant daughter on British Vogue cover: 'I always knew that one day I would be a mother'

Busy concentrating on their stellar careers in their twenties and thirties, many only embrace the slower pace of family life after settling down in midlife. Egg-freezing, IVF, surrogacy and adoption are all possibilities for those with unlimited budget, and though natural fertility generally begins to decline around 35 for most women, the super-rich are often able to work around nature - while some simply get lucky and find themselves expecting when they weren't expecting it.

Campbell is far from alone, it seems. Here's just a few of the celebs who have also discovered the joys of parenthood relatively late in life.

Halle Berry

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 31: Halle Berry attends the Los Angeles premiere of
Halle Berry became a mum in her 40s (Getty Images)

The Oscar-winning actor had her first baby, Nahla, at 41, with model Gabriel Aubry, before having her son, Maceo, at 47 with partner Olivier Martinez. She told interviewer Ellen DeGeneres, that her experience, known as a "geriatric pregnancy", was a shock.

"I was, you know, on my way…this is probably way TMI, but I was really, you know, kinda premenopausal so to have this happen was a huge [shock]," said Berry, now 55. "I didn't think it was possible at my age."

She added, "Nahla prayed and prayed for him, for like a year and a half...for a baby and a bunk bed and she got both of those things,"

Susan Sarandon

Cast member Susan Sarandon poses at the premiere for
Susan Sarandon had her first baby at 39. (Reuters)

The acclaimed actor, now 75, was a late starter when it came to motherhood. Though her first daughter was born when Sarandon was 39, she went on to have children with then-partner Tim Robbins aged 42 and 45.

She told a US Magazine, "I wasn’t in a hurry, but I actually had a medical condition (endemetriosis) and was told I could never be a mother."

She went on, "It was just such a freak [thing] that I got pregnant that I thought I can’t ignore this. And so I jumped."

She added, “I had my first baby at 39 and my third at 45, and with each child, [people were] like, ‘Are you crazy? Don’t!’” Her best advice to other older mothers?

"Just take it easy and sleep whenever the baby does.”

Watch: Alec Baldwin shares perks of being an older parent after 6th child's birth

Geena Davis

Geena Davis in Romona Keveza poses on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Davis in 2020, aged 64. (REUTERS)

Sarandon's Thelma and Louise co-star also came late to motherhood, becoming a mum to twin sons at 48, after having her first child at 46.

Davis, now 66, said, "If I'd had kids earlier, I could easily have become one of those mothers who over-involve themselves and try to live life through their kids ... In my case, I became a parent with exactly the right person, at exactly the right time."

Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani poses on the red carpet to attend  the Monte Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean in Monaco, September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
At 51, Stefani is reportedly hoping to have a daughter. (REUTERS)

The uber-glam singer, who recently married country singing superstar Blake Shelton, had a baby with her ex partner, Gavin Rossdale, aged 44. She told InStyle magazine that being pregnant in midlife gave her access to "a whole new spiritual place."

According to a source, the new couple would like another child - a daughter. "It’s no secret that Gwen wants a daughter; she’s spoken very publicly about it and having a baby is something that she and Blake have discussed,” a friend told The Sun.

Though Stefani is already a mum of three, aged 15, 12 and 7, the source added, "There are a few different ways they can go about this, but the discussion is definitely on the table...they are exploring all ways to do this.”

Read more: Why is it 'selfish' to have kids late — or not at all?

Iman

Supermodel Iman arrives for the
Supermodel Iman had a daughter with partner David Bowie. (REUTERS/)

The supermodel became a mum for the second time aged 45, when she had her second daughter, Alexandria, with David Bowie.

She told Parade Magazine, "People talk about the miracle of birth. No. There’s the miracle of conception.

"I did IVF, but nothing happened. So, I began to think of adoption, and then I got pregnant. It was definitely a miracle.”

Her friend and fellow model Christie Brinkley had a more esoteric explanation. "In Somalia they say if you are having trouble getting pregnant you must hold a baby all day," she wrote on Instagram, "so I handed her my baby, Sailor, and she held her all day long ...and sure enough, it worked! After 7 years trying without luck... Iman got pregnant!"

Janet Jackson

Inductee Janet Jackson attends the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., March 29, 2019.  REUTERS/Mike Segar
Janet Jackson also became a mother a little later in life. (REUTERS/Mike Segar

The singer and star of a new documentary revealed her pregnancy at 50. Jackson, now 55, revealed few details of how she became pregnant, but in 2016 she gave birth to a son, Eissa. Postponing a tour after announcing the pregnancy, Jackson added, ""I thought it was important that you be the first to know. Please, if you can try and understand that it's important that I do this now."

But while the menopause marks a natural end to the chance of conceiving for women, men can carry on becoming dads into old age.

Jeff Goldblum

91st Academy Awards – Vanity Fair – Beverly Hills, California, U.S., February 24, 2019 – Jeff Goldblum. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
A dad at 62, Goldblum discussed the plan with his therapist. (Reuters)

The actor, now 69, became a dad at 62 and 64, with baby River Joe born in 2017. His wife Emilie Livingston wrote. “Charlie Ocean is such a sweet and caring older brother. We couldn’t be happier!!! Jeff Goldblum is our rock and continues to be an exceptionally loving and passionate father! Love my boys!!!”

He told The Radio Times, "“I never thought that I was going to do it,” adding that he "thought about it for a year,” and even discussed late fatherhood with his therapist.

Eventually, he added, “I said, ‘Yeah, this sounds kinda good, let’s get married and have kids.'”

Mick Jagger

The 76th Venice Film Festival - Photo call for the film
A dad of eight - and great grandad too. (REUTERS)

The superstar, now 78, had a child just five years ago, with then 29 year old girlfriend Melanie Hamrick. The rocker was with his partner in New York for the birth of baby Deveraux.

Jagger is now a dad to eight children, the oldest of whom, Karis, is 51. That's quite a sibling age gap. He's also a great grandad to Ezra, who at six, is older than his youngest son...

Read more: Mick Jagger looks like such a dad in new pic with 4-year-old son and girlfriend

Ronnie Wood

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones poses with one of the 47 limited edition watches he designed in collaboration with Bremont, during a launch event at a watch shop in London, Britain November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
Wood is a dad to twin girls. (REUTERS)

Fellow Rolling Stones and Faces legend Ronnie Wood, 74, became a dad to twin girls at 68, who joined his four adult children. They were born to wife Sally Humphreys, who is 31 years younger than Ronnie.

Steve Martin

SUNDAY TODAY WITH WILLIE GEIST -- Pictured: Steve Martin on September 12, 2021 -- (Photo by: Mike Smith/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
"It's great" says Steve Martin of late fatherhood. (Getty Images)

Martin didn;'t become a first time dad until he was 67 back in 2012. Little has been revealed about his daughter, who will be ten this year. His wife, Anne Stringfield, is now 49. Martin said at the time that as an older father, "You're all set and secure in life, and you're not building your career, so you have a lot of time. When I was younger, I was selfish and focused on my career. Now I’m just hanging around the house playing with (my daughter). It's great."