A mum who welcomed triplets at 50 despite being given just a 5% chance of conceiving has praised Hilary Swank – insisting “you’re never too old to have a baby”.
Marie Gustavsson was delighted to see the Hollywood star announcing that she is expecting her third baby at 52.
Marie herself gave birth to her triplets – Charlie, Lorinne and Lara – just 17 months ago following IVF treatment abroad, after she and her husband decided to try for another child, despite already having four sons.
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Marie has no regrets about becoming a mother again at 50, despite the challenges of raising three babies at once.
She believes women like movie star Hilary Swank shouldn’t be judged for choosing to have children later in life – but warns her of “sleepless nights” to come.
“Hilary’s announcement definitely helps challenge stereotypes about women who become mums later in life,” Marie, a nurse, from Gothenburg, Sweden, told What’s The Jam.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to see.
“As an older mum, you’re calmer, more mature and you really understand what it’s all about.
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“When I first read the news, my first thought was that it’s wonderful, as that’s certainly not a given at that age.”
Marie, who underwent IVF in Cyprus, says motherhood is going brilliantly – although sleepless nights and finding enough time for her four older children have been among the biggest challenges.
The mum-of-seven said: “Being a mum at my age is going really well.
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“Though you do get tons of questions from all sorts of people.
“Society is too quick to judge women who choose to have children in their fifties but it’s narrow-minded people who pass judgment.
“I haven’t had criticism directly to my face but you can tell that some people question it, people who aren’t open-minded.
“Thankfully, there aren’t many of them.
“The vast majority just think it’s wonderful and exciting, a true blessing and they’re simply curious.
“We get a lot of questions.
“People are very curious but I’m very proud, so I’m happy to share, offer tips, and give advice.”
Marie says she felt younger than ever after having her triplets.
She said: “Being a mum again at 50 isn’t a problem.
“It’s better than when I was 19 and didn’t know how to take care of babies.
“I’ve always tried to live healthy and take care of myself, and that helps me to take care of my babies.
“My babies keep me younger in body and soul.
“I’m not worried about not being around for as long as I’m around for my oldest.
“You’re mature and calm, you have a stable life, and you understand what it’s all about and how to handle it.”
The triplets are thriving, with Marie describing each of their personalities as completely different.
She said: “Everyone is doing great and is 100% healthy.
“They all have distinct personalities; no two are alike.
“Lara is independent and strong-willed; she’s active and lively.
“Lorinne is sensitive and very social, she talks a lot and loves music.
“Charlie is a tough little guy; he’s fearless and follows his own path.
“They’ve started walking and head off in all different directions.
“They feed themselves, talk a lot and are developing exactly as they should.”
Marie admits the lack of sleep has been the most difficult part of raising three babies in her 50s.
She said: “I’ve had sleepless nights for over a year.
“The hardest part is not having enough time for all the children.
“I have four little ones.
“You want to give each of them so much more than time allows.”
Offering advice to the star, Marie said she tries not to worry about being an older mum, instead focusing on staying healthy and enjoying watching her children grow up.
She said: “I do what I can to maintain my health.
“I lead a very healthy life.
“I’ve always had a healthy lifestyle.
“I hope I will stay healthy for many years and see my kids grow up.
“It doesn’t worry me that I’ll be in my sixties when the children are teenagers.
“I don’t think about it.
“There are no guarantees that young people will live longer and anything could happen, so why worry?
“Being a mum at this age is a fantastic gift.
“The best gift one could ever receive.
“You’re not too old if you have the energy for it.”
Marie and her husband forked out £4,750 (€5,500) to have the treatment in Cyprus.
She tested positive on a pregnancy test just three days after the transfer.
The babies were delivered by emergency caesarean section – Marie’s first after delivering all her other children, Sebastian, 31, Jesper, 19, Leo, eight, and Louie, three, vaginally.
Charlie weighed 1.5kg, Lorinne was 1.3kg and Lara weighed just 1kg.
She added: “When I was pregnant, my belly became like a big stone.
“I couldn’t feel the babies moving because it was so tight inside.
“People around me never knew how many babies were in my belly, they only that saw I was pregnant.
“We didn’t tell anyone it was three babies, because we didn’t know if all of them would make it.
“It was shocking for everyone.
“Some people were disappointed but most of our family and friends were happy for us.
“Some asked how we were going to take care of them.
“I was afraid for a few weeks, wondering how I’d make it and how we’d cope.
“We got a good nanny to help us – we both work from home and we take it in turns throughout the night.
“I sleep from 9pm to 2am, and my husband sleeps from 2am to 7am.”
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