Lawrence Zeegen hadn’t planned on becoming a father again in his 50s. The illustration professor already had three children from a previous marriage. But when his second wife, Rebecca, who was 43 at the time, made it clear she planned to be a mother, he soon learned that “changing nappies is a lot like riding a bike – you never forget how to do it”.
His daughter, Zöe, who is now seven, was conceived using an egg donor. Zeegen, who is 59 and from Cambridge, says he is delighted that he went against “all rational thinking” to become a dad again – but notes that parenting is different when approaching 60. “I have a little less energy than I did at 27 with my first-born. I’m pretty active and look after myself – I want to be around for as much of my daughter’s adult life as possible.”
