There's an enormous amount of pressure piled on women to have children in their 20s, but for many of them, that's just far too early in life to have really decided on their plans for a family.
And while many women now wait until later in life before they settle down and start a family, there's still a huge stigma around being an older mum - and vicious trolls online have plenty to say to those who have kids in their 30s and 40s.
One mum on TikTok knows about that negativity all too well, as she's currently expecting a baby at the age of 40 and has been told she must be going through a "midlife crisis" to be bringing a child into the world at her age.
Mimi, who posts under the username @mimidivinityluxe, shared a video in which she ran through some of the comments she's received about her pregnancy, with some people even assuming it must have been an accident.
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One of the comments Mimi posted on the video read: "Oh! But, congrats..."
While another said: "People are going to ask if that’s your grandchild."
And a different comment read: "So, is this a midlife crisis baby?"
Mimi - who already has two children whom she welcomed in her 20s - then explained she feels as though she has her life together now that she's older, and is much more secure and comfortable in welcoming a baby at 40 than she ever was when she gave birth to her first two children.
She said: "I had kids in my 20s. And I didn’t have a pot to p**s in or a window to throw it out of. So now as I’m 40 and I have my s**t together, and I understand what motherhood is and how it weighs on you mentally, physically, emotionally.
"Motherhood is so much, that I understand it now. So I’m able to give my child something that the first two - I was just literally just figuring it out as I went."
And Mimi has been praised for her response to her critics, as many of her 2,000 followers took to the comments of her videos to defend her decision as well as share their own stories about welcoming children in later life.
One person wrote: "I’d rather be an 'old' mum any day. Honey, I lived my life and created a hell of a future for my child."
As another said: "I hate that everyone has been conditioned to believe that if you're 40 or over and get pregnant it must be a bad thing ... It's a blessing."
While a third posted: "Fantastic! We are not dead at 40, and yes we can have healthy babies. You don’t owe anyone a damn thing or an explanation."
And someone else commented: "I had my one child at 40. At that point, I was stable in all areas of my life. He’s seven now, and his arrival has been the best addition to my life."
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
