When Actress Laura Linney gave birth to her first child this January 15, she became the oldest celebrity woman to give birth “naturally” at age 49. She outseated actress Kelly Preston who gave birth to her son Benjamin when she was 48. It was the first child for the The Truman Show star and her husband since 2009, Marc Schauer.
Linney was among a long list of celebrities who managed to stay under the radar for the majority of their pregnancy including: Tamar Braxton, Adele, Nicole Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and Beyonce who all announced at the 5th month mark that they were “with child.” She was more successful than Lost actress Evangeline Lily, who never told anyone she was pregnant and was eventually busted by paparazzi at 8 months pregnant while she was living in Hawaii. Linney also bested Jennifer Hudson who looked to be about 8 months pregnant when a wayward photographer caught her and her boyfriend out and about, trying to be inconspicuous.
And at 49, Linney also joins the over 40 baby club which includes:
- NICOLE KIDMAN gave birth to her first child, Sunday Rose, at the age of 40 with her husband, Keith Urban.
- SUSAN SARANDON gave birth to her son, Jack at age 42. Three years later, she welcomed another son, Miles, at age 45.
- BROOKE SHIELDS underwent seven rounds of in vitro fertilization treatments. After these treatments, she gave birth to her first child, Rowan, at age 37. At the age of 40, she traditionally conceived her daughter, Grier, with husband Chris Henchy.
- EMMA THOMPSON spent several years trying to have a baby. She opted for in vitro fertilization treatments and eventually welcomed daughter, Gaia, in her 40s.
- HELEN HUNT gave birth to her first kid, Makenalei Gordon in May 2004, with boyfriend, Matthew Carnahan when she was 43.
- JERRY HALL, Ex-wife of singer Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones’ lead singer, gave birth to the last of her four children, Gabriel, at 41.
- JULIANNE MOORE gave birth to her similarly redheaded second child, Liv Helen, at age 41.
- MARCIA CROSS, star of Desperate Wives, gave birth to fraternal twins, Eden and Savannah, at age 44, with husband, Tom Mahoney, in February 2007
- JANE SEYMOUR was already a mother of four at the age of 45 when she underwent fertility treatments in her mid-40s after her divorce with former husband. She and her current husband, director James Keach, welcomed twins, Johnny and Kristopher in 1995.
- SALMA HAYEK gave birth to her first child, Valentina Paloma, at age 41, in September 2007 with her then-fiance, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault. They later married in April 2009 before eventually divorcing.
- MOMICA BELLUCCI, Italian actress, gave birth to her second child at age 45
- KELLY PRESTON had her son Benjamin Travolta at age 48
- ANNETTE BENING has four kids with Warren Beatty and gave birth to her youngest at age 42.
- HALLE BERRY had her daughter Nahla at age 41, and her son Maceo at age 46.
- NIA LONG gave birth to her second son when she was 41.
- MARIAH CAREY was 42 when she welcomed her twin, Morrocan and Monroe.
- TINA FEY gave birth to her first child, daughter Penelope at 41, and a second daughter Alice two years later at age 43..
- CELINE DION was 42 when she gave birth to her twin boys.
- GWEN STEFANI was 44 when she welcomed her 3rd son, Apollo.
- ANA ORTIZ had just turned 40 when she gave birth to her 2nd child.
- THANDI NEWTON had just turned 41 when she gave birth to her 3rd child, a son, Booker Jombe Parker.
- RACHEL ZOE was 42 when she welcomed her 2nd son, Kaius.
- UMA THURMAN was 42 when she gave birth to her first kid with beau Arpad Busson.
- KIM FIELDS was 44 when she and her hubby welcomed their second son Quincy.
- MIRA SORVINO was 44 when she welcomed her daughter Lucia and was 41 when she welcomed her son. She has 4 kids total.
- MAYA RUDOLPH was 41 when she gave birth to her 4th child.
- LISA LOEB quietly welcomed her 4th child at age 45, a son named Emet.
- JENNIFER CONNELLY was 43 when her 3rd kid, daughter Agnes, was born
- MIMI ROGERS was 45 when she gave birth to her last child, a son.
- JANE KRACOWSKI surprised everyone when at 45 she had her first child, a son.
- MERYL STREEP was 41 in 1991 when she welcomed her last of 4 kids.
- MARCIA GAY HARDEN was 44 when she gave birth to her twins
- MOLLY RINGWALD was also in her 40s, age 46, when she welcomed her twins.
- MADONNA was 41 when she gave birth to her son Rocco.
- MARISKA HARGITAY was 42 when she gave birth to her first child, a son and later went on to adopt more kids
- JUDY REYES was 41 when she welcomed daughter Leila in 2009.
- VANNA WHITE gave birth to her daughter the same year she turned 40.
- BEVERLY D’ANGELO welcomed her twins at age 46.
- CHERYL TIEGS had her first child, a son, at age 44.
- LAURA LINNEY welcomed her first child at age 49.
