“It Was a ‘Gift’ to Give Birth at This Age.” Janet Jackson Opens Up About Being Pregnant at 50
The pregnancy of celebrities always attracts a lot of attention from the press and fans. The news about Janet Jackson’s pregnancy made a splash because the star decided to become a mom for the first time at the age of 50. Her story might help dispel fears and cheer up millions of women who are worried about late pregnancy and labor.
Janet Jackson decided to become a mother only with her 3rd husband.
The singer married Qatar businessman Wissam Al Mana in 2012 after 2 failed marriages. In 2016, it became known that they were expecting a baby. The first rumors about Jackson’s pregnancy appeared in April when the star postponed her Unbreakable tour.
The singer’s pregnancy was a sensation, but the press and the public were not just happy for her.
Like any woman dreaming of becoming a mother, Jackson was incredibly happy. Before canceling the second part of the tour, she said, “My husband and I are planning our family. Please, if you can try and understand that it’s important that I do this now.” The singer commented on the new chapter of her life, “We thank God for our blessing.”
But the fact that she will have a baby after the age of 50 caused some concern, and different scientists shared their opinions about the risks. Some articles about it were quite unethical and contained hidden criticism of mothers of “advanced age.”
People suspected that Jackson did IVF and froze her eggs.
Some sources speculated that the star got pregnant through IVF. A fertility clinic even mentioned the singer on their website. The press couldn’t stop talking about how the star managed to get pregnant.
Even though Jackson’s pregnancy was surrounded by a lot of discussions, concerns, and speculations, on January 3, 2017, the singer gave birth to a healthy child, Eissa Al Mana. Her publicist commented, “Janet had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably.”
Instead of confirming or refuting the rumors about IVF, Jackson focused on motherhood and combining her new role with her music career.
In her Stellar magazine interview, she said that she was trying to handle everything on her own, and complaining about the hardships of parenthood was not her style. “It is hard being a working mother. I don’t have a nanny. I do it all myself. If my mother did it with nine children, there’s no reason I can’t. Of course, when I’m working, someone watches him, but it’s my baby and me. It’s not easy at times, but my life has changed. Obviously, my baby comes first.”
Jackson knows that “it was a ‘gift’ to give birth at this age.”
When the star was asked when she felt the most beautiful, she replied, “I feel most beautiful when I’m with my son because of the gift that God has given me and that he allowed me to do so at that age.”
Soon after the birth of Eissa, Jackson split up with her husband. She is a single working mom who tries to find time for herself, her child, and her career. But she is convinced that holding her son in her arms at the end of the day makes it all worth it.
“I’m sure I will need someone in the future, some help here and there, but I don’t have anyone [right now] and I love it. I’ve always been a patient person, but there’s more patience that you have to have [in motherhood] and I never knew I was as patient as I really am. He’s first and foremost in my life. I get up, I go to sleep — everything is about him,” Jackson says.
Now Eissa is 5 years old. In February 2022, Jackson shared a moving post on her Instagram page for her son’s birthday. She wrote, “You’re growing up so fast. Such an intelligent, beautiful boy. Wishing you a life full of magical moments. You’re Mama’s Luv.”
According to the star, Eissa is already showing interest in music, but Jackson, who got into the music world at an early age, would like her son to experience his childhood on his own terms. But she also says that she will accept any choice he makes, “It’s really up to him; if he wants nothing to do with music, that’s fine with me. I wouldn’t want him to do this from such a young age. I don’t think it’s for everybody.”
In your opinion, what are the main advantages and disadvantages of becoming a parent at a later age?