Brigitte Nielsen, 60, with daughter Frida, 5.Photo:Monica Gumm
Monica Gumm
Brigitte Nielsenis somewhat of an expert when it comes to geriatric pregnancy — which is any pregnancy over the age of 35.
The actress, 60,got pregnantwith her daughter Frida, 5, when she was 54, after doing in vitro fertilization (IVF) for 13 years.
“When it happened, it was just amazing,” she tells PEOPLE of finally conceiving her daughter after alreadyraising four boys,ages 28-38. “And then it was just fear because I was such high risk. But it turned out to be the easiest pregnancy I’d ever had.”
Still, Nielsen warns that going through what she went through might not be the right fit for everybody.
“It’s a very personal thing,” she says of trying for children later in life. “Being on hormones, and all the testing, I don’t think it’s for everybody,” she admits. “And it can be very expensive. But if you have hope and you have that dream, I think you should go for it. You should just get as informed as you can, talk to people who have been down this road who can really help you and guide you.”
Nielsen says that when she and her husband Mattia Dessi, 45, first started trying for a child when she was in her early 40s, her doctor warned her she had a one to two percent chance of conceiving.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Mattia Dessi, Frida Dessi, and Brigitte Nielsen.Monica Gumm
“If it’s a dream of yours, you must be free to dream. But dream responsibly. My doctor told me that it most likely wouldn’t happen.”
However, Nielsen also has advice for women who want to be young moms.
“My advice there is, if you can wait, don’t have a child when you’re in your early twenties because it’s too young,” she says. “Travel, enjoy work. Put money aside, and get to know yourself better. Because a child, it’s a lifetime responsibility, and it does change your freedom.”
She adds that she doesn’t mind losing her freedom at all when it comes to parenting Frida.
“It was such a desire to have her. I just feel so blessed.”
For exclusive photos and more on Brigitte Nielsen’s story, pick up this week’s issue ofPEOPLE,on newsstands now.
source: people.com
