These days more and more women decide to wait longer to have children. In fact, reports show that pregnancy among women ages 40 to 44 increased more than 60 percent and, whatever the reason, many famous ladies are giving birth later in life. Here are some stars who welcomed babies in their 40s.

Nicole Kidman

 

 

 

 

 

Nicole Kidman, already the mother to children Connor and Isabella, whom she adopted with ex-husband Tom Cruise, gave birth to her first biological child, daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, with husband Keith Urban in July 2008 at age 41. In 2010, the couple had their second daughter, Faith Margaret Kidman Urban, via surrogacy. “Having given birth and then being there to see my child born in that way, I felt so much love for our surrogate, gestational carrier,” the actress said. Speaking about her fertility problems, she said: “Struggling with fertility is such a big thing and it’s not something that I would run away from talking about. We were in a place of desperately wanting another child and I couldn’t get pregnant. I get emotional just talking about it, because I’m so grateful.”

Susan Sarandon

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Sarandon, now 67, had both of her sons with partner Tim Robbins when she was over 40. She gave birth to the first, Jack Henry, at the age of 42. Three years later, she welcomed her second child into the world, Miles Guthrie.

Tina Fey

 

 

 

 

 

Tina Fey welcomed her second child, daughter Penelope Athena, in August 2011 at age 41. In her book Bossypants, the 30 Rock star admitted she agonized about having a second child at an older age, but felt “stricken with guilt and panic” every time her daughter Alice, “the only child in her class without a sibling,” would say, “I wish I had a baby sister.”

Mariah Carey

 

 

 

 

 

On April 30, 2011, Mariah gave birth to twins, Morrocan and Monroe, at age 41. The singer and her husband, Nick Cannon, faced both fertility and pregnancy challenges, from miscarriage to gestational diabetes, amongst other pregnancy complications. Six months after their children were born, Carey and Cannon sat down with Barbara Walters and shared their story. After suffering a heartbreaking miscarriage, Carey underwent various fertility treatments and changed her lifestyle in order to become pregnant again. She used acupuncture to help her relax. The twins were born by cesarean section.

Halle Berry

 

 

 

 

 

Halle Berry became pregnant for the first time at 41 years old—with her daughter Nahla, 6. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment in my life,” she said at the time. When she became pregnant with her son, Maceo, at age 46, she sparked controversy when she suggested the pregnancy was unexpected, that the baby was conceived naturally. “This has been the biggest surprise of my life, to tell you the truth,” she said of the pregnancy. “I thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So, it’s been a big surprise and the most wonderful.”

Kelly Preston

 

 

 

 

 

At the age of 48, actress Kelly Preston gave birth to her third child, son Benjamin. “We had been trying for quite a few years, and then of course there was a time when we weren’t, and then we started trying again,” Kelly said. “When I found out I was pregnant, I was floored. I’d snuck out of bed and then came back and woke Johnny up in bed. We both started crying. It was wonderful.”

Kim Fields

 

 

 

 

 

Kim Fields, 44, welcomed her second son Quincy back in December. “It was planned,” she said. “We’ve actually been trying for a couple years. We had gotten pregnant twice and [miscarried]. Chris and I were very blessed to really have one another, to have our family and friends and our God to really get us through that. If I’m encouraging to anybody . . . . It’s not like I’m the poster child for over 40 and pregnant.”

Meryl Streep

 

 

 

 

 

Meryl Streep gave birth to her youngest child, Louisa Jacobson Gummer, on June 12, 1991 at the age of 42. The multiple Academy Award winner is also mom to musician Henry and actresses Grace and Mamie.

Salma Hayek

 

 

 

 

 

Actress Salma Hayek became a first-time mom at age 41 when she gave birth to a baby girl, Valentina. The actress opened up about her pregnancy and said: “It’s a little nerve-racking to wait that long, but it’s the best time…because you’ve done so many other things in your life. You just get it out of your system, and you can really relax into being a mother…. If you’re 23, you don’t know this because you think you have to do so many more things. But if you already did them, then you can really focus and enjoy every minute of it. I thought I was going to have to work really hard at getting pregnant because of my age, but then I just got pregnant.”