India, Sept. 14 -- Mahira Khan is pregnant at 41. Katrina Kaif was a first-time mom at 42. Sonam Kapoor welcomed her second child at 40. Anne Hathaway is expecting her third child at 43. Natalie Portman recently had her third child; she is 45. 40 is the new 30 for celebrity motherhood, and it's powerful to watch. But behind the glowing magazine covers and red carpets is a very different reality. Also read | Pakistani actor Mahira Khan announces second pregnancy at 41 with baby bump photo from TIFF 2026

While birth rates for women 40-44 are rising globally, doctors say pop culture sells an illusion of ease; they highlight that the rate of natural conception drops to 5 percent by 40 and many late pregnancies rely on egg freezing, multiple ...