The subject of what age is too old to have a baby is one that continues to spark furious debate. Although more women are having children over the age of 40 now than ever, every so often a celebrity's comment on the issue (such as Kirstie Allsopp's insistence that women should have children as young as possible) will bring both sides out to argue the reasons for and against leaving motherhood until later on. And the latest star to wade in on the issue is country singer Carrie Underwood, who has divided fans after stating in an interview that, at the age of 35, she is "too old" to have the large family she once dreamed of.
© Photo: Getty ImagesCarrie and her husband Mike have a three-year-old son together
The mum-of-one, who is married to former professional ice hockey player Mike Fischer, made the comments to lifestyle website Redbook, saying: "I'm 35, so we may have missed our chance to have a big family. We always talk about adoption and about doing it when our child or children are a little older. In the meantime, we're lucky to be part of organisations that help kids, because our focus right now in our lives is helping as many kids as possible."
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The comments sparked debate on social media, with some praising her for being so open and others criticising the idea that women can't be mothers after 35. One Twitter user wrote: "Exactly how did Carrie Underwood miss her chance to have more kids? She's 35 and has more $ than she'll ever need!" But others disagreed, with one saying: "According to science she isn't wrong. Sorry if you can't always bend reality to make you happy."
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Carrie isn’t the first star to admit she's struggled to achieve her hopes of having a large brood. Stars such as Chrissy Teigen, who conceived using IVF, and Nicole Kidman, who adopted two children with then-husband Tom Cruise before having baby daughter Faith through a surrogate, have all been honest about their struggles in the past.
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