Red Sonja and Rocky IV actress Brigitte Nielsen has revealed that she is pregnant at the age of 54.
In a series of photos shared to her Instagram page, Nielsen showed off her baby bump and captioned one of the posts, “family getting larger.”
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Another photo revealed the actress during her “happy time” and encouraged “positive vibes.”
Many of Nielsen’s Instagram followers have congratulated her on her announcement, with one saying, “I wish you and your fam all the best my lovely Brigitte. I’m happy that you are pregnant now. You are a good mother. Love you.”
“Best regards !!!!! You already live your one and only LIFE AND YOU SHOULD !!!!We all should,” another fan wrote.
Nielsen, who is currently married to Italian TV producer Mattia Dessì, already has four children, the oldest of which is 34 and the youngest is 23. She was most notably married to her Rocky IV co-star Sylvester Stallone back in the mid-’80s, and later dated her Surreal Life reality series co-star, rapper Flavor Flav.
After she posted her pregnancy announcement photos, a number of her followers commented with questions about the safety of her being pregnant at the age of 54, wondering if there are any risks to her or the baby.
While it’s not unheard for women to give birth well into their 50s — Janet Jackson is just one celebrity example — doctors do warn that pregnancy risks do tend to be higher at an advanced age.
“Every report of a miracle baby, it gives women false reassurance,” Tomer Singer, director of reproductive endocrinology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, previously told USA Today. “Biology hasn’t changed. Technology has changed. The younger the patient gets pregnant, the healthier the pregnancy will be.”
The news outlet went on to point out that “pregnant women past the age of 35 have an increased risk of pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia (high blood pressure) and intrauterine growth restriction (causing premature delivery).”
Additionally, the report went on to detail that woman giving birth at an older age are “more likely to have a C-section, because older uteruses often do not contract as well as needed for vaginal delivery.”
Dr. Singer reportedly went on to explain that, physically speaking, it is difficult enough for a women in, and beyond, her 40s to carry one child safely, but the risk increases if you wind up with twins. At this time, Nielsen has not indicated that she is.
