Hilary Swank is celebrating her 49th birthday this year as a first-time mother.
Swank was criticized last year for being selfish as she prepared to welcome a set of twins.
Hilary proudly sported her baby bump in October last year but admitted having a baby at her age wasn’t simple.
American actress Hilary Swank is best known for her roles in “Million Dollar Baby,” “Freedom Writers,” and “P.S. I Love You.” She has had a long and successful career in Hollywood but has not welcomed children until recently.
Swank became a first-time mother in her late 40s and received heavy criticism for the decision. Fans she was “too old” to welcome a baby at her age and that she was not thinking of the children.
Swank celebrated her 49th birthday on July 30 this year, and a source close to her said it would be the “happiest birthday of all” because she would be celebrating it with her husband and as a mother for the first time.
How Was Pregnant Swank Called “Too Old” and “Selfish?”
In October last year, Swank took to Instagram to announce she was pregnant. She shared a sweet video that contained stills of her holding her belly and pointing lovingly at the life growing there.
In the post’s caption, she announced that she would soon give birth and shared that she was expecting twins. She ended the post with two emojis of cherubs, representing the twins she would welcome. She also announced the news on “Good Morning America,” saying she was excited to share with the world her next adventure. She said:
“And my next thing is that I’m going to be a mom.”
70 and those kids haven’t even graduated college… That’s if we even still have colleges 2 decades in the future
— B Is for Buzzertits (@SpaceCowboyinSL) October 6, 2022
Her announcement was met with cheers from the audience and congratulatory messages from the “Good Morning America” host. While many were excited for Swank, others were not pleased with the news.
One person, who reacted to her announcement on social media, said she was “too old” and hoped for healthy children as she was “at risk of having a Down syndrome baby.” Another remarked that nobody wanted a child in their late 40s.
One fan spoke from experience, saying anyone over 40 shouldn’t have children because that child would never get to meet or spend much time with their parents before they pass away.
The same person said Swank would always be thought of as her children’s grandmother and hoped that she would hire good nannies. Another said Swank had missed her shot at having children and was now “playing God.”
One fan congratulated Swank and shared that at her age, all of their children had already moved out of their house, calling the entire thing “bittersweet.”
Many fans talked about how old Swank would be at different stages of her children’s lives, saying she would be 70 before her children graduated college or sixty when her children were twelve. Another couldn’t imagine their 72-year-old mother being a mother to younger children while someone berated:
“So [she] will be 66 when they graduate high school — talk about a generation gap. It is very selfish on her part.”
so, Hillary Swank will be the sixty year old mother of twin twelve year olds…..and…discuss…
— theblab (@theblab2) October 6, 2022
While Swank received a lot of criticism for her decision to welcome children so late in life, some sent her messages of support and congratulations, saying they couldn’t wait to see the twins.
What Did Swank Say About Becoming An Older Mom?
After Swank announced that she was expecting her twins, she often publicly doted on her baby bump, like when she was at the Golden Globes in January this year. She held and stroked her baby bump repeatedly as she posed for photos. Talking about her experience with pregnancy, she said:
“It’s been magical; it’s been so wonderful. I love being pregnant, and I just feel so blessed and so happy, happier than I’ve ever felt.”
She said she felt good that being pregnant in her 40s gave other women in their 40s hope that they could still welcome a child. She encouraged fans to think of the sky as their limit when they considered what they wanted from their lives.
On April 10 this year, Swank took to Instagram to share a photo of herself watching the sunset as she held her twins in her arms. She admitted, “It wasn’t easy,” but it was well worth it, and she felt like she was in heaven.