Britney Spears shocked and delighted fans when she announced she was to become a mum for the third time earlier this week.

The star, 40, is already mum to Sean, 16, and Jayden, 15, with her ex Kevin Federline, who she gave birth to in her mid-twenties.

Now in a relationship with fiancé Sam Asghari, 28, who she regularly refers to her “husband” on social media, Britney is to become a parent again for the first time in a decade and a half.

Announcing the news on social media, the star wrote: “I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back. I thought “Geez … what happened to my stomach ???”

Britney continued: “My husband said “No you’re food pregnant silly!!!” So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby … 4 days later I got a little more food pregnant.”

Discussing the possibility of twins, Britney added in the lengthy post: “It’s growing !!! If 2 are in there … I might just loose it.”

After the star welcomes her new arrival, she’ll be one of many celebrities who’ve had babies later in life. Take a look at some of your favourite celebrities who became mums in their 40s and beyond…

Meryl Streep

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, now 72, has four children, the youngest of which she gave birth to in 1991, just before she turned 42. Not only is Meryl the mom of four kids, but she is also a loving wife to her husband of more than 40 years, Don Gummer. The pair tied the knot in September 1978 and later welcomed their three daughters, Mamie Gummer, Grace Gummer and Louisa Gummer, and their only son, Henry Gummer.

Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman had her third child in 2012 at 42 with her ex-fiancé Arpad Busson, with the actress’ rep confirming the baby girl’s name at a later date in a statement. Her daughter’s full name is Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson, but she’s known as Luna to family and friends. Uma also shares two children from her former relationship with Ethan Hawke – Stranger Things actress Maya Hawke, 23, and Levon Hawke, 20.

Naomi Campbell

Supermodel Naomi Campbell surprised fans when she announced she’d become a mother at the age of 50 on Instagram in May 2021. "A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother. So honoured to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you my angel. There is no greater love," the now-51-year-old wrote.

She also added to Vogue that she’d kept her pregnancy quiet, even to those in her personal life, saying: “I can count on one hand the number of people who knew that I was having her. But she is the biggest blessing I could ever imagine. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz welcomed her first child with Good Charlotte frontman Benji Madden in December 2019 via surrogate at the age of 47. In a statement they shared with fans they introduced their daughter Raddix and said: "While we are overjoyed to share this news, we also feel a strong instinct to protect our little one’s privacy. So we won’t be posting pictures or sharing any more details, other than the fact that she is really really cute!!"

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has previously been very candid about her struggles with infertility. Early in her marriage to Tom Cruise in her twenties, the now 54 year old suffered a traumatic ectopic pregnancy, which led to the couple’s decision to adopt their two children, Isabella and Connor.

When Kidman later married Keith Urban she thought she’d be unable to conceive naturally, but gave birth to her biological daughter, Sunday Rose, in 2008, when the Australian actress was 41 years old. In a 2012 interview with Australian magazine Who, she explained: "I’ve done all the stuff you can possibly do to try to get pregnant. So, the way it just happened with Sunday was like, ‘What?’ The percentages were so low. It is the miracle in my life.” Three years later, Kidman and Urban welcomed their second biological child, Faith Margaret, via surrogate.

Madonna

Madonna had her second biological child, son Rocco, when she was 42 years old, after having given birth to her daughter Lourdes in her late 30s. Madonna has also welcomed four adopted children into her family in addition to Lourdes and Rocco, bringing her to a total of six kids.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry welcomed her first child Nahla at age 41, then gave birth to her younger son Maceo when she was 47. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Berry revealed that her second pregnancy in her late 40s was a complete surprise. "I was, you know, on my way…this is probably way TMI, but I was really, you know, kinda premenopausal so to have this happen was a huge [shock]," she explained.

Salma Hayek

Salma gave birth to her daughter Valentina when the actress was 41 years old in 2007. In an interview with WebMD at the time, the star said her pregnancy was complicated by gestational diabetes, but despite a nauseous nine months, she said wouldn’t trade the timing of her pregnancy: “I’m a more fulfilled human being now, and I probably wouldn’t have been 10 years ago. She gets a better mother for being born now.”

Celine Dion

At 42 years old, Celine Dion gave birth to twin boys, Eddy and Nelson after multiple unsuccessful cycles of IVF. She previously had seen a fertility specialist before finally giving birth to her eldest son, René Charles, in her early 30s.

On trying to conceive again in her 40s, Dion told Good Morning America she wasn’t ready to give up. "It’s priceless,” she said. “So, you know what? We had a miscarriage. We tried [IVF] three more times. It did not work. … We are trying again for the fifth try. It’s aboard right now. All aboard," Dion said.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson welcomed her first child at the age of 50, a son called Eissa, with her ex-husband Wissam Al Mana, who was then 42.

Celebrating her son’s third birthday on Instagram in 2020, Janet wrote: “Three years ago today God blessed me, at the age of 50, with the greatest gift of all. My baby! Happy Bday sweetheart. Mama loves you more than anything else in this world!”

Kim Basinger

Kim Basinger and then-husband Alec Baldwin had their only child, daughter Ireland, in 1995, when Basinger was 41 years old. The couple filed for divorce just over five years later and Alec Baldwin went on to have six more children with his next wife Hilaria Baldwin, with the couple recently announcing they have a seventh on the way.

Gwen Stefani

Pop icon Gwen Stefani welcomed her youngest son Apollo with her then-husband Gavin Rossdale when she was 44 years old. She later referred to him as a “miracle” baby and told InStyle that the experience of getting pregnant in her mid-40s put her in a “whole new spiritual place”.

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