A single mother who had a kid at the age of 50 via IVF believes it was “the appropriate moment” since she is no longer partying and can “raise her up as she sees fit.”
Kelly Clarke, 52, a swimming instructor from Crawley, Sussex, travelled to Athens for IVF treatment and claimed she encountered “great pushback” from her family.
Her family was allegedly worried about her being an older mother and utilizing a sperm donor to welcome a kid – and not to co-parent, she claims.
Kelly understood that becoming a mother was her desire, despite her age, and she welcomed Lyla Rae Clarke in March 2021, weighing 7lbs 8oz.
Lyla Rae, the first-time mom, was described as the ideal baby – and she couldn’t ask for anything more.
Kelly, of Crawley, Sussex, said she had no idea how ‘truly in love’ she would be with Lyla Rae, who is now 18 months old.
Kelly, a former Gatwick Airport North Terminal manager, stated her life is excellent right now to be a mother.
She is doing her best to be the greatest mother she can be to Lyla.
It’s been the finest moment of her life. Her baby is so witty, so amazing, and she had no idea how much I’d fall in love with her.
She’d faced a lot of pushback from her family for opting to become a single mother at the age of 50.
They were concerned about her and the ramifications of using a donor, she says, but at that point, she realized she’d made the correct choice.
Now that Lyla is here, they are tremendously encouraging and couldn’t be a nicer family to her, she added. She is not sure what she’d do without them.
Kelly worked as a flight attendant for 23 years before moving on to high-profile positions at Gatwick Airport, where she encountered celebrities such as Tom Jones, Kate Moss, and Princess Diana.
Kelly thinks having Lyla Rae in her older years was ‘the proper moment’ owing to her former life in the skies, despite always desiring a family.
Now she doesn’t feel the desire to go and party; she simply feels the need to witness every minute of Lyla Rae growing up, she added.
Despite the fact that many of her pals had kids when they were younger, Kelly believes she had Lyla Rae at the right time and that she is now more prepared to deal with life as a mom.
She is delighted they may begin new chapters, said the former flight attendant.
However, she considers herself extremely lucky in that, with her life experience, she is able to better advise Lyla Rae today than she would have in her earlier years.
She can concentrate completely on her since she is satisfied with what she has accomplished.
Everybody is unique; that’s how she feels about the way she’s started her family.
No one is right or wrong; this is simply how her path to parenthood unfolded and was perfect for her.
The single mother also claims she’s happy’ she’s not co-parenting since it enables her to raise Lyla Rae in her own manner.
She is pleased not to co-parent because she can raise her as she sees fit without having to dispute with anyone or have a partner do the reverse of what she does while she is not there, she added.
She gets to spend the entire day with her.
She has two beautiful cousins who adore her and who she adores, a fantastic aunty, and brilliant grandparents, so she is quite rooted in her opinion.
She is 19 months old this month and can already sing nursery rhymes, count to five, and speak the letters from A to F.
She recognizes her colors as well as traffic lights. So she believes the two of them are doing rather well.
Kelly was compelled to use universal credit after being laid off during the epidemic, which she describes as the “most painful” thing she has ever done.
Kelly opted to retrain as a swimming teacher because she wanted a profession that would suit her new life as a mother.
Kelly signed an agreement with the fertility clinic pledging to tell her daughter the truth about her conception and acknowledges that she occasionally considers the reality that she is an older mother.
When she’s old enough to grasp the issue, she’ll express it to her, she added. She’ll be straightforward and honest, and she’ll understand that everything is in order.
It hit her that in 20 years, when she’ll be 22, she’ll be 72.
Things like life insurance and a will are now on her mind that they weren’t previously.
But she doesn’t have much left on her mortgage, and once that’s in place that’s hers.
One thing is certain: Lyla will know she is loved and how much her mom desires her – she will understand the lengths she went to bring her into her life.
