Why Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines Says Having a Baby at 40 Was 'A Gift'
Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines is opening up about the highs and lows of her latest pregnancy, and why she believes having a baby at 40 was a "gift."
The Gaines family welcomed Crew Gaines into the world on June 21. While this latest pregnancy may have been unexpected, it came at the perfect time.
"Chip and I made a choice to take some time off this past year because it seemed best for us in that season — even though we knew it would stretch us to stay still," she writes in the fall edition of the Magnolia Journal magazine. "Only a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant."
The last time the Gaines were pregnant was 8 years ago when they brought her fourth child, Emmie, into the world. This pregnancy presented new challenges.
"I am 40, and pregnancy this time was different," she says. "I have always really enjoyed being pregnant — I tend to feel my best during those nine months. This time I felt a little more worn out than usual."
Despite feeling more tired than usual, Gaines appreciated living life at a slower pace.
"It's sweet how, even in the most unpredictable ways, we're given exactly what we need for that exact moment in time. It wasn't something I could have anticipated. But being pregnant and 'forced' to slow down has been a gift," she shares.
The mom also learned about the power of community and having people willing to help.
"Since Crew's birth, I have a new understanding of the reality of the phrase 'It takes a village,'" she said.
Even though having a child later in life can be challenging, Gaines says she is made for this.
"I don't know if it's because I'm a little older, but this time around I am more comfortable in my own skin, sure that I can do this. Confident that I was made for this very thing in this very season," she explains.
It's a lesson she wants all of her readers to learn.
"I believe that each of us, in every circumstance, has what it takes — that built within the construction of who we are is whatever that moment in time requires," she says. "We all will have trials, we all will have miracles, and because of grace, I believe we have it in us to handle both — no matter what that looks like," she says.
About The Author
