Marcia Cross in Good Housekeeping magazine

Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross, 44, graces the February cover of Good Housekeeping magazine, and is featured in an article on finding love after 40. Marcia’s fraternal twins are due in April – she was put on bedrest late last week. Here are some interview highlights:

Marcia is honest about the way she got pregnant, and the challenges it causes: "We went to a fertility doctor. It’s difficult on the woman, it’s difficult on the marriage, and not everyone can afford it."

Marcia on being an older mom: I’m glad there are actors like Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon and other 30ish women who are having their kids younger, which is a better example than the way I’m doing it, at the eleventh hour!" Marcia worries about being there as her twins grow older (she’ll be 63 when they graduate high school). When she thinks about the life phases she and her twins may not be able to go through together, her eyes well up. She says, "But I have good genes in my family…so we’ll see just how long I’ll be around."

On hearing two heartbeats: "We were in shock." The couple do know the sexes of the babies, but Marcia says, "We’re going to try to have one thing for ourselves," so they’re not sharing!"

Source: Good Housekeeping

Thanks to CBB reader Mary Beth, and Mary for scans.

Do any readers who are older moms or who went through fertility treatments agree or disagree with Marcia? For example, did your fertility treatments draw you closer or pull you apart? Are you also afraid of missing moments in your child’s life?

Comments

she looks beautiful as always!

- Molly on January 12th, 2007

Older mom here.

Went through treatments for nearly 3 years. It is quite hard – not so much physically, but emotionally. Drugs, shots and such were cake compared to the negative beta test results and worse, multiple miscarriages.

For ourselves, infertility brought us together in such an unexpected way…we were of one mind when it came to our fight to start our family. A lovely silver lining out of a sucky experience.

I appreciate Marcia’s candor. She earns my respect!

However, people who don’t know much about how IVF works may be led to believe it is a solution when realistically it is an option to building one’s family.

There’s a part of me that believes it should be mentioned it is very possible she did not use her own eggs, given her age. However, it is her business and no one else’s.

- Principesa on January 16th, 2007

I had our 3 year old at forty-three, yet he wasn’t my first, so maybe that is different?
No ‘help’ was necessary – we decided to try and I got pregnant on our first attempt.
He is the so active, healthy and dynamic!
The light of our lives – which includes his 24 year old sister, 15 yr old brother and my hubby and I.
I do worry about my age, as Marcia mentioned – but I don’t spend alot of time dwelling on it.
Who has time with a VERY active three yr old to chase around – at 47 years old!!!!!
I wouldn’t do a thing differently!

- Sandi on January 17th, 2007

I am not an older mom (I was 35 when I had my daughter), but I did go through fertility treatments, and it is extremely exhausting. Like Principesa said, it is actually more exhausting emotionally than it is physically. It can be really hard when month after month it just doesn’t work. During the time I was trying I suffered 2 miscarriages. I was lucky I had a very strong support system, and in the end I was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. I wish them nothing but the best!

- P Dawn on January 17th, 2007

I love her honesty! I was never a big fan of hers but I appreciate her candor and respect her highly for it.

- Lissette on January 17th, 2007

In case anyone is wondering…Marcia says she isn’t telling what the twins are, but In Touch writes that they are both girls…

Just a little tidbit you may find interesting…

- A Songstress called Yuna-Lenne on January 18th, 2007

Infertility treatments brought my husband and I closer together, but he is a star. If he was a turd it would certainly have driven us apart.

Fertility treatments didn’t work for us but we didn’t try IVF. We now have a beautiful son by adoption. The point is to raise a child and not to be pregnant. That’s like getting married for the wedding part.

- Me on January 19th, 2007