Hoda Kotb Embraces Motherhood at Any Age Without Shame
Hoda Kotb proudly shares her experience as an older mom to daughters Haley Joy, 6, and Hope Catherine, 4, without feeling any shame Discover her inspiring journey of embracing motherhood later in life
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Hoda Kotb is not here for jokes about being an older mom.
Kotb, at 59 years old, shared her experience of becoming a mother for the first time at 52 in an episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna on Thursday, December 14. She expressed her happiness and fulfillment with her decision, and emphasized that she feels no shame. This discussion was prompted by pregnant Sienna Miller's recent Vogue cover story, in which Miller, at 41, openly talked about her experience of being pregnant at her age. She expressed her desire to reach a point where she doesn't feel the need to joke about being older and expecting a child, and to show that she is in on that joke. (Miller is expecting her first baby with boyfriend Oli Green and also has an 11-year-old daughter, Marlowe, with ex Tom Sturridge.)
Jenna Bush Hager, Kotb's cohost, brought up the fact that Kotb had children later in life, but Kotb doesn't find it amusing. "It doesn't bother me," Kotb responded. "I've heard from various sources that some people are surprised that I had children at this stage in my life."
Kotb shared, "My dad passed away while I was in college," and wiped a tear from her eye. "You only have your parent for a limited time, and they establish a foundation that stays with you."
Bush Hager, 42, echoed Kotb's sentiment, saying, "Hoda doesn’t feel like she needs a joke because she’s so delighted by [her kids] that when you lead with delight, guess what follows? Delight."
Courtesy of Hoda Kotb/Instagram
“Yes, it was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Kotb gushed.
Kotb, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and unable to conceive, shares her two daughters, Haley Joy, 6, and Hope Catherine, 4, with ex Joel Schiffman. She adopted Haley in 2017 and welcomed Hope two years later. Despite not liking jokes about being an older mom, Kotb revealed her anxiety about missing her kids' milestones during an interview on Bethenny Frankel's "Just B" podcast in June.
“I do have it sometimes,” she said, noting she “sometimes does the math” while thinking about her age compared to her daughters.
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“Do I get to see them get married? Maybe,” she continued. “That would be really good. Or do I get to see them have a child? Maybe. That would be really good.”
After comparing her own age with her parents’ when they had her, Kotb realized she might have more years with her girls than “I got with my dad.”
