Hilary Swank is pregnant with her third child at the age of 52, three years after welcoming twins with her husband, Philip Schneider.
The Oscar-winning actor shared the announcement on social media in a video featuring the family dancing with glowsticks attached to their bodies. The lights eventually revealed Swank’s baby bump.
“A lot of people have been asking what project I’m doing next, this one releases in December,” the caption said.
Swank and Schneider, who is also 52, became parents to daughter Aya and son Ohm when the actor was 48.
Dr Kameelah Phillips, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, said pregnancy at 52 was “extremely rare” and involved serious medical considerations.
“Most women in this age group are entering menopause,” she said. “But … even if your ovaries have started to become quiet … your uterus can actually be convinced to carry a pregnancy through the process of IVF.”
Dr Phillips added that Swank was “definitely probably being seen by a high-risk team”, citing increased risks including gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, diabetes and caesarean section.
Speaking two years ago after the birth of her twins, Swank said being an older parent had allowed her to focus fully on motherhood after pursuing her acting career.
“I think for me being a parent who is on the older side, the beauty in it for me has been that I had the opportunity to dive deep into this dream of being an actor and now I can dive deep into this dream of being a mom because I’m not pulled in any other direction,” she said.
