A single mum who had a baby at the age of 50 through IVF says it was ''the right time'' because her partying days are behind her, and she can raise her child without having to "disagree with anyone".
Kelly Clarke, now 52, was met with a "huge amount of resistance" from family, when she unveiled plans to fly to Athens IVF treatment. She claims relatives were concerned at the thought of her being an older mother and using a sperm donor to welcome a child, rather than a co-parent.
But she knew that being a mum was what she wanted and she welcomed Lyla Rae Clarke in March 2021 weighing 7lbs 8oz. The first-time mum said Lyla Rae was "the perfect baby" and she "couldn’t ask for anything more".
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Kelly, who lives in Sussex, said she didn't realise how "deeply in love" with now 18-month-old Lyla Rae she would be. The former terminal manager for Gatwick Airport said: "My life is good right now, I’m the best mummy I can be to Lyla.
"It's been the best experience of my life - she's so funny, so incredible. [My family] were worried about me and the implications of using a donor, but in that moment I knew I’d made the right decision.''
She added: "Now that Lyla's here they are incredibly supportive and couldn't be a better family to her. I don't know what I'd do without them."
Kelly worked as a flight attendant for 23 years before working in high-profile roles at Gatwick Airport, where she met a whole host of celebrities, including Tom Jones, Kate Moss and Princess Diana. Despite always wanting a family, Kelly says having Lyla Rae in her later years was "the right time" due to her previous life in the sky.
She said: "Now I don't feel the need to be travelling and partying, I just feel the need to watch every minute of Lyla Rae growing up." Despite many of her friend's having children when they were younger, Kelly doesn't feel that she's had Lyla Rae too late and thinks that she is now better equipped to deal with life as a mother.
She added: "I am pleased they can start new chapters. But for me, I feel super blessed that with the life experience I have I can better guide Lyla Rae now than I would have in my younger years.
"I can focus solely on her as I am content with what I’ve done. I don’t have to rush her youth to be able to carry on with mine. Everyone is different, that’s just how I feel about the way round I’ve started my family.
"No one’s right or wrong this is just how my journey to motherhood came about and was right for me."
The mum-of-one also says she is "glad" she's not co-parenting as it allows her to bring up Lyla Rae in her own way. Kelly said: "I can bring her up as I see fit and I get to spend all my time with her.
"She has two amazing cousins who adore her and who she adores, a fantastic aunty and brilliant grandparents, so as far as I’m concerned, she is very grounded. I think the two of us are doing very well."
After being made redundant during the pandemic, Kelly was forced to turn to Universal Credit, which she says was the "most difficult" thing. Wanting a job that would fit with her new life as a mum, Kelly decided to retrain and became a swimming teacher.
Kelly signed an agreement with the fertility clinic agreeing she would tell her daughter the truth about her conception and admits that she sometimes thinks about the fact she's an older mum. She added: "When she's old enough to understand the situation, I’ll explain it to her.
"It has hit me that in 20 years' time when she’s 22, I’ll be 72. Those kind of things about life insurance and a will are now in my mind which they weren’t before.
"But I haven't got too much left to pay on my mortgage and once that's in place that's hers. One thing’s for sure, Lyla is going to know she is loved and how much I wanted her – she'll know the lengths I went to bring her into my world.”
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