Rosie Pang has always been a determined woman, overcoming difficulties at every turn. Having been raised by a mother with alcohol and gambling difficulties, she sadly ended up in an unhappy marriage at the age of just 19.
After her first marriage ended in 2005, following a domestic violence incident, Birmingham-born Rosie enrolled in university with dreams of becoming a teacher.
All the while she was raising her five children and working part-time at the weekends to keep up with the mortgage payments.
By the time of her 2008 graduation, Rosie didn't even have enough money to attend her own ceremony. However, the university recognised her dedication by honouring her with the Early Primary student of the year award, sending her £50 in the post.
In the years following her divorce, Rosie decided to move forward with her personal life too, embarking on a relationship with a man who "desperately" wanted to have children with her. Sadly, there were further challenges ahead.
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Speaking to The Mirror, Rosie said: "I attended an IVF treatment clinic with him and was told I only produced five eggs and my odds of conceiving were low as 80% of those eggs would not be good enough".
While there, Rosie also had her fallopian tubes checked, with the doctors discovering that one was blocked. Although they were able to unblock it there and then, there was further heartache in store.
Rosie continued: "We split up as I was not able to conceive and I did not want to go through IVF as it was expensive and nothing was guaranteed. I already had five healthy children and did not want to go through this all again. At that time, I would have had a baby for him, but it was not what I wanted".
In the summer of 2017, Rosie found romance again with a new partner, and - the following year - was left startled by some very unexpected news.
Rosie - who hadn't felt the need to take contraception for more than five years at this point - discovered she was pregnant in April 2018. She was 44 years old, and understandably the news came as somewhat of a surprise.
Recalling the moment she found out, Rosie said: "That morning, I did not feel well and had a headache so my daughter suggested I go for a pre-menopause check and that is when I found out. I could not believe it. I told my kids via WhatsApp and no one believed me!! Part of me thought it’s okay I can do this, but another part of me thought ‘I’m too old'. I was 44!"
Rosie chose not to tell anyone at work about her pregnancy, and just carried on with her teaching as usual. However, once she reached the nine-week mark, she suffered some morning sickness and dizziness, and so felt she needed to confide in a colleague.
At this point, Rosie was still torn as to what to do, wondering whether she should or even could go ahead with the pregnancy or have a termination. Her youngest son was about to turn 16, and she wasn't sure she could go through caring for a young child all over again.
However, after she and her daughter saw the healthy fetus on the ultrasound, they both "cried and decided the pregnancy was going ahead".
Rosie explained: "Midwives and doctors were all great and really supportive as I was a geriatric mum. I did hide in the corner when I used to attend hospital appointments as all the other mums were so young and I felt embarrassed but the midwives were really lovely. My kids even threw me a surprise baby shower and I cried as I had never had a surprise party before".
Thankfully, it turned out to be "the easiest pregnancy" Rosie had ever had, with the busy mum remarking that, this time around, at least she "didn't have to take care of young children and could come home and relax after work".
She continued: "I enjoyed watching my body change and feeling her move. I had something to look forward to - a miracle baby. My daughter left her master's study in Oxford early to help me. She drove me around in the final stages and was present at the birth".
Rosie's daughter was due on her 45th birthday but ended up being induced two days later, with the family welcoming little Leah to the world on 26th January 2019.
Fortunately, the birth went smoothly, and Rosie's older daughter "was amazing the whole time", holding her baby sibling for the very first time as her mother was still feeling too sick from gas and air.
Rosie remembered: "I remember staring at her and thinking ‘oh my gosh, she is beautiful and I made her'. I felt so lucky as she brought my family closer. Her older siblings love her and she gets to see them when they can. My daughter picks her up from nursery sometimes, and her brother drops her off once a week. She is very spoiled".
As an older mother, Rosie does find that she gets more tired easily than she did as a young mother in her twenties. However, although she might not be quite as energetic these days, her wealth of experience has put her in good stead.
Rosie said: "I had five kids at 29 and I coped, yet one baby at 45 was hard going. My kids have been great though. The only stigma I get is being called nan if I am with Leah and her older sisters but I tend to make a joke out of it. After all, I had my first baby at 20, then 21, 24, 26, and 29! I lost one at age 22".
Reflecting on her unexpected life twist, Rosie - who has recently completed her master's degree in education - says she "wouldn't change anything", and feels "so lucky" to be a mum to young Leah.
Although she gets called 'nan' a lot, Rosie doesn't mind one bit, believing that having Leah in her life keeps her young.
She added: "I also think when I conceived I wasn’t stressed about anything and it just happened so naturally and having that positive mind matters. I don’t plan anything now as life is so unpredictable".
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