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Boy Meets World favorite Trina McGee has announced she is pregnant with her fourth child.
The series actress is ready to expand her family with her partner of 16 years, Marcello Thedford. She’ll be introducing a new sibling into the lives of her three children – two of which she shares with her ex-husband Randall Courtland Davis and the third with a previous partner.
McGee cheekily confirmed her pregnancy when she posted a picture of her at Malacate Beach, Belize, highlighting her baby bump in a blue crop top and low-waisted white pants. One commenter wrote: “Bump.” McGee responded: “Yup.”
On June 3, the TV regular – who played Angela Moore on the Disney comedy series – took to Instagram to share her news.
“At the tender age of 54, I have found myself pregnant. Please bless us with your prayers for a safe delivery. Thank you,” her post read. Alongside the screenshot of her message, she wrote: “Gonna sign off social media for a bit. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes in advance.”
In response to the announcement, many fans and followers shared their well wishes. “Whatttttt?! That’s amazing! Congratulations momma,” one person wrote, while another said: “Congrats girl! Praying for you to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby!”
According to the National Institute of Health, women aged between 45 to 54 who become pregnant can be at higher risk for complications.
“An adjusted analysis of a cohort (37 million deliveries, 2006–2015) demonstrated that women age 45–54 years had 3.5 times the risk of severe maternal morbidity and showed the highest rates of cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, gestational diabetes, thrombosis, and hysterectomy,” the Institute found in a 2021 report.
The medical term for pregnancy over the age of 35 is “advanced maternal age.” Specifically, after the age of 50, women are more likely to develop gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, per a WebMD report, which notes that there is also increased chances of births of multiples, and premature birth.
That said, having a baby in your 50s is associated with several benefits. WebMD pointed out that older mothers tend to be more patient, leading their children to “have fewer behavioral, social, and emotional issues.”
“A study showed that older moms also had less anxiety during pregnancy. They were in more stable relationships and were financially better off,” WebMD proclaimed.
For anyone pregnant over 50, WebMD listed ways to increase the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and the extra care one may need.
Regular prenatal care, maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, no alcohol or drug use, and chromosome testing can help lower the risk of complications. Meanwhile, preconception counseling, expert assessments, frequent prenatal visits, pre-planned delivery, early testing, and birth defect screenings may be needed.