Amber Heard is pregnant with baby number 2!
Amber Heard - the 38-year-old American actress best known for her role in Aquaman - is preparing to welcome her second child, according to a report from People magazine.
Heard, now residing in Spain, is reportedly in the early stages of her pregnancy.
She is already a mother to three-year-old Oonagh Paige, whom she welcomed through surrogacy in 2021. She is over the moon and excited for her daughter, Oonagh Paige, to have a sibling.
She shares updates of her life after embracing motherhood with one of her Instagram posts captioned, "I’m just the mom and the dad. She’s the boss."
Making the news of her first daughter’s birth public, after three months post birth, Heard had mentioned that she "decided I wanted to have a child" four years prior and "wanted to do it on my own terms."
"I now appreciate how radical it is for us as women to think about one of the most fundamental parts of our destinies in this way," Heard further penned, adding, "I hope we arrive at a point in which it’s normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib."
Amber Heard has most infamously been married to Johnny Depp, with whom she was entangled in a highly televised defamation trial in the summer of 2022.
Journey on her own terms
This new chapter in Heard’s life is a continuation of her journey to motherhood on her own terms. In a heartfelt Instagram post shortly after the birth of Oonagh Paige, Heard reflected on her decision to have a child independently, stating that she had wanted to become a mother for several years before her daughter’s birth.
“Four years ago, I decided I wanted to have a child. I wanted to do it on my own terms,” she shared with her followers. “I hope we arrive at a point in which it's normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib.”
Heard’s personal decision to start a family without the traditional route of marriage resonates with many women who are increasingly opting for alternative paths to motherhood. This decision also marks a point of independence and self-determination after a tumultuous few years in the public eye.
Impact of age on fertility
At 38, Heard is considered to be an older first-time mother, as fertility generally declines with age. Studies show that as women age, the quantity and quality of their eggs diminish, making it more challenging to conceive. Research has indicated that women under the age of 30 have about an 85% chance of conceiving naturally within a year. However, this drops to approximately 44% by age 40, with the miscarriage rate increasing significantly in older women.
Despite these biological challenges, many women, like Heard, are choosing to have children later in life, with medical advancements such as surrogacy and fertility treatments offering additional options. The decision to start a family at an older age reflects broader social changes, as women seek to balance personal and professional aspirations before embracing motherhood.