A woman has spoken out about how, after being told she was "too old" to have a baby at 40, she just "went ahead and did it anyway", showing all those who doubted her.

Make-up artist and self-described "old mom" Laura Francz is delighted to have become a mother for the first time after 40, having her baby despite having apparently come up against some critical attitudes.

Not long after, at the age of 41, Laura welcomed another baby "for good measure", just two weeks before celebrating her 42nd birthday, being among a growing number of women to give birth after the age of 40.

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Taking to TikTok, Laura shared a video of herself dancing around triumphantly to the sound of Billy Joel's My Life , telling her followers: "When people thought you were too old to get pregnant at 40 and you went ahead and did it anyway. And then once more at 41 for good measure".

'I had two babies at 40 and 41 - people said I was too old, but I showed them'

In the video caption, Laura, who goes by the username lauraj521, penned the following encouraging message to others: "Whether it’s by choice or circumstance, you do you!"

Many followers were cheered by Laura's vid - which has clocked up 11.6k views and counting - with one woman thanking her for "sharing and giving people hope".

Others shared their own stories of motherhood after 40, with one proud mother writing: "I had my daughter at 40 and now she’s on her way to becoming a dentist! Proud Mama at 64!".

Another joked: "The fun starts when you are hitting menopause around the same time as they hit puberty. Too many hormones for the household".

In a previous video, Laura opened up about what it was like to have children later in life, reflecting: "One thing I've found really, really cool is that I'm not alone. I know it's common, but a lot of times in your immediate circle, you do kind of feel that you're the only one in your immediate world".

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