'What Would You Do?' focuses tonight on older women becoming pregnant
Tonight on "What Would You Do?" a woman’s friend and husband disapprove of her desire to become pregnant because of her age.
These days we’re seeing more and more American women becoming mothers and giving birth later in life. Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that the birthrate has nearly doubled for American women ages 35-44 since 1990.
Actress Brigitte Nielsen is now a mom of five after giving birth to her first daughter at age 54.
Janet Jackson also made news when the 50-year-old pop icon welcomed a son earlier this year.
In tonight’s episode, we see what happens when diners witness a woman breaking the news to her friend and husband that she wants to start a family. They say it’s a bad idea and she is visibly upset, expecting their support. Our actress, Angela, plays a hopeful-mom-to-be who pleads with her husband, played by Jason, and her friend, played by Tasha, to welcome a bundle of joy.
Angela: I’ve decided that I would like to try and have a baby.
Jason: I wasn’t expecting that. We’ve been planning really hard for retirement, not college tuition… Honey, we’re 48.
Angela: I want a baby.
Jason: We’re going to be nearly 70 when that kid gets out of high school.
Many people disagree with our actors and call out their concerns. One customer listens in our actor’s conversation and when she hears that Angela isn’t receiving the support she needs, she tells our actress Tasha, “being supportive is what she [Angela] needs, not someone to tell her that she’s wrong.”
Before ending the conversation, she adds a personal detail when Tasha asks, “Would you have a baby at that age?” and she responds, “If I’m 48 and I don’t have one yet, I would consider it.”
Reactions vary throughout the day. Some diners agree with our disapproving husband and friend that 48 is too old and too late to have a baby.
Tasha: At 48, would you try to have one?
Woman: Me, personally, probably not. I would think more of the health issues.
Tasha: Health issues to you, or health issues to your potential baby?
Woman: Both.
Many customers throughout the day had a strong opinion regarding women getting pregnant later in life, but one diner, Robert Seco, had a personal story to share. Through our hidden cameras, we discovered that he and his wife, Cathleen, have been dealing with this issue for the last 10 years.
Robert: I’m going to be 47 years old and I’m getting on a flight at 7:00 today to go pick up my first child. My wife is going to be 49. We tried for 10 years. If you want to have a baby…you have a baby.
When John Quinones interviewed Robert Seco, he said, “It’s been quite a journey and to hear somebody at the same age, having the same type of questions and thoughts go through your head, I had to get involved. I had to say something. Age is a sort of state of mind. You’re as old as you feel you are.”
To see how other customers react, make sure to tune in to "What Would You Do?" tonight at 9/8c on ABC.
