Tracey Neville, the retired England netball player and former head coach of the national team, has opened up about her experience of being pregnant at 42. Arguing that the conversation around women having children later in life is too ‘negative’, she’s on a mission to turn that around – starting with the way doctors treat women who want to get pregnant over the age of 35.
‘[The doctors] go down the route of “well, we're preparing you for the fail”,’ she told BBC Sport{
‘We know the stats. We know that I'm 42 and the risks are high, but it creates a fearful environment,’ she continued.
Comparing the approach to women getting pregnant older to coaching a sports team, she went on to say that a negative attitude is unhelpful. ‘[With our athletes] we don't sit down and quote stats at them, and quote how many times we've lost,’ she said. ‘We sit down and look at how we can win.’
‘Why is pregnancy not targeted like that?’ she asked, ‘Why is it not given that positivity?’ Sharing her own experience of baby loss, she told the BBC that she went into a three-hour press conference after having a miscarriage in April 2018. Since the miscarriage occurred hours after she coached the England netball team to Commonwealth gold, she said she ‘didn’t want to miss this journey that the roses were on’.
She says that when she went to the doctor after her miscarriage, she received the same negative attitude towards getting pregnant again. ‘I'd come out of a miscarriage and another consultant was giving me these stats again,’ she explained, ‘No, tell me what can I do.’
It’s an interesting layer to add to the conversation about women becoming mothers later – because while doctors have a responsibility to be clear and honest about the health risks associated with getting pregnant later in life, it does seem to be unhelpful to continually tell a patient what they can’t do, rather than what they can.
Too often, there is unfair judgement and harsh criticism present in conversations about women becoming mothers – whether they're considered too young or too old. And so Neville's comments are welcome and useful – and will surely be a comfort to many.
Read More: Meghan Markle's best maternity outfits...
Meghan Markle Pregnancy Style
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Her last public engagement before the royal baby is due was on Commonwealth Day, where she wore a Victoria Beckham ensemble. Her dress, coat, clutch and satin pumps were all from the designers A/W collection.
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On International Women's Day, Meghan attended a panel in a Reiss dress paired with an Alexander McQueen blazer. The Stella McCartney cross body bag also matched her Manolo Blahnik pumps.
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On a visit to Canada House, Meghan sported Canadian designer Erdem. The coat dress was a step away from her usual style.
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At the Wider Earth Gala, Meghan wore this beautiful Calvin Klein dress with Ralph Lauren 'Celia' pumps and an Amanda Wakeley coat.
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Sporting the 'Crombie' once more at a Palace reception earlier this month, Meghan's metallic floral dress was paired with a Wilbur & Gussie clutch.
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This stunning Valentino ensemble designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli. Her dress, cape and VRING bag were all a nod to the designer, while her nude gloves were Gianvito Rossi.
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Making a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards calls for a pretty spectacular outfit. Enter this timeless number, which has since set the bar high for one-shoulder gowns.
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Meghan visited Smart Works, which one of the four new patronages, wearing a simple maternity dress from Hatch. She paired this with a classic trench coat from Oscar de la Renta, and part-sheer printed heels by Gianvito Rossi. Understated yet elegant.
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Whilst attending a Royal Variety performance, Meghan dazzled in a sleek black skirt and monochrome top that featured a floral pattern. We love.
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When visiting Birkenhead with her beau Prince Harry, Meghan wore a bright purple dress under this striking red coat by fashion brand Sentaler. Her statement red shoes were from Stuart Weitzman, and we're pretty obsessed with them.
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During a visit to Brinsworth House (which is the Royal Variety Charity's residential nursing and care home), Meghan stepped out wearing a clean white floral dress by brand Brock Collection. To beat the chill, she threw on a long grey coat Soia and Kyo, before completing her look with a classic nude clutch and heels.
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Meghan wore a Roland Mouret sequin gown during a visit to watch a charity performance of Cirque du Soleil at Royal Albert Hall. Her sequined evening look was paired with black heels by Stuart Weitzman, and she donned a slicked back bun and bold lips.
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Drawing inspiration from her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Meghan often to wear an affordable cream dress from H&M during a visit to Mayhew, one of her royal patronages. She covered the dress with a smart Armani coat and heels. Chic.
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Burgundy is definitely the Duchess' colour! This Club Monaco coat and her collared dress make for a match-made in heaven. And when paired with with black tights and chunky heeled boots, we have a winning winter outfit.
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For the final Armistice Day service at Westminster Abbey, Meghan wore an elegant navy skirt and boxed-style shoulder peplum top, complete with a headpiece and large poppy pin.
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Can we just take a moment for this custom Givenchy outfit? Created for her last royal engagement in New Zealand, Meghan married a classy navy sweater with a pleated maxi skirt which showcased different shades of blue.
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Attending a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco during her second day of the Morocco tour in February, Meghan wore this stunning Dior gown with diamond earrings and a matching satin clutch.
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The Duchess has opted to wear navy on several occasions during her pregnancy, including the time she wore this Antonio Berardi dress with a pair of Aquazzura heels.
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Yes, Meghan Markle is often spotted wearing heels and princess-worthy gowns, but she's also capable of rocking a more laid-back style with ease. Take this Karen Walker blazer, J.Crew skinny jeans, and practical rain boots as proof.
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In New Zealand, Meghan wore this gorgeous plaid trench by Karen Walker. She layered it over a black dress which was sold on ASOS, proving that designer and high-street go hand-in-hand.
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For her speech at the Invictus Games closing ceremony, Meghan donned a tailored, olive green dress by the designer Antonio Berardi. She completed her look with a poppy pin.
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Meghan accompanied Harry to watch the wheelchair basketball finals at Invictus Games, and donned a casual yet chic outfit. The Duchess proved that a simple pair of skinny jeans and a wrap top are in still very much in style.
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Meghan wowed the crowd at Australian Geographic Society Awards in this flowing Oscar de la Renta gown, which she styled with slingback heels.
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Have you ever seen a Veronica Beard Cary Dress and blue suede shoes look so chic together?
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What does one wear to dinner with the King and Queen of Tonga? Only a white gown by Theia, pumps by Aquazzura and earrings by Birks, of course!
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Whilst attended the unveiling of a statue in honour of a British-Fijan soldier, Meghan chose to wear Jason Wu green mid-length dress with pointed heels and an arm cuff.
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The Duchess's eye-catching blue gown by Safiyaa, married with a pair of diamond drop earrings, is one of our favourite Meghan Markle outfits of all-time.
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White 3/4 sleeve dress + matching Stephen Jones fascinator _ straw clutch = Heaven in an outfit.
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We're obsessed with this black Emilia Wickstead dress which features dainty buttons all the way down the middle. And it looks even better when paired with this Philip Treacy fascinator, don't you think?
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A striped Martin Grant dress is the only plausible outfit to wear on the beach, right? We certainly think so.
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See, we told you that Meghan is a fan of the colour navy. Lots of her dress choices - like this two-toned number by Roksanda - feature varying shades of blue.
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Let's face it: we can't blame Meghan for her love affair with navy - she really does know how to pull the colour off, and it's complementary against her dark hair colour.
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When we first saw Meghan wearing this forest green Brandon Maxwell dress, we fell hard in love, and in all honestly, we haven't stopped thinking about it since.
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This classy white dress by Australian designer Karen Gee was the first item that Meghan was spotted in after the news of her pregnancy was confirmed.
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Truly teaching us how to rock airport style, everyone was obsessed with this low-key look. Carrying the Le Sud leather weekender from Cuyana, she made leggings and trainers look chic by adding a camel coat.
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This all black look was part of her New York style revival when she visited the city for her baby shower back in February. Carrying a Caroline Herrera bag in nude and matching with nude heels, she looked VERY A-list and we were VERY here for it.
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A casual look for her Morocco tour, Meghan paired an Alice and Olivia Simpson jacket with a Babaton Roland blouse and her classic Manolo Blahnik Carolyne's.