Opinion – Mother’s lap: Claudia Raia’s pregnancy and the disservice to those trying to get pregnant

The pregnancy of actress Cláudia Raia, at 55, left the internet in an uproar when it was announced on social networks this Monday (19). The announcement took place in the most modern way that exists today: with a dance video on Instagram and advertising for the pregnancy test company.

So far, nothing new. Sabrina Sato and other celebrities also made money by revealing the pregnancy through an advertisement. The novelty in Raia’s case is that, by announcing the pregnancy, she implies that it was natural.

Claudia is the mother of two children, Enzo, 25, and Sophia, 19, from her first marriage. She and her current husband, Jarbas Homem de Mello, had already revealed, in interviews, about freezing eggs for a future pregnancy, but when announcing the pregnancy, she did not mention the information or how she fulfilled her dream at an advanced age for the reproductive patterns.

At age 55, the chances of a natural pregnancy are practically nil. It is the time of menopause, which brings the end of a woman’s reproductive life. With the advancement of medicine, this end point of nature can be circumvented, but not without treatment, however minimal.

In the case of the actress, information is that she would have performed IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), one of the most normal and successful ways today for pregnancy in older women or for those who suffer from infertility.

It turns out that the assisted reproduction process is not easy. It’s expensive and painful, with a path that may or may not lead to success, and not accessible to most women. It demands, in addition to a lot of money, time, dedication, psychological support, good doctors and the willingness of the couple.

When any woman, be she a successful actress or not, tells others that, in her case, the pregnancy was a “surprise”, as if nature had played a trick on her, she does a disservice and ends up not being fair to whom dreamed of a baby for years.

The main question these women ask is: “why can’t I?” Another factor that can get in the way is for women to believe that, like Raia, she can get pregnant easily at any age, and delay the treatment that could lead to success. In many cases, this time is crucial to the success of the procedure.

I repeat that no one needs to reveal their intimacy, but shaping reality with a story that doesn’t hold up is harmful. The sad thing is that attitudes like this are not the first nor will they be the last.

The list of celebrities who use techniques to get pregnant and do not reveal them, implying that they conquered pregnancy naturally, is long, but it is behind the scenes. Industry doctors know every name.

It’s the same behavior in the 90’s, in which skinny models on magazine covers said that thinness was something natural in their lives when, in reality, they went on highly restrictive diets, dictating an enslaving pattern.

I’ve known women who got pregnant late, without treatment, in very rare cases, and none of them after menopause. But what I follow most are women who try to get pregnant and can’t, even though they’re in the full reproductive phase. These carry, with each negative test or abortion, an enormous pain, a wound in the soul.

I congratulate Claudia Raia on her pregnancy, for breaking through age barriers. I love children and motherhood is my mainstay of life. I celebrate each new pregnancy with great joy, but I really take my hat off to those who tell the pains and delights of the assisted reproduction process, helping so many others.

I ask these women to continue, because each statement is very important.