OVER-40 MOM; BRITAIN SHAKEN UP BY CHERIE BLAIR.Byline: Ray Moseley Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Daily newspaper published in Chicago. The Tribune is one of the leading U.S. newspapers and long has been the dominant voice of the Midwest. Founded in 1847, it was bought in 1855 by six partners, including Joseph Medill (1823–99), who made the paper It might be old news that women are having babies later in life than ever before, but it drew a lot of attention in Britain on Friday for a particular reason: Cherie Blair, wife of the prime minister, is expecting her fourth child at age 45. No. 10 Downing St., the official residence of Prime Minister Tony Blair Noun 1. Tony Blair - British statesman who became prime minister in 1997 (born in 1953) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, Blair , made the announcement late Thursday when it became apparent that a tabloid newspaper was about to break the news. American first lady Hillary Rodham Rodham is an English surname which may refer to a number of persons or places. People Family of Hillary Rodham Clinton
The Blairs already have three children: Euan, 15, Nicky, 14, and Kathryn, 11. The couple acknowledged that the discovery of Cherie's latest pregnancy left them in ``total shock'' but said they were delighted. A spokesman for the prime minister said Blair told him, ``I just can't believe I'm going to be changing nappies (diapers), and this child is still going to be at school when I'm a pensioner PENSIONER. One who is supported by an allowance at the will of another. It is more usually applied to him who receives an annuity or pension from the government. .'' The news from Downing Street Downing Street, Westminster, London, England. On the street are the British Foreign Office and, at No. 10, the residence of the first lord of the Treasury, who is usually (although not necessarily) the prime minister of Great Britain. met with a chorus of approval from politicians of all parties, the news media and others. The only sour note came from a commentator in the tabloid Daily Star: ``Quite aside from the fact that Tony and Cherie still have sex with each other, for God's sake, what on earth are they thinking of, inflicting another sniveling sniv·el intr.v. sniv·eled or sniv·elled, sniv·el·ing or sniv·el·ling, sniv·els 1. To sniffle. 2. To complain or whine tearfully. 3. To run at the nose. n. 1. bundle on us. Aren't the Cabinet enough?'' Asked if the child would affect Blair's work routine, the spokesman said, ``At the moment, in general, he only gets woken up if it's Northern Ireland Northern Ireland: see Ireland, Northern. Northern Ireland Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland occupying the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. Area: 5,461 sq mi (14,144 sq km). Population (2001): 1,685,267. .'' Medical experts said only 4 percent to 5 percent of women in Cherie Blair's age bracket manage to conceive; the oldest woman to get pregnant and give birth naturally in Britain was 55. Cherie Blair's pregnancy was reported to be in its 13th week. The baby is expected in May, four months before the mother's 46th birthday. Blair, 46, will become the first prime minister in 150 years to become a father while in office. Newspapers and television stations wheeled out medical experts on Friday to comment on the trend toward women giving birth at a later age than in the past, owing in large part to the fact that the number of women pursuing a career has increased. The experts said the average age of women giving birth in Britain now is above 30, higher than it has ever been. As recently as 1981, most British women had their children in their 20s. Experts all cited the risks that go with becoming pregnant after age 40, including high blood pressure, diabetes, increased chance of a miscarriage and the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome Down syndrome, congenital disorder characterized by mild to severe mental retardation, slow physical development, and characteristic physical features. Down syndrome affects about 1 in every 730 live births and occurs in all populations equally. . They also said major advances in medicine make it easier today to test for Down syndrome and spina bifida before a baby is born. Older women like Cherie Blair, they said, should get plenty of exercise, watch their weight and have frequent checkups. The mother-to-be has combined the roles of mother and wife of the country's leader with her career as one of Britain's top lawyers. She works under her maiden name maiden name n. A woman's family name before she is married. Used of a surname that is replaced by a woman when she marries. Also called birth name. of Cherie Booth and earns a reported $325,000 a year, well above her husband's official salary. A number of famous women here and abroad have given birth after age 40 in recent years. Among them are actress Susan Sarandon Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. Biography Early life Sarandon, the eldest of nine children, was born Susan Abigail Tomalin , like Cherie Blair a mother at 45; actress Patricia Hodge, who had her first child at 42; model Jerry Hall, who had her fourth child at 41, and actress Emma Thompson, expecting her first baby at 40. One leading bookmaker offered odds of 4-5 that the latest Blair baby would be a boy, even odds on a girl, 50-1 on twins and 500-1 on triplets. Another bookmaker quoted odds of 500-1 that the baby would be born on Blair's birthday, May 6, and would be a boy named Ken. This was a reference to Ken Livingstone, a prospective Labor Party candidate for mayor of London This article is about the elected mayor of Greater London. For the City of London mayor, see Lord Mayor of London. The Mayor of London is an elected politician in London. The role, created in 2000, was the first directly-elected mayor in the United Kingdom. whose bid for the job is strongly opposed by Blair. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, Cherie, carries a bouquet of flowers as she returns home from an engagement Friday. Toby Melville/Associated Press |
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