Milla Jovovich shares baby bump selfie, gets real about having a geriatric pregnancy

Milla Jovovich has announced that she’s pregnant with her third child.

The 43-year-old actress and model took to social media to reveal that she is "knocked up again" while also opening up about the reality of being an older mum-to-be.

The ‘Resident Evil’ star shared a sweet image showcasing her growing baby bump while also revealing the mixture of emotions she felt after discovering she was pregnant in her 40s, just two years after undergoing an emergency abortion.

"After I found out I was pregnant 13 weeks ago, I had a mixture of feelings ranging between complete joy and utter terror," she wrote.

"Because of my age and losing the last pregnancy I didn't want to get attached to this potential baby too quickly."

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She went onto explain that her age and medical history has meant doctors have been keeping a close eye on her pregnancy.

"That was obviously not fun and the last few months have been my family and I living on pins and needles waiting for a slew of different test results to come in and spending most of our time in doctors offices," she continued.

Thankfully, Milla explained that she was "in the clear" and will be "blessed with another girl."

Closing her heartwarming announcement, she wrote, "Wish me and my baby luck! I send you all a lot of love and I'll keep you posted on my progression! Xoxo"

This will be the model’s third daughter with husband and film director, Paul W. S. Anderson.

READ MORE: Widow, 46, gives birth one day after discovering her pregnancy

What is a geriatric pregnancy?

At 43 Jovovich’s pregnancy is described as a “geriatric pregnancy,” which is the rather unpleasant label used for anyone over 35 and expecting a baby.

Over the last two decades, increasing numbers of women have had babies over the age of 35.

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 54% of mums in England and Wales are now aged 30 and over and stats also show a year upon year increase in fertility and birth rates for those over 35s.

In fact, around one in five women is 35 or older when she gives birth.

But as Jovovich hinted in her post, there can be some greater health risks associated with later pregnancy.

Potential problems include an increased risk of miscarriage and pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, low lying placenta, placental abruption and growth problems for babies.

But though there are clearly some risks associated, according to some experts scary headlines often blow those risks out of proportion.

“Anything that is a little unusual in birth is immediately given the high risk label,” explains Katharine Graves, antenatal education expert and founder of KG Hypnobirthing.

“For older mothers over all there is are slightly higher pregnancy risks. But if an older mother is completely healthy, has had a healthy pregnancy and no conditions to be concerned about, she is no more high risk than a younger woman,” she adds.

The NHS also stresses that older pregnant women should not be “overly concerned”.

As Jovovich explained in her post there may also be more screening for certain risks.

“Many women who become pregnant in their late 30s and early 40s have perfectly healthy pregnancies and babies,” the NHS site reads.

Jovovich isn’t the only slightly older celebrity to open up about her pregnancy journey.

Anne Hathaway recently used her second pregnancy announcement to hint that her path to parenthood hadn’t been an easy one.

And Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia shared the happy news that she is pregnant with her first child at 44, while also opening about her journey to conception.