Gabrielle Union talks pressure to get pregnant at 42
The
42 year old who has been married twice but has no children opened up
about the pressures of getting pregnant in the new issue of Redbook
magazine. On IVF and the pressures of trying for a family later in life,
Gabrielle said
"So far, it has not happened for us. A lot of my friends deal with
this. There's a certain amount of shame that is placed on women who have
perhaps chosen a career over starting a family younger. The penance for
being a career woman is barrenness. You feel like you're wearing a
scarlet letter."
On the weird thing about being married to a younger man...
"I realized his friends, his teammates, were conceived when I was,
like, a senior in high school. I was in high school at the same time as
their parents! Sometimes he'll be like, 'Oh, my God, he's so old!' about
someone who's 35. But, Dwyane's an old 33, and I'm a young 42, so it
balances out."
On how hard it is for working women with children...
"The
reality is that women are discriminated against in the workplace for
being mothers. As much as there are strides being made – you get
pregnant, your career takes a hit. You can't have a bad day. Don't you
dare cry at work. Don't raise your voice. Especially if you're a black
woman in corporate America—now you're 'the angry black woman.'"