Charlyne Ratté welcomes us into her home with her two-month-old “miracle” baby Margot in her arms. She looks happy. For her, motherhood at 48 is “extraordinary.
Charlyne and her partner decided to embark on the adventure of pregnancy again at the age of 38, a journey that was bumpy.
They had to undergo artificial insemination. They suffered many failures, but almost ten years after the trial began, Charlyne was able to announce a pregnancy to her relatives.
“Margot really was the last chance baby. It was the last attempt,” she explains.
A happy event for her family, but one that surprised many people. The co-owner of the Pneus Ratté company also had to face judgments.
“I think there are still a lot of taboos on this topic. “I personally have heard things that I wouldn’t even disclose, that I think are inappropriate,” she says.
She also doesn’t have good memories of her medical follow-up.
“I didn’t feel much support […] Support in general. Even at the medical level there is no support… In fact, there are many reservations. Instead of kindness, it’s a warning, that’s what I felt and experienced. So you have to be solid,” she says.
Charlyne is used to swimming against the tide in society and finding her place there. With his brother, they expanded their father’s tire and mechanic business. Pneus Ratté now has 23 service points.
She wants to once again pave the way for women, especially those who dream of having a child even after 40.
“I think that late pregnancy is not sufficiently appreciated,” says Charlyne Ratté.
She thinks that’s a shame because women are often more self-confident and in a more stable financial situation than in their twenties.
“I’m thinking about retiring when I’m 60, with Margot turning 12. She will have a mother at home, we will travel. We will do many activities. She has a mother who is not stressed. There are many advantages,” she emphasizes.