Hear Savannah Miller talk about her fourth pregnancy with Chioma Nnadi on the latest episode of The Run-Through:

My life has taken a lot of unexpected turns over the years—working for Alexander McQueen in the 2000s, launching Twenty8Twelve with my sister Sienna at London Fashion Week, and wearing my own bridal collection to the Met Gala. But being pregnant at 47 is still the most surprising twist by far. I know how lucky I am to already have three children—21-year-old Moses, 18-year-old Lyra, and 14-year-old Bali—but this past year has still been a learning experience. Having a baby in your 40s is completely different, in both the most obvious and the most meaningful ways.

I’m not due until late August, but I’ve felt nine months pregnant since spring. This time, I got much bigger much earlier. During my earlier pregnancies, I barely changed my wardrobe: my stomach muscles hid the bump until the sixth month each time. Now I’m living in maternity jeans with elastic waistbands, which are perfect for my non-negotiable twice-daily naps. Even Sienna gave in to stretch fabrics while carrying her third child this year. As my very stylish 14-year-old niece Marlowe said to us both recently, “Guys, I just can’t with these clothes.” She had a point. Honestly, I thought I’d left the trimester-counting, nursery-decorating stage of my life behind more than a decade ago. For a long time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go back to the beginning again—especially while dealing with the brain fog, identity shifts, and everything else that comes with perimenopause. Could I really handle newborn exhaustion again? What about potty training? And nursery germs? (Oh, the nursery germs.)

For ten straight years, from my mid-20s to mid-30s, I was either pregnant or breastfeeding—a magical time in hindsight, but exhausting. I met my first husband very young, right in the middle of my degree at Central Saint Martins, and found out I was pregnant with Moses on the day of my 2004 graduation. Luckily, at 26, I had the energy to push through nausea and tiredness while dreaming up Twenty8Twelve at my kitchen table, covering moodboards with all kinds of inspiration, from Dickensian London to wardrobe ideas from Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. I managed a good 18 months with Moses before things really took off. Once the label was moving forward and Lyra was on the way—I was 28—I felt like I was on a (very fun) runaway train.

This was the #girlboss era, and when Lyra arrived, after six weeks of maternity leave, I just strapped her to my chest and went back to work. I regret that now, because I feel like I missed out on soaking up that precious baby time. Doing night feeds while emailing Sienna about military jackets was probably not the best idea in hindsight. I was young and hungry for success. I loved my work, but it was hard to have the perspective that comes with maturity—to really cherish what matters most.

Miller photographed at home in Gloucestershire with her daughters, Bali and Lyra. Miller wears a Stella McCartney patchwork denim jacket, Levi’s jeans, Tom Wood earrings, and her own necklaces. Bali and Lyra each wear jersey tops from Flore Flore, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Le Monde Beryl shoes, and Tom Wood jewelry.
Photographed by Siân Davey, British Vogue, August 2026.

By the time I was pregnant with Bali at 32, things were heading in a different direction for us. Sienna’s acting career was really taking off, and juggling three kids under six at home—one of whom really didn’t sleep—was just too much. It sucked the fun out of everything. Taking a step back from work to spend a year in Panama was a wild solution, but it showed me depths of resilience I didn’t know I had.

When my husband and I separated just before my 40th birthday in 2018, I had already started to feel that I needed to take… far less. I had always carried the domestic load in our home on top of my career: mentally keeping track of how many cotton buds were left in the bathroom cabinet and what school kit was needed for the next day, being the tooth-brushing monitor one minute and the tooth fairy the next. With my youngest out of the early years phase, I could see a light at the end of the tunnel and began to dream about what I’d do with my freedom.

Until I turned up at my friend Sarah’s house for a party in the summer of 2019 and found her brother Jim standing in her Cotswolds garden—I kid you not—under a rainbow. We’d heard about each other’s divorces from Sarah, but I’d only been separated for six months at that point, and the thought of meeting someone else hadn’t even crossed my mind. Nobody was more shocked than me when the two of us got into the rosé and the rest of the world melted away as we got completely wrapped up in each other’s conversation. When he kissed me goodnight, I literally sprinted away across the lawn, Cinderella-style, stunned by what had just happened. (It’s only later that he admitted he’d had his sights set on me since glimpsing me and my sister dancing at a festival 22 years ago.) He saw my name on the party WhatsApp group and, despite having a load of friends staying that weekend, he raced down from Wyresdale Park, his family estate in Lancashire, where we now run a beautiful wedding venue together. And all along I thought it was me who had been the one enraptured!

Within 18 months, Jim had become not just my partner but a vital part of our family, taking to stepfatherhood like a natural. He’d always dreamt of having children of his own, but for various reasons it had never happened, and the longer I spent with him, the more that seemed unfair. He’s the most deserving dad there ever was. I remember, quite early on, he joined Moses, Lyra, Bali and me for a family trip to Cornwall. As I watched him lugging the kids’ boogie boards, wetsuits, and God-knows-what-else back from the beach, I felt a pang of guilt and said, “I’m so sorry, Jim. I’m sure this is hardly your idea of a holiday!” He laid down the bags, gently put his hands on either side of my face and replied, “What are you sorry for? I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.” Even before our magical wedding in 2022—Moses giving me away in a golden Chantilly-lace gown that I designed, Jim waiting for me in an Anglo-Saxon church by the River Thames—we’d started to discuss the possibility of having a baby, with Jim telling me that he would accept my choice as final either way.

It was Sienna who made me realize that I could handle it. My sister’s attitude to life, and motherhood, is always to refuse to be defined by outdated patriarchal rules and societal expectations. She’s a firm believer, and quite rightly, that commentary on age only seems to apply to women, and unfairly so. It was seeing her with her newborn in 2024 that made me think, “Hang on, maybe I actually could do this again…” The longer I spent with my magical little niece, the more I realized how much I had changed since having Moses all those years ago. In my 20s and 30s, I had so much to prove to the world—and to myself; every day felt like a race that could never be won. Now, when I’m with Sienna’s younger daughter, I feel a lot more present. All of my urgency has been replaced by a sense of how quickly the years pass, no matter how long each day feels. If my niece is splashing in a puddle, instead of worrying about the dirty laundry or fretting about looming deadlines, my attitude is, “Let’s spend an hour in this puddle.” I have more awareness of the speed at which it all passes and want to soak up that wonder and innocence for as much time as I can.

For so long I thought that having another baby in my 40s would mean beginning the motherhood journey all over again—but actually, I realized, I’d be starting from a completely different place.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Savannah Millers story written in a natural conversational tone with clear direct answers

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 Who is Savannah Miller and why is her pregnancy a big deal
Savannah Miller is a fashion designer Her pregnancy is considered a big deal because she got pregnant naturally at age 47 which is very rare and often seen as a medical surprise

2 Did she use IVF or any fertility treatments
No According to her interviews the pregnancy happened completely naturally without any IVF or fertility drugs Thats the surprising twist of the story

3 How did she react when she found out she was pregnant
She said she was in total shock She didnt believe it at first and took multiple tests She described it as feeling both surreal and terrifying but ultimately joyful

4 Is it safe to have a baby at 47
It is considered a highrisk pregnancy Doctors monitor closely for conditions like high blood pressure gestational diabetes and chromosomal issues However with excellent medical care many women have healthy babies at this age

5 Did she have any health issues during the pregnancy
She has been open about the pregnancy being physically tough but she hasnt shared specific medical complications She focused on staying calm and listening to her body

6 How did her other children react
Savannah already has two older children She said they were surprised but excited and they have been very supportive and helpful

Advanced Deeper Questions

7 What are the actual odds of getting pregnant naturally at 47
The odds are extremely lowless than 5 per cycle By age 4549 natural conception is very rare due to the decline in egg quantity and quality Her case is statistically unusual

8 What does this story tell us about perimenopause and fertility
It highlights that perimenopause can be unpredictable Some women still ovulate sporadically even when they think theyre near menopause Its a reminder that irregular cycles dont always mean zero fertility

9 Did she face any judgment or criticism for being an older mom
Yes She mentioned that people questioned her decision worried about her energy levels or assumed