I'm not suggesting for a minute that you settle for the first half-decent man who comes along - every woman has the right to hold out for Mr Right - but you may find that really addressing your feelings about having a family means the man you thought was Mr Right comes in a different form.

How many of those forty-something celebrities, staring out from the covers of magazines with their beautiful babies, have conceived naturally, or without assistance? Not as many as you might think I would wager - yet for so many women they act as fertility beacons, a symbol of hope in a landscape of diminishing fertility.

I look at my gorgeous girl and boy, with their incredible zest for life, and I count my undoubted blessings. But there's no question about it: I wish I'd started my family sooner. Much much sooner.

Kate Garraway Quotes