One of Britain 's oldest ever naturally conceiving mothers says she has no regrets about keeping her baby . Debbie Hughes hit the headlines when she fell pregnant with son , Kyle , in 2010 when she was 53 . Now aged 57 , she says having a toddler is challenging but she would n't want her life to be any different . Scroll down for video . Debbie Hughes , 57 , pictured on today 's Lorraine said there are no downsides to being a mother in her fifties . 'He 's four in June , he 's a handful but he 's lovely , ' she said on today 's Lorraine . 'He 's younger than my two granddaughters who are five and six so he 's their uncle but they will grow up more like cousins . ' On how she copes as an older mother , Debbie , from Daventry , Northamptonshire , said : ' I act younger and feel younger , I keep myself trim . 'There 's no downside , to me it 's no different . I have been a mum since 1979 so I never had an empty nest . Just when I think they are growing up I 've had another one as I have massive age gaps between them all . It 's normal for me . ' The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that more women than ever are having babies later in life in order to focus on their education and careers . The statistics show that double the number of women are now having babies over the age of 35 than they were in 1990 , despite it being the time when fertility is said to plummet . The number of over-50s giving birth has more than doubled in the past five years , with three children every week in Britain born to a mother in this age group . Debbie told Lorraine Kelly she copes with her toddler by 'acting younger and keeping trim ' Kyle , pictured on today 's Lorraine , will turn four in June and his mother said he 's a handful but wonderful . Debbie , a jewellery assistant , said she had no plans to become a mother again when she fell pregnant at 53 with her then partner Paul Clarke , 47 , a heavy goods vehicle driver , as she had been on the Pill . At the time , she already had two sons Mark , 26 , and Brandon , 11 . She also had a daughter , Hayley , who died tragically just a week before her 18th birthday . Debbie is also grandmother to Mark 's daughters - Lydia , now five , and Nicole , now six . On falling pregnant , Debbie told Lorraine Kelly : 'It just happened , I started noticing weight around my tummy and couple of people pointed it out . ' I thought I ca n't be pregnant , not at my age . I got a test and then another one and another one - four in total ! 'When I went to my doctor he nearly fell off the chair ! But when I showed him the tests he said , `` well , you definitely are '' . Mother and son pictured after Kyle was born in June 2011 weighing 7lb 11oz . Despite being in her fifties , Debbie said the pregnancy was 'fine ' and she had no health concerns . She said : ' I did n't put on any surplus weight , I did n't feel tired . In some ways it was better than some of other pregnancies , I just got on with it . ' Debbie went into labour in June 2011 and gave birth naturally to Kyle at Northampton General Hospital , weighing 7lb 11oz . She said : ' I have no regrets at all , it 's wonderful and everyone has been supportive , Northampton hospital and my GP gave me loads of support . ' The ONS report on the rise of older mothers in Britain published last month said : 'Reasons for an increased number of women conceiving at ages 30 and above included increased participation in higher education ; increased female participation in the labour force ; the increasing importance of a career ; the rising opportunity costs of childbearing ; labour market uncertainty , housing factors and the instability of partnerships . ' Debbie pictured with baby Kyle and her grandchildren Lydia ( then aged two , now five ) and Nicole ( then three , now six ) who are older than their uncle . There were 14 pregnancies for every 1,000 women over 40 in 2012 , more than double the 1990 rate of 6.6 per cent . Births to mothers over 40 are now running at four times the levels of the 1980s . In an interview with the Daily Mail last year , Debbie admitted she does worry about Kyle 's future as a result of her having him so late in life . She said : 'Sometimes , when I watch Kyle play , my mind wanders and I worry about not living to see his 30s , but you just have to put those thoughts to the back of your mind . 'Whatever the difficulties , Kyle is a blessing . ' Debbie , pictured with Kyle as a toddler , said she has no regrets but she sometimes worries about his future .
Debbie Hughes from Daventry , Northamptonshire , fell pregnant at 53 . Natural conception was a complete surprise . Son Kyle was born in June 2011 . Now three , Debbie told Lorraine Kelly he 's ' a handful but lovely ' She said she has no regrets about becoming a mother again later in life . Had her first child in 1979 so she has 'never had an empty nest '