Rocky star Brigitte Nielson says parenting a young child in her 60s is easier than she could have imagined. 

Nielson, now 60, is a mother of six, five sons and one daughter. The actress had her first son when she was 21 and her last when she was 30. 

After she and her second husband, Mattia Dessi, married in 2006, the couple decided to have a child together. 

Following that decision, Nielson embarked on 13 years of IVF. During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, she shared that her doctor only gave her a “two and a half percent chance of getting pregnant” despite being in her early 40s. She ended up getting her dream at 55. 

Carrying a high-risk pregnancy was initially worrisome for Brigitte Nielson, but in retrospect, she realizes the nine months flew by with complete ease. “It was the easiest pregnancy I ever had,” she admitted. “Maybe because I had done it four times before, and my priorities had shifted. It was a deep, deep desire within me and a choice.”

People Told Brigitte Nielson She Was ‘Too Old’ to Have a Baby at 55

However, friends, fans, and strangers had opinions on her decision to have another child in her mid-50s. People judged her and warned that she’d never have the energy to live through another infancy. 

“Half the world was saying that when I got pregnant at 55 — including my four older sons,” she continued. “But first of all, there’s no such thing as ‘too old. We don’t say that to men who have children in their 60s, 70s, even 80s! Look at Robert De Niro. He’s 79, and he has a 7-month-old.”

Brigitte Nielson is now 60 with a five-year-old at home. Today, she counters the naysayers. She believes that her age actually makes her a better mother. 

“You know how kids say grandmothers are the best? I feel like I have that mindset and emotion. I have the patience and that extra bit of love to give now,” she shared. “And I think it’s because I’m a grandmother’s age.”

Nielson reflected on her first experiences with parenting while she was at the peak of her career. She shared that it was difficult “juggling being a single mom” with traveling and filming. She said that she’s not as exhausted this time around since she can be a full-time mom, as well. 

The star also believes she had more time to prepare for motherhood the second time around. She and Dessi retired to Marbella, Spain, while they were trying to conceive. Nielson also gave up drinking and smoking during that time and now feels healthier and more balanced. 

With all things considered, Nielson thinks a bit of kismet and perfection went into her pregnancy. 

“With Frida, I could have been pregnant for another year,” she noted. “When I finally gave birth, it was all so easy and brilliant.”