Hoda Kotb shared a deeply personal confession about her fears of being an older mom to her two daughters Haley, five, and Hope, three.
The Today show star, 57 – who adopted her kids with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman – revealed her worries about not being around long enough to see her children grow up as she admitted she often wonders "how much time" she has left with them.
WATCH: Inside Hoda Kotb's family life
"One of the scary parts about being an older mom is wondering how much time you have. That is a big thought and worry," she told her co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, this week. "You do the math a lot and that's something I don't like doing because it's scary."
Hoda did admit that a recent visit from her own mother, Sameha Kotb, left her feeling somewhat hopeful, explaining: "My mom came to visit me and I looked at her and I said, 'At least 30 years more. At least.'
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"That's 35 for Haley. That's 33 for Hope," she added, getting emotional. "But that makes me feel very full."
Hoda became emotional while sharing her fears
Weighing up the pros and cons of her late arrival to motherhood, Hoda said: "As an older mom, I think there are a lot of other beautiful parts and challenges too. I see all the good parts about being an older mom.
"Like, I'm in my own skin, I know who I am, I've got much more patience and love and all that stuff. But along with that also comes the fact that you're an older mother.
"You can't help it — sometimes people will come up and say, 'Wait, you're their mother?' And it gives you this pause for a second. And your kids look around like, 'Huh? What are you talking about?' It's a tough thing to do."
Hoda shares her adopted children with ex-fiance Joel Schiffman
Hoda added: "I remember thinking, 'Why does that bother me? I'm not embarrassed to be [my age]. I'm happy I'm my age. It's the perfect storm of my life. Two kids, this time, this job.
"Someone was saying, 'It gets greatest later' — it does get greater later, but in between, there are these moments that you feel an ouch."
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