[Catjinks]

Seeing that on my paperwork made me feel super...that is very very old, and suddenly very very tired. Has sapped out all my energy and vitality and made me think that perhaps this was not a great idea at all to have no. 2 at my advanced years....

[natangel]

Hi OP,
If you don't mind me asking (for clarification purposes)

How "old" are you?
Are you pregnant? Contemplating pregnancy? The mother of a baby/toddler?
Or is it just something someone said to make you feel this way?

Medically speaking, older mothers are classified as being 35+ (which, relatively speaking, isn't that "old"). They even have a special name for women in this category, "elderly primagravida"! Now that does make one feel positively geriatric!

Pregnancy/parenthood is tiring at any age.

I am a 44 (nearly 45) year old mother of 2 girls aged 2.5 and 6 months.
Some days are very tiring, especially when compounded by lack of sleep, but it gets easier.

I would be interested to readyour story.

[gettheetoanunner...]

Picture these words instead:

Incredibly funky, spunky and vital.

Oozing with awareness, self-confidence and energy.

Paperwork and classifications be ****ed - they ahve't got a box big enough to contain us!

[michellew68]

I was 41 when I had DD. I just laughed off the hospital saying they would keep an extra eye on me because of my age.

I appreciated the extra attention. Think about it in a positive way.

[kuhla]

I'm 37 and I thought I'd be in a high risk category. The OB has made a note of my age but has totally downplayed it. She says as long as I've never been a smoker, my risks aren't heightened.

Im happy with that.

[RunDMC]

In the UK they kept referring to my friend as a 'Geriatric Mother' she is 40, she was not impressed.

[doubting thomas]

Yes my gp wrote in my referral to my ob that I was a geriatric mother. My ob laughed

[Catjinks]

Thank you all for the perspective I so desperately needed, and the laughs. I don't know that I could have bounced back from geriatric though....

I am 37 and the mother of a 3.5 year old. I had him at a youthful 33. I've had some pregnancy losses between then and now, and they have weighed on my energy and outlook as well. I am now nearly 13 weeks, so it looks as this one may have stuck. The AMA tag was on my nucal scan docs.

[cinnabubble]

Gosh, I had my second at 40. You're a spring chicken.

[Xiola]

I had my third at 37 and yes there was a lot of talk of my 'advanced maternal age'.....made me feel about 50!