I am 43 years old and almost 16 weeks pregnant. I always wanted another child but quite honestly after reaching the age of 40 I pretty much resigned myself to the thought that it wasn’t going to happen. Also, at the beginning of being 42 I was a divorced, single Mom with no prospects in the near future. Quite honestly, after the high-conflict post divorce I swore to myself that “I would NEVER get married again”. I remember a good friend in early spring of 2016 asking me if I would ever considering marrying and I immediately said a big, bold “NO!”
Fast forward 6 weeks and BAM…it happened… a wonderful man I met at church. AMAZING! WHIRLWIND! LOVE! In a snap I was married..so in love and so happy. We both realized that there was a slim chance of getting pregnant and really didn’t give any thought to contraception.
As many 40+ years, menstrual cycles are often irregular but this time I was beyond several days late and took a pregnancy test….and it was POSITIVE! SHOCKED. SCARED. HAPPY. MIXED EMOTIONS!
My oldest child is now 19 years old and I had her in my early 20’s. Wow… having a baby in my 40’s is sure to be much different…and so far the pregnancy is…but I have discovered there are some awesome positives in having a baby later in life:
Better Financial Security– Simply put…I am much better with financial matters now than I was in my 20’s. I’ve been through up’s and down’s but now have a concrete outlook on finances and budgeting.
More Relaxed Parenting Style– More children = more experience. I remember the extreme anxiety that I had with my first child. Now that I have already had 3 children I feel I can be a lot calmer as a parent.
More Quality Time– I will have more quality time with my new baby and don’t have to focus on a full-time career. This reduces a lot of stress.
Greater Emotional Stability– Lets put it out there- we all have our own personal/emotional issues. I know that I have grown to understand myself better over the years and have a better concept of healthy emotional living than what I did when I was in my 20’s.
Confidence of Being A Good Mom– I am a good Mom and I know that. I am not perfect but I believe one of my greatest achievements in life is being a parent. I am a proud Mom!
If you are of Advanced Maternal Age I give you a round of applause! There are certainly disadvantages of being pregnant when older but quite honestly I can strongly say that the positives certainly out-weigh any disadvantages.
Happy Parenting! You’ll be one GOOD MOM!!