Forty and Pregnant

Marlene at 40 with M and E

If we consider our thoughts as prayers and saying them aloud as complete affirmation of our desires, we must be prepared when our prayers are answered.

 

When in my early 20’s, woman’s intuition told me that I would have a change of life baby, I expressed this thought to my husband. We had never forgotten it, so when after 22 years of marriage and 3 grown kids, we revisited the notion, we knew it was inevitable.

 

If we had one baby, it would certainly be two, which would make me 42 by the time the second one came around. People called us brave, some thought we were nuts, while others wished they could do the same.

 

I must admit that all of the negative statistics on women having babies later in life scared me. But I was healthy and knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. After all, life begins at 40 and as it turns out I wasn’t anywhere near the end of my child bearing years.

 

I pondered what it would be like being the older mom when in years past I had always been the younger one. Then I started looking at the faces of new mothers and realized I would fit in just fine. Many of them had put off motherhood to establish careers and were pushing 40 themselves. I’d be pushing 60 by the time these two were grown, but hey, I’d be 60 anyway.

 

Then there was the thought of the terrible two’s. Did I say terrible two’s? I mean terrible teens. I wondered how would I survive the bad attitudes a second time around. And all of those nights of staying awake to make sure everyone was safely inside had to be considered. But I hadn’t slept a full night in years anyway, so that didn’t hold much sway.

 

Experience told us the years fly by, they would be grown, and we would be missing them soon enough. With all of the little details out of the way, and the tug of maternal instinct calling me, I got pregnant. It was 1996 and it was the same year we went out west to search for a new home. “M” was born later that year and “E”, 13 ½ months after.

 

Over 40 and pregnant turned out to be a wonderful experience. The pregnancies were uneventful, my diet was better than ever, my hair darker and shinier. It was the first time I delivered naturally. No drugs, just relaxing meditative methods and deep focus.

 

I was encouraged by total strangers in grocery stores and shopping malls. Women past childbearing age would stop and tell me how lucky I was and how much they missed motherhood. They would do it again they said, and inspired me with their praise.

 

Our older kids moved on to lives of their own and with M & E we moved on to the Rockies.

 

As far as that change of life baby…hmmmm?

 

©12/11/08