I had my second ultrasound yesterday. We saw and heard the heartbeat. There was some sense of relief (my 1st pregnancy ended in a blighted ovum), but we continue to feel cautious as it’s still early (6w2d).
I’m 37 (turning 38 next month) and accept that I’m considered high risk due to being older and diabetic. I always receive a printed visit summary from my OB. In the diagnosis section, there was an additional line that noted:
659.53 Elderly primigravida, antepartum
I couldn’t help but laugh. I definitely don’t feel elderly by any stretch of my imagination, but in the eyes of the medical community, I’m a granny expecting my 1st baby. I’ll wear that label proudly if it means I can birth this little bean growing inside of me.
Pregnancy is nothing if not humbling. You will have crazy things said to you through your pregnancy, especially if you have type 1 and if you’re over 35. It doesn’t really matter what people think. You are not a statistic. You are a person who is going to have a healthy pregnancy and be a mom to a beautiful new person in the near future.
In my expectant moms exercise class most of the moms were between 35 - 40 and having their first child. All of the babies and moms were completely healthy. I know there are higher risks for downs syndrome and pregnancy complications, but with any pregnancy you just have to trust that you’ll handle whatever comes your way and love the child you are blessed with.
The truth of being an older parent is you have to work harder to take care of yourself. The baby weight doesn’t just melt off in your late 30’s like it does for a mom in her early 20’s. When you’re 20 you do better on less sleep and you’re quicker to jump up from the floor after playing with your baby. But as an older mom I am a more settled person. I eat better, drive more carefully and had great health benefits and a ton of vacation time at work to use for maternity leave. More importantly, I know that I appreciate my child so much more than I would have in my younger days. I already have a sense of how quickly life goes by and my priorities are straight.