Baby #4 and the “Aging” Mom

I’m pregnant with my fourth child, and while I’m still young, {I will be 34.5 years old at delivery to be exact}, I am on the brink of “advanced maternal age”. When I first heard this, I literally said to my doctor WTF?!? He laughed and said, “You are lucky, you’ll deliver just in time!”

Seriously, 35 is “advanced” to be pregnant? I’m just a mom, who’s 34, on her 4th pregnancy. 

My mom recently told me, “You will feel it this time around. Your body is not 20 anymore. Trust me, it is going to be different.” How different could it be? But then I’ve realized, every pregnancy has been different!

AGE 20. My first pregnancy…easy peasy.

When I had my first I was 20. I swear I could run a marathon while I was pregnant with her. Everything was easy. I was tiny-wearing a regular size 8 instead of maternity clothes (I know, I know). I delivered her with no drugs and a catheter in (it happened too fast!) and I DO NOT recommend that to anyone.

AGE 22. My second pregnancy…sick as a dog.

His birth was rough! He was born sunny-side up (face up) and with the cord wrapped around his neck…twice. It was brutal AND it was at 8:21am Christmas morning. 

About 2 years after his birth, I ended up going through a terrible divorce and knew that my pregnancy days were done. Which was fine by me!

And then, I met (well, re-met) my husband. The kids were 4 and 6 back when Stephen and I decided to have a baby. 

AGE 30. My third pregnancy…nothing went as planned. 

It wasn’t a big deal until week 24 when I was put on bed rest {UGH}. My amniotic fluid was an issue, so I was tortured with bed rest. He was born via c-section because I stopped dilating at 7cm after 22 hours of labor. Not part of the plan..haha, who am I kidding. I don’t do “birth plans”. The only plan was NO c-section! {Side note- now that I have had one….NO BIG DEAL! I was freaked out for no reason.}

So now the 4^th at 34 years old.

For the most part, it has not been that bad this time around. But wow, let me tell you, week 32 sucks. I feel achy, I now have that pregnancy swag {a.k.a. the “waddle”}, heartburn is the new norm and sleep?! what’s that? 5 hours of sleep, max. Not happy about this. At all. 3am seems to be when “the baby with no name” wants to have a dance party. He literally is bouncing around in there from 3-4am. Every. Single. Day.

As my due date approaches, I am overwhelmed with thoughts. Is this what aging and being pregnant feels like? What are the next 7 weeks going to be like? Is this uncomfortable-ness going to get even worse? I sure hope not, but who am I kidding?! The last few weeks of pregnancy plain and flat out suck!

I am trying to be positive. But I know I am totally overdoing it on my feet every day. It is really hard during the holidays to be 30-something weeks pregnant and to ‘take it easy’. I don’t think “aging” and being pregnant is the problem – but then again what do I know?

Just like every baby and every child are different, we never have the same experience twice. Needless to say, 34 and pregnant is not “that” bad.

Any mamas out there that can weigh in on “advanced maternal age”?