And then the baby gave me a few jabs for the very first time! A sensation that never gets old. It was during these little kicks that the doctor pointed my attention to a brochure in the back of my pregnancy binder. She kindly said, "now this will be new to you, but you are now considered a geriatric mother." (record player screeches to a stop.)
"Geriatric Mother? That's a thing?!!" I said. "I just watched Bridget Jones' Baby and laughed at that writing when her doctor told her she as a geriatric mother...but that's the real term?!! Geriatric?!!" I kept laughing as my doctor walked me through the brochure. (Which I am now realizing I paid no attention to. I'll go dig that brochure out next...)
Now I know I'm 35. And I know I'll be 36 when baby is born. But can we not come up with a more fitting name? Because I have worked in geriatric care for years and loved it. But I don't need a clothing protector at meals or bathing assistance or my meals pureed.
I think the meeting where it was decided to call 35 year old mothers geriatric had just gone too late and everyone wanted to get home and it was the last thing on the agenda and so they took a quick vote so they could get home to catch Doogie Howser.
Geriatric Mother. Ha!
4 comments:
Isn't that just the worst term? Though, to be fair, towards the end of your pregnancy you might need some Depends. :) But still, come on! It was a term, I think that was thought up when everyone was having their babies by the age of 25. Don't buy the walker just yet!
I have heard of Advanced Maternal Age, but not Geriatric Mother.....
I am totally with you on this one. From one geriatrics pregnancy mom to another. We have got this but they should at least give us title that make sense, like brave and wise pregnancy or once around the block pregnancy... basically anything but geriatric.
When I had Presley at age 35, it was referred to as "advanced maternal age," AMA for short. I think I prefer that to "geriatric mother"! :)
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