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| Lenora with Gabriel |
Name: Lenora
Profession: Legal
Assistant
“At the age of 36, Eric (age 25) and I were married on
August 29, 1998. He was 11 years younger. And yes, I was a cougar
before the term “cougar” was popular. Who knew I’d start a trend!” Lenora
InSeason Mom: Tell us about your conception and pregnancy.
Lenora: Two years
after Eric and I were married, we decided to start trying to get
pregnant. Because my cycles (ovulation) were never regular, I just
picked a point in the month we started trying. I got pregnant on the
first try (at the age of 38) and Isabella was born on January 31,
2001.
We decided to add to our family two years after Isabella was
born but was unsuccessful. I was able to get pregnant 5 times but all
ended in miscarriages. I could get pregnant but couldn’t stay
pregnant. I would lose the babies anywhere from 7-9 weeks.
One week I’d hear a heartbeat and the next, nothing.
After the fifth time, we decided that we were not going to try any more.
We felt that we were blessed with a very healthy baby and left it at that.
Fast forward 10 ½ years (January 12, 2011) and I find out
that I am pregnant AT THE AGE OF 49. I was in disbelief and actually
thought I was going through menopause. I think I was in denial at first
and my husband couldn’t believe it. When my doctor’s office suggested
that I go for a blood test to make sure I wasn’t pregnant, I laughed at them
and said it was not possible. They insisted and off I went. The
doctors called me the next day (January 12th – which is my birthday) and
confirmed that I was indeed pregnant. They said my numbers were very,
very high and that I needed to go to my doctor’s office immediately.
They ran a sonogram and it showed in fact a blip. That
blip was my baby. My doctor that said the chances of a woman my age, not
using fertility to get pregnant and not have multiples was nil. I was her
oldest non-fertility patient to get pregnant.
I thought that because of my age that I would be
considered “high risk.” But no, I was scheduled to see the doctor once a
month. For some reason this pregnancy was textbook. Everything was
perfect and all the tests were right on target. I had the best pregnancy
(as I did with my daughter years before). I felt great and looked great
too.
SUPPORT
InSeason Mom: How supportive were your doctors during your pregnancy?
Lenora: My doctor
and Holly, my sonogram tech, were very supported and almost as excited as my
husband and I were (once we got out of our denial stage) that we were having a
baby. I don’t think that I could have had more support from any other
doctor or practice. They were there 100% all the way until I delivered my
son, Gabriel.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
InSeason Mom: What was the reaction of friends and family when you told them about your pregnancy?
Lenora: My
husband is very helpful and a great dad. My family, particularly my
mother was in shock. She was very, very concerned about me because of my
age and her imagination was going crazy. I finally had to let her know
that I was healthy and that everything would be ok. She finally came
around. The rest of my family and extended family were very excited (and
shocked) but also worried about me.
My friends were equally excited and very happy. I
think that they were glad that it was happening to me and not them. They
were very much on board and, still to this day, suggest that we have another
baby so that Gabriel will have a sibling close in age. I told them that I
didn’t want to be 50 and pregnant. My friends are very helpful as well
and always there if I need their assistance.
LABOR AND DELIVERY
InSeason Mom: Did you take any
childbirth classes? Why or why not?
Lenora: I did not
take any childbirth classes. I figured I did it once and I remembered
what to do.
InSeason Mom: Where
did you give birth and what do you remember most about the birth experience?
Lenora: My
labor was a month early. Gabriel was due on August 23, 2011 but decided
to join the world on July 23, 2011. I think the reason for that was that
the week before (exactly to the day/hour) we were on a family vacation in the
Outer Banks. We decided to all to Kitty Hawk
to see the Wright Brothers Memorial and infamous Sand Dunes. At 8 months
pregnant, I climbed two of the huge Sand Dunes. I couldn’t make the
third. I was getting very hot and tired. I think that I
“pre-heated” the oven and that’s why Gabriel arrived a month early.
That’s just my thought anyway.
My water broke (it never broke when I had my daughter)
at around 4:30 a.m. and I shot out of bed like a bullet. My husband
usually leaves for work at 4:00 a.m. but this particular day he was going into
work later. I called my doctor’s office and she said to get to the
hospital. I arrived at Women and Infants (Providence , RI
They signed me in and sent us up to the labor/delivery
room. By the time I got to the room it was around 7:15/7:30 a.m. I
was just watching TV with my husband. My contractions were there but
really weren’t affecting me. My contractions stayed the same until about
12:30 p.m. They became stronger but I was still able to manage through
them. I was on Facebook and texting family and friends about what was
going on.
At 1:30, the doctor/nurses wanted to know if I wanted an
epidural. I had decided to get one but wanted to wait a little
longer. Around 2:00 the contractions were getting stronger but I was
still able to deal with them. I decided that this was a good time to get
the epidural because if the contractions got too intense I wouldn’t be able to
be still for the anesthesiologist.
I had the epidural at 2:30 and Gabriel
was born at 3:42 p.m. on July 23, 2011. He came into the world at 4 pounds
1 ounce. He was perfectly healthy, breathing on his own and eating.
Because of his weight they wanted to keep him in the NICU for a while. He
proved that he was able to continue to breathe on his own, sleep in a crib in
the open environment and gain weight. After a week, he left the hospital
weighing 4 pounds 5 ounces.
My post-delivery was perfect. I felt good and
was up and walking around on the second day. I visited the NICU every day
from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. so that I could visit and feed Gabriel. My
husband would stop by the hospital on his way home from work (around 9:30 p.m.)
and do the night feeding.
I AM MOM
InSeason Mom: What concerns do you have about being an older mom and how do you overcome your concerns?
What concerns me about being a mom (again) at the age of 49
is that I hope to be around for a very long time to see him grow up, graduate
and get married and have children. Other than that I really don’t have
any major concerns. Yes, I’m older but I think that I know more and don’t
let the little stuff bother me. I also have my daughter, Isabella, who is
a very big help and loves her brother very much. I just take everything
in stride. Of course there are days where I don’t know which way I’m
going but I figure “that’s life” and deal with it.
InSeasonMom: What do
you enjoy about being an older mom and how has it changed you?
Lenora: What
I enjoy about being an older mom is that I get to do it all over again.
Yes, that sounds like I should be running for the hills but I loved when my
daughter was born and watched her grow up.
I think that I can multi-task even more as an older
mom. I also think that having an infant will keep you young or, at least,
on your toes.
As I work full time, my day is long and exhausting but very
much worth it. I can’t wait to get home and see my kids.
InSeasonMom: What advice do you
have for women considering motherhood after 35?
Lenora: I say go
for it. As long as you are healthy and you have no underlying health
factors and up for the biggest (but worthwhile) challenge, your life will only
better. There are many people who will voice their concerns about what
can go wrong if you are pregnant over 35. But think of the reward if you
do find yourself pregnant. You will have this baby that was created out
of love and what better reward is that. Today, being pregnant over 35,
and even over 45, is no reason to be alarmed. With all the modern medical
advancement we have, there is no reason not to have a child.