I swear it took a full ten days, if not more, for the social service agency to call me. I was starting to think they would not call, but they did, or rather, she did. The foster-parent recruiter or something like that left me a message. I waited one full day (gulp) before I called her back. It was Friday. I was calling her cell phone number, but she was not working. She was, however, in the shower. This was not going well, I fretted.
by Barbara Hannah Grufferman
Full disclosure: I am an older mother. My first daughter was born when I was almost 38, and my youngest entered the world three days before my 41st birthday. Even though I’m 54 and going through the tumultuous teenage years, I wouldn’t have it any other way. […]
by Valerie Gillies
I was probably the only person alive who wasn’t aware that October 18th is World Menopause Day. World. Can you imagine?
It took me back a bit. Who on earth would have thought this was something to commemorate? What am I missing? I suppose it could be the contribution hot flashes make to global warming, the hormonal swings, perhaps the amazing determination the female body can show in hanging onto every single calorie it ingests and instantaneously storing it as fat on what used to be a waistline. But no, although those features of ‘the change’ are truly awe inspiring, I will take it that it is about finally saying goodbye to a not so wanted friend, that sweet feeling of relief upon closing the door after a houseguest has overstayed her welcome. […]
by Cynthia Wilson James
Seldom does a month go by that I don’t talk to a woman who hasn’t tormented herself for not being able to get pregnant over 35 or 40. The reasons vary, but the popular ones are not marrying the right man, marrying too late, not paying attention to her biological clock and paying too much attention to her career-oriented. […]
by Karen Hug-Nagy
The phone call sounded something like this, ” Hello, Karen, I have your blood test results, but first I want to wish you a Happy Birthday, ” said the nurse. “So here’s the news, you are officially in menopause!” Yikes, here I am in front of the local grocery store listening to the news, while people are walking by pushing grocery carts. I felt relieved in some ways, and ready to get on with the next stage of my life. […]
The worldwide response to this:
Has, in part, been this:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/10399389/older-mums-can-be-better-parents-say-doctors/
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/10/05/283721_news.html
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/10/04/3332223.htm?site=perth
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/a-new-kind-of-motherhood-statement/468702
http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2011/09/28/how-old-is-too-old-to-have-kids/
http://sharon.patch.com/articles/she-relates-to-nicole-kidman-halle-berry-and-madonna
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/baltimoremomblog/2011/10/too_old_to_be_pregnant.html
Talk (and write) on…
Melanie Notkin
Nearly 46 percent of American women through age 44 are childless. That’s up from 35 percent in 1976.
All reasons this generation of women are not bearing children at the same rate their mothers did are valid. Some are young women and just not at a point in their lives where motherhood is a choice they’d like to make. Some are ‘fence-sitters,’ not sure about whether or not they want children. Some are childfree by choice. Some are gay and need to take a potentially longer and less traditional route to motherhood. Some are suffering from biological infertility. And some, like me, are what I call “circumstantially infertile.” […]
by Peg O'Neill
I love autumn: the cool and clean of the air, the turning of the leaves, the pumpkins, the mums, the start of the school year, with new shiny notebooks and clean backpacks and the opportunity to get up every morning and pack lunches for school…obviously, I’m kidding about this last one, but everything else is true. Autumn is also the time where a lot of mothers get their groove back with respect to exercising. Over the past few weeks, I have heard numerous moms on the playground after school or who are bringing their kids into my office for check-ups, talk about their own plans for exercise this fall. […]
At this time of year, I am filled with a sadness that the end of summer brings, the anticipation and hope for the coming fall, and a sense of introspection that the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashonah – offers. For many Jews, this holiday (which begins tomorrow tonight) is intended to provide an intense reflection of the past year – self-examination and sincere repentance for past transgressions and harmful motivations, forgiveness and acceptance, and the chance to make things “right” – in this case, for our fate to be sealed in the Book of Life. […]
by Vivian Diller Ph.D
Although originally used by psychologists to describe a transitional stage in adult development, today the midlife crisis is often associated with the guy in his 40s who finds a young girlfriend and runs off in his new sports car; or the woman, about the same age, who reinvents herself, buys a new wardrobe — and sometimes buys a new face. Is it a myth? An excuse for impulsive, bad behavior and unrealistic transformations? Or is it a reality in need of a new name, given recent changes in contemporary culture? […]