Becoming an Older Mom
It’s worth the wait!

By Cheryl Carr

I’m 43 and just celebrated my son’s first birthday. I never thought I’d be saying that at this age, but how sweet it is. He was well worth the wait, and knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t change a thing.

It’s common for women to plan their lives out, and when it doesn’t go according to plan, believe all is lost. Was I the little girl that dreamt of baby carriages? No, but I definitely didn’t think that I wouldn’t have children by the time I was in my mid-30s. But that’s exactly what happened.

I met my husband Greg when I was 38, and we married within 10 months. We discussed children while dating, and were committed to making that happen, naturally or through adoption, despite my years of fast-growing, invasive fibroids, resulting in several surgeries. Because of my age and my health issues, I was told that any pregnancy would be considered high-risk. But at the age of 41, our prayers were answered — I was pregnant! The prospect of having a healthy baby was the happiest confirmation of an answered prayer I’d ever received.

On December 1 at 7:19 a.m., our little boy Gregory —whom we call “bright eyes,” “heartbeat,” and “mama’s baby” — was born. He came out screaming as babies do, but when he heard his dad’s voice (which is along the lines of the heaviest, deepest, Barry White voice you’ve ever heard) he immediately turned his head in his daddy’s direction and stopped crying. Their father and son bond solidified immediately.

For me, it was love at first sound because I couldn’t see him like I wanted until I was in recovery. It was there that they placed him on top of me where I could see, smell, and kiss him. He was six pounds and one ounce of the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen. I kept saying to myself, “Is this my baby? Is this my baby?” Nothing could have prepared me for that moment.

He stared at me as if to say, “Hi Mommy, nice to meet you!” And I’m thankful beyond words that he was perfectly healthy.

Today, I constantly tell Gregory that he is the best baby in the world and that all those other moms got cheated. I know all mothers feel that way about their babies, and it feels good to be in the club. Becoming a mother has taught me the art of patience in a way I’ve never known. It’s a different perspective on how I live my life and a true testament of faith — not to mention the ability to get by on a few hours of interrupted sleep.

So, my advice for anyone who’d like to have children is don’t lose faith. Whether it’s by childbirth, foster care, or adoption, I believe it’s worth all the waiting — even if it is at the ripe old age of forty-something.
About the Author: Cheryl Carr is Manager of Marketing and Donor Relations for Kedplasma, LLC, which transforms donated plasma into life-enhancing medicines that prevent many rare and debilitating diseases and conditions in newborns. Somerset Laboratories, a subsidiary of Kedplasma in Williamsville, NY, collects Anti-D plasma for lifesaving therapies. Each donor can save 40 babies. Learn how you can donate plasma at https://www.kedplasma.us/somerset-laboratories.