So, we’ve replaced the term “geriatric pregnancy” with “advanced maternal age,” but guess what? The old label is back in style. Having had my first child at 38 and my second at 40, I’m well acquainted with the term “advanced maternal age.” Let me tell you, it didn’t exactly ease my pregnancy anxiety. Sure, both my pregnancies went smoothly, and my kiddos are thriving, but the constant barrage of potential complications for deciding to have kids later in life? Yeah, that added a layer of stress I could have done without.
Now, it seems like the medical community decided that “advanced maternal age” wasn’t quite enough to convey how ancient a woman’s uterus is when she’s pregnant. Enter “geriatric pregnancy.” Yes, you heard that right! It sounds like something out of a medical horror film, doesn’t it? I mean, we might as well be talking about a mummy’s tomb down there.
“Geriatric Pregnancy”—what a charming term! It’s a shame they left out the “motherf*cking,” which I feel should be a mandatory part of the title. This label, apparently, was the go-to for pregnancies after 35 for years, but doctors shifted to “advanced maternal age” after realizing that calling women “geriatric” made them feel, oh, I don’t know—like complete wrecks? But now, it appears the medical world has tuned into the fact that women’s mental health isn’t exactly a top priority, so they’ve dusted off “geriatric” and brought it back.
Let’s talk about the term “Elderly Multigravida.” If I saw that on my medical file, I’d assume I was not only ancient but also suffering from some serious, life-threatening condition. Nope! It just means you’re expecting your second child at 35 or older. Hilarious, right? I mean, what kind of twisted humor is this?
In most contexts, “geriatric” refers to people over 65. So who thought it would be a good idea to apply that label to women in their mid-thirties? Clearly, someone who’s never been pregnant. Terminology matters, especially when hormones are raging and anxiety is at an all-time high. There’s no way a woman who’s experienced pregnancy would have come up with this nonsense.
The truth is, more women are becoming “advanced maternal age,” and many are enjoying perfectly healthy pregnancies. The outdated studies that classify pregnancies over 35 as “high risk” are just that—outdated. Last year, over half a million babies were born to women aged 35-39 and more than 111,000 to those aged 40-44. Yes, risks can increase with age, but so does wisdom, right? No need to freak out expectant mothers with labels that belong in a museum.
Dr. Lisa Bennett, a caring ob/gyn, shared her thoughts: “I avoid using the term ‘high risk.’ When you label someone as ‘high risk,’ it sets a negative precedent. We should be informative without using terms that could be seen as derogatory.” Exactly! Let’s stop labeling women in their 30s who are having healthy pregnancies as “old” and stressing them out unnecessarily, okay?
For more insights on this topic, check out this post on home insemination. And if you want to explore more about the tools available for home insemination, visit Cryobaby’s page. If you’re looking for professional guidance on pregnancy, Hopkins Medicine offers excellent resources.
In summary, the term “geriatric pregnancy” is making a resurgence, despite its negative connotations. Women in their 30s and older are having healthy pregnancies, and we should ditch the outdated and alarming terminology for something more supportive. Let’s focus on empowering women and celebrating their choices instead of labeling them with archaic terms.