Ever heard the term "Advanced Maternal Age"?

People who are pregnant at age 35 or older are often referred to as “advanced maternal age.” They may be told that they should have a labor induction or C-section at 39 weeks, solely because of their age.

Very early in this pregnancy I began hearing term "Advanced Maternal Age"... Huh? I thought... I'm not old! I'm only 35! Well medically, I am "up there" in the world of childbearing. A few procedures were a bit different because I was age 35 this pregnancy, but not all bad. In my previous pregnancies, I had to wait until later in the pregnancy to test for possible birth defects (such as down syndrome), as well as gender testing via ultrasound. Well, to my surprise this term I hated so much came with some pretty cool benefits.

At just 10 weeks, a blood test called "Harmony" was done to check for possible birth defects, as well as the sex of the baby. I had my blood drawn on a Thursday, and the following Friday I had my results. No signs of any birth defects, and I was having a baby girl! All great news! Guess this wasn't so bad after all...

Oh and by the way, yes I was advised that I would be induced at 39 weeks (solely because of my advanced maternal age)...

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