Lorene Walters gave birth at 44
The 44-year-old mom, Lorene Walters of Keyport smiles often, especially when talking about her family.
With the addition of daughter Brooklynn Marie, she smiles even more.
She's just beautiful!
Walters says.
But Walters' love of family didn't stop her from feeling a bit nervous when first learning she was pregnant.
It wasn't the unplanned pregnancy that made her a tad anxious but her age: Walters is 44 years old.
I was scared at first because my son, Greg, is 21, and just the thought of starting over... sometimes I think of how old I'll be when she's 20.
Greg's first words to me were: Mom! What are you, crazy?
she says, then laughs.
Still, she and her fiance, Steve Rinck, 39, were thrilled.
Walters, a clerk for the state Motor Vehicle Commission, met Rinck, who is divorced, after her husband died of liver cancer. It was meant to be.
Starting over brings bliss and anxiety,
she says of the baby, whom they call Brooke.
Her extended family including Greg, her parents and grandparents, and Rinck's daughters, Stephanie, 15, and Tiffany, 12 - who couldn't wait for Brooke to be born.
Because of her age, Walters' doctor sent her to the Monmouth Medical Group in Long Branch doctors who specialize in high-risk pregnancies and maternal-fetal medicine and they monitored the baby's growth.
Knowing as an older woman she had a greater chance of having a Down syndrome baby, she had amniocentesis done.
I didn't want to go nine months, worrying.
She admits, too, that she was more tired during this pregnancy than during her pregnancy with Greg, something she attributes to her age.
Still, when it comes to older women getting pregnant, Walters says she'd advise it if they have a support system in place, like she does with her family.
This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on Asbury Park Press
Read more: Older and Pregnant
Originally posted on April 25, 2006.
Photo credit: Older and Pregnant | Asbury Park Press
All rights reserved
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
When You're Not Expecting:An Infertility Survival Guide
by Constance Hoenk Shapiro
-- Surviving the challenges of infertility
Often enduring years of heartache, couples with infertility number over 7.3 million. Enduring the daunting difficulties of treatment is something few women are prepared for.
Based on the personal stories of 200 women determined to overcome infertility, this surprisingly upbeat survivors' guide gives the kind of hard-won wisdom essential to making it through the process.
Not only does the book detail coping strategies, it also presents tips for strengthening stressed relationships and addresses the unique needs of single women and lesbians.
An essential guide for women and couples, friends and family, and health care providers and therapists, this book offers the solace and strength needed to prevail even after years of struggle.
Written by a therapist, consultant, and public speaker dedicated to the study of infertility and its emotional impact.
For any woman or couple who feel as if they're facing infertility alone, When You're Not Expecting is a must-have book.
Paperback: 272 pagesClick to order/for more info: When You're Not Expecting
Category: 44
0 comments