Where Is My Brain? – by Lisa Kelly

There are so many differences between being pregnant at 45 and 25.  The one that rears its ugly head the most has to do with my head.  Where the heck is it??  I forget literally everything.  I am not kidding when I tell you I have to make a conscious effort every day to not grab my flat iron by the ceramic plates. I know they are hot but I forget.   I will think I’ve done a great job with my prenatal vitamins then realize I have 7 too many when it should be refill time.  I go outside to water the dog and find myself wondering “Why do I have a bucket of water?”….  OH!!!  The dog!!!!  I have to write post-it notes for myself to remind me of homework assignments I need to submit as well as set reminders on my phone.

It sounds like I’m exaggerating but I assure you I am not.   A guy at work says it’s cute, this fog I’m in.  He likes how I stare off into space when asked a question.  I’m glad someone is amused.  I have been told by the doctor that this is normal and can be typical in all pregnancies, not just the “geriatric” ones.  I’m still confused on that too.  What makes me geriatric?  I’m passing every milestone as if I’m 20.  I’m in good health, pass every test they give me, blood pressure stays nice and low and with three months left I still have 20 pounds to go before I hit the maximum allowed weight.  A week from today I find out if I am cleared to travel home to Iowa via a ten hour car ride.   The “high risk” paperwork they gave me says not to travel more than 300 miles from the baby doc after week 25.  I’m week 27 and will be week 30 before my planned trip that will carry me almost 500 miles from her.  I’m trying not to gear up for a fight but I’m afraid there will be one if she tells me no.  Outside of the memory lapses and occasional muscle spasms in my belly,  I feel great.  I’m on par with my 32 year old friend who is only three days behind me in this incubator job.  She just got back from a cruise to the Caribbean.  I don’t like that they change the rules for older moms who are often in much better shape than their 20 year old counterparts.  Perhaps I protest too much. 

 I think I had another subject that I wanted to cover in this post but I forgot what it was.