admin, Author at Mothering in the Middle

The Older Cousins

by Andrea Lynn

My brother and I are only 21 months apart, so for most of our lives, he went first and I followed soon after. School, swimming lessons, learning to drive, off to university. I`d watch him go, and take mental notes, and I`d be along, two years later. We were a little competitive, but different enough in interests and personalities that it never got out of hand. I confess that when we both graduated and started our first jobs, we compared salaries for a while. I`d be ahead by a few thousand, and then he`d catch up. But then he had a period of unemployment and comparisons became unseemly – good thing, because now I`d have to double my pay to get anywhere near his. While he was unemployed, he went back to school to get his executive MBA, to add to his engineering degree. Which was, as it turned out, a sound financial decision. […]

Step 2 (Journey of a New Foster-to-Adopt Midlife Mom)

I swear it took a full ten days, if not more, for the social service agency to call me. I was starting to think they would not call, but they did, or rather, she did. The foster-parent recruiter or something like that left me a message. I waited one full day (gulp) before I called her back. It was Friday. I was calling her cell phone number, but she was not working. She was, however, in the shower. This was not going well, I fretted.

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Freezing My Eggs – II (Part IV of V)

by MeiMei Fox

18 Buns in the Icebox

The bad news is I feel like crap. My ovaries ache when I walk (I kid you not—it is a bizarre sensation). My rock-hard stomach juts out so much that I can’t fit into my pants. The discomfort in my belly region has kept me up every night this week. […]

In Praise of Older Mothers

by Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Full disclosure: I am an older mother. My first daughter was born when I was almost 38, and my youngest entered the world three days before my 41st birthday. Even though I’m 54 and going through the tumultuous teenage years, I wouldn’t have it any other way. […]

Quote for the Day

…Being the perfect mother is not about being perfect, but just about being present.

In Honor of World Menopause Day – October 18th

by Valerie Gillies

I was probably the only person alive who wasn’t aware that October 18^th is World Menopause Day. World. Can you imagine?

It took me back a bit. Who on earth would have thought this was something to commemorate? What am I missing? I suppose it could be the contribution hot flashes make to global warming, the hormonal swings, perhaps the amazing determination the female body can show in hanging onto every single calorie it ingests and instantaneously storing it as fat on what used to be a waistline. But no, although those features of ‘the change’ are truly awe inspiring, I will take it that it is about finally saying goodbye to a not so wanted friend, that sweet feeling of relief upon closing the door after a houseguest has overstayed her welcome. […]

Give Up the Blame Game and Try Forgiving for Conception

by Cynthia Wilson James

Seldom does a month go by that I don’t talk to a woman who hasn’t tormented herself for not being able to get pregnant over 35 or 40. The reasons vary, but the popular ones are not marrying the right man, marrying too late, not paying attention to her biological clock and paying too much attention to her career-oriented. […]

Freezing My Eggs – Part I

Note to the Reader: We are honored to feature three of Huffington Post writer MeiMei Fox’s five posts regarding her recent experiences with egg freezing, commonly called “oocyte cryopreservation.” MeiMei shares her personal experiences in an effort to spread awareness of this fertility option to other women her age. Please do not consider it a substitute for advice from a medical professional.

The Box

This morning, a FedEx box arrived containing $3,300 worth of medications. And so begins the process of freezing my eggs.

“It’s a miracle!” says my best friend Jen, the mother of two. And I agree. […]

Midlife Maintenance – Year 56!

by Karen Hug-Nagy

The phone call sounded something like this, ” Hello, Karen, I have your blood test results, but first I want to wish you a Happy Birthday, ” said the nurse. “So here’s the news, you are officially in menopause!” Yikes, here I am in front of the local grocery store listening to the news, while people are walking by pushing grocery carts. I felt relieved in some ways, and ready to get on with the next stage of my life. […]