Older, Wiser--and More Honest

My book, BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood After 35, is being published by Revell next summer. Once that book hits the shelves, a lot of people are going to know how old I was when Christa was born (41) and how old I am now (47.)

I told my older brother, Bobby, I was glad that the book wasn't about weight gain/loss because no one--not even the DMV--knows my real weight.

The most rewarding and fun thing about writing the book was interviewing dozens of other Mommies-come-lately. Their stories provide such depth to BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING. The book isn't about me--it's about us. It's about women who chose to be late-in-life moms and about women (like me) who encountered an unexpected blessing.

Every woman I interviewed--women like Susie and Peggy and Margo and Torie--felt that being older meant they were wiser. And, I gotta' agree with them. During my 20s and 30s, I learned how to fight fair and to forgive and to choose what was most important. Now that I'm in my 40s, I know how to pick my battles and how to say I'm sorry and how to recognize when something just isn't that big of a deal, no matter what anyone else says.

During those "acquiring wisdom" years, I also learned to be honest. Hence, my desire to write honestly.

Which brings me to my next topic: Postpartum depression.

Are we as women being honest about our emotional ups and downs during and after pregnancy? Are we talking to our girlfriends, our spouses, our doctors--anyone--about "the blues?"

To be continued . . .