??geriatric pregnancy

[Nel45]

So I’ve worked in maternity care across the country for nearly 30 years and never once have I come across the term ‘geriatric pregnancy’ being used in the NHS, Nor with my last 3 children born when I was 35-44. (Naturally conceived and born last year)
However just seen a BBC article referring to a mother who had a ‘geriatric pregnancy’ since when did this become an official term in the UK??

Think it definitely must be a regional thing. Ridiculous thing to tell you you’ve got an old womb at 28 😵‍💫 there are so many other common factors much more significant than being your 6th baby. In fact rule out the studies looking an extremely impoverished malnourished women in developing countries having their 5th+ babies (who as you can imagine tend to be even more malnourished by their 5th baby) and you don’t find all that much difference, even for postpartum haemorrhage. Having your first baby is in fact a much bigger risk factor for everything

If you were consistent and said that anything over 35 was selfish and you had your kids all wrapped up by 25, I’d think it was both daft and ridiculous but hey, your opinion. But to have those opinions over 4 years is INSANE. You had a child at 30. Someone having a child at 35 is doing only 3-4 years later. That is NOTHING on the scale of age and health. Get back in your box.

When I was pregnant in 1999 I was 34 and it was mentioned to me during a scan that had I been a year older it would’ve been classed as a geriatric pregnancy.

My sister and I were geriatric pregnancies for all of our kids and thought it was funny. It's so bad as term and it does seem like they should change it! (I said something about being older at 38 and my midwife just waved it away as a non-issue which was reassuring.)

Let’s hope you haven’t taught your children to be judgemental and unkind.

What an odd belief!
Can you explain why you think it's selfish?

I am amazed you have not heard of it! It was used for me in 2009 and in 2011 both times. South East NHS.

It was definitely used to describe me when my son was born 8 years ago.

My sister had her son 5 years ago and again geriatric pregnancy. We had a good laugh about it.

What’s more likely? That a woman imagined or made up a term that they’re never going to have heard before or that long term staff continue to use a term that was recognised and used?

Same re amazed.

It was used when I was pregnant. “If you were 35 you’d be a geriatric pregnancy” was what was said- I remember being shocked by the term! My dc is mid teens now.

All my mum friends know this term, it's common knowledge, if outdated. I'm amazed you've never heard it in a career spanning 30 years?!

Rude cow.

It must be regional as you say and there have been quite a few people on this thread who have said they
’ve had it stamped/written on their notes even though wherever i’ve been fortunate enough to work we’ve never used the term ‘geriatric’
It’s in effect answered my original query as to how the BBC ended up using such terminology

It's an old fashioned term, hasn't been used for many years but still crops up occasionally.

It's been around for years, my mum was called a geriatric mum when she had me in the last 70s and I was called one when I had my babies in 2016 and 2018 by medical staff 🤷‍♀️

I believe the age range has changed over the years, my mum had me at 24!

It’s in my maternity notes from 2015 and 2019 - NHS in the East of England. I have copies of my notes and it is absolutely in there, not something I just ‘think’ is in there.

It must depend where you are I’m in Scotland and at 42 I was labelled high risk due to geriatric pregnancy and I’d never heard the term before was a bit offended lol but assumed it just wasn’t something I’d heard of until actually pregnant

I was 38 when i had DS1 and remember being shocked at being labelled a ‘geriatric’ pregnancy - I’m now 62!

My mother's maternity care was carried out na large teaching hospital and she was asked if her case could be used in a lecture for medical students as an unusual example of a geriatric pregnancy with no complications at the age of 37, in 1982.

It isn't, and indeed, the word geriatric isn't used in the nhs or other govt documents. It's elderly care or care of the elderly.
Older women having their first baby (35+) are called 'elderly primagravida'! But this is shorthand for high-risk pregnancy because such women are having a first baby at tail-end of fertile years, so dreater risk to both.

Honestly until this thread it’s only ever a term I’ve seen mentioned in the media/ online, it really has never been used by any staff or in any documentation over several several trusts I’ve worked for, nor with any of my own 3 babies over 35 or mentioned by friends

Geriatric pregnancy is a rather rude variation of elderly primagravida

3 kids aged 33, 35, 37 (2013-2018). Never heard of the term

So "35 is selfish" but 30 years old you were "gutted"? Sure there is some 25 years old put there thinking 30 is too late,etc.