What motherhood experiences are faced by midlife moms?

Midlife moms are generally in a better emotional and financial place (compared to younger moms) before they have children.  They are also in a place of heightened appreciation for the new child because often they have really been wanting to be a mom, but they just haven't had children yet.  Other midlife moms have children who are older, but they find themselves becoming a mom again a bit later.  Both of these scenarios open the door to even more gratitude than younger moms have.

Midlife moms can experience their baby's childhood in a different way because they are more mature and more settled.  They're not worried about doing everything right because they've already experienced a lot of what life has to offer, and they know that no one is perfect, even in motherhood.

Midlife women may experience motherhood differently than younger mothers do. As older women, we are more likely to be financially and emotionally prepared to raise a child and bring a wealth of life experiences to our mothering. Those of us who delayed childbearing for a long time or struggled with infertility often particularly savor our parenting experiences. On the flip side, we may have less energy to bring to the physical and emotional labor of raising children and may have very high standards for ourselves and our children that are difficult to live up to. We also may find ourselves coping with the menopause transition or caring for our elderly parents at the time when we are still changing diapers.