Let’s Stop Using the Term “Advanced Maternal Age”

If you get pregnant when you're 35 years old or older, you're stamped with this label: advanced maternal age or “AMA." This makes me cringe, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

From now on, moms who are 35+ will be referred to as midlife moms. Who's with me?! Being a midlife mom myself, I can tell you: We're pretty incredible.

Midlife moms are …

Celebrities. More women in the spotlight are waiting until after their 35th birthday to start their family. Recently actress Eva Mendes, 40, and her younger beau, actor Ryan Gosling, 33, welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Esmeralda Amada Gosling. Mendes joins other celebrity midlife moms like TODAY's Savannah Guthrie and Scandal actress Kerry Washington. Even though you may not be in the spotlight, I'm sure you're a star in your family's eyes. Seriously!

Well established in their careers. Many midlife moms are at the peaks of their careers. Look at Yahoo! President and CEO Marissa Mayer, 39, who gave birth to her first child shortly after stepping into this big role. While I don't agree with some of the decisions Mayer has made—like banning Yahoo!'s telecommute policy—I do applaud her for changing Yahoo!'s maternity leave policy, lengthening its time and providing a cash bonus to parents.

In the middle. Not only are midlife moms caring for their children, they also have to keep their parents' health in mind, too. Oftentimes, midlife moms become “women in the middle"—in-between their children and their parents, all of whom may need care.

Multitasking pros. Whether breast pumping between connecting flights or rehearsing a work presentation while rocking your little one, midlife moms are generally nonstop. Sure, it's challenging, but at this point in a woman's life, she's up to the challenge.

Moms. At the end of the day, no matter what age a woman has a child, she is a mom. She may have slightly different concerns than a 20-something mom, but she still puts her child's health and happiness above all. Terms like “advanced maternal age" is just plain offensive. Just call me “Mom," please.