Andrea Chancellor: Remember when moms-to-be didn't have Google search?
It’s a fact. I fall way beyond today’s normal age for a first-time grandmother.
Research shows the average age of a first-time grandmother is 50 years.
As I approached 71 years of age, I got the news — ready or not — I soon would be a grandmother.
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So, I started reading about today’s baby world and found the first grandchild is daunting no matter what the age.
My mother first became a grandmother at age 62 and her mother at age 48. They did well. But 71?
It seems that becoming a first-time grandmother is meant for the younger at heart, overall.
Here are my concerns:
I go to bed before sundown — hours before a new baby does and have done this for years.
I might not have the strength to bend over a crib to lift and retrieve the little one.
Can I muster up the patience to prepare bottles or a full meal for a baby?
Years ago, as a mother-to-be myself, I shared "baby-coming" decisions long distance with my mom. We lived hundreds of miles apart, so phone calls and snail mail were all we had. There was no computer or Google search to help find answers.
Today, parents and grandparents spend big bucks decorating a nursery with cute wallpaper and matching-color crib and sheets. I’ve seen these staged baby rooms in magazines and on the internet. Baby room decor was not on my to-do list.
Neither was shopping and stuffing the baby’s closet with cute clothes and matching hats.
Truth. I bought most baby clothes at garage sales, and my daughter still remembers how awful that was.
Today, moms-to-be have multiple resources at hand. My daughter used a step-by-step timeline through her pregnancy, checking off every task leading up to the birth. She was equipped with a list of what to bring in an overnight bag to the hospital and how soon before the due date to pack it.
The only time I used a packing list was when preparing for Girl Scouts summer camp.
Nursery decorations? Too much detail for me. Before my daughter’s birth, I read that primary colors would stimulate the infant brain. So we cut out red, blue and green vinyl balloon shapes with sticky backsides to paste on the baby’s wall. So precious!
Waah! Waah! Waah!
The learning curve for this 71-year-old first-time grandmother is sharply curved.
Baby language is unfamiliar to me. I have no frame of reference for a baby activity gym, hot sun safety shades for car windows or stroller toys. Onesies? We just called all outfits clothes.
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Today, new parents can purchase a space-saving laundry drying rack, burp cloths in many colors made of muslin cotton and a water-resistant Boppy, whatever that is.
There’s even a bottle warmer on the baby market today. We just used a pan of water heating on the stove in my day.
And what the heck is an all-in-one elbow saver and kneeler?
My fears and concerns about being a first-time grandmother were unnecessary. My baby grandson was born healthy, very good looking, and was named after my father.
Today, I conquer my fears by trusting my instincts and following my daughter’s lead.
Gotta go. It’s probably my bedtime, but first I need to warm up a baby bottle.
Andrea Chancellor has more than 20 years in newspaper and magazine journalism, and 20 years in public relations.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guest: Today's moms-to-be have multiple information resources at hand
