Advanced Maternal Age--Is there something to it?

I'm noticing this time around that pregnancy is certainly more taxing on me than it was when I was in my twenties, which has me thinking that maybe there really is something to the whole "advanced maternal age" label that I have slapped on me because I'm 35.  Pregnancy at age 32/33 wore me out but I still had months where I had energy.  Just two and a half years later I find myself feeling every bit my age and more.

When I switched to a new practice last month I asked specifically what the "advanced maternal age" label meant for me.  Did it make me high risk?  Did it require additional tests or anything of that nature?  What I found out was just my age alone was considered a risk factor but didn't necessarily mean I was high risk.  That was a relief.  What they did tell me was if I had other risk factors, those, combined with my age would intensify the other risks that might otherwise be of middling concern.  Good to know.  I was told that I would have an additional growth scan done of the baby at 32 weeks and would also have a consult with the maternal fetal medicine department.  Also, once I hit 35 weeks I'll be doing weekly non stress tests, so there's certainly a bit more monitoring this time around.

As far as how I'm feeling, I'm just not feeling like I have much energy most days.  I felt absolutely horrible my first trimester and I anxiously looked forward to that second trimester energy that I've always had in the past.  This time around, however, there was no burst of energy with the second trimester.  I'm not sure if that's just age related or if my finger injury and related hospitilization just sucked the life out of me.  Mentally, I still haven't recovered from it and it has me daily thinking of how I can find a way to deliver the baby at home without anyone knowing about it so I can avoid another trip to the hospital.

Depending on which source you consult, I'm either at the tail end of my second trimester or the beginning of the third trimester.  In two days I'll be 28 weeks along.  I feel like I'm in the final leg of this and I'm hoping that the baby will come before my due date this time around.  I just don't think I have it in me to go a week past my due date like I did with Katie.  But, at the same time, I'm also not very interested in any sort of induction.  At the new practice they told me they would try to make sure I didn't go past my due date, but the old practice tried, too.  They also offered to induce me at three different visits and I declined each time because I'm just not willing to trap myself in a hospital for the entire duration of a labor.  No thanks.

One thing that hasn't changed for me with regards to pregnancy is my nesting.  I've always been of the mentality that I have to have everything prepared now, even if the baby isn't due for several more months.  I've managed to get most of the clothing the baby will need for the first 6-9 months already.  And, all of the essentials that I will need for those first few weeks with the baby are already set aside and waiting to be needed.  I'm doing my best to relax and take it easy with getting the nursery ready.  Katie hasn't yet moved into her big girl room, so I need to take care of that before I can set up the nursery.  I suspect the nursery will be set up and ready for a baby boy within days of Katie vacating the nursery.  I already have all of the bedding and decorations for the room.  It's just a matter of moving Katie's belongings across the hall to her new room and making a few changes.  I keep telling myself that we're almost there.  Almost.