Congratulations to Today Show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie who not only got married over the weekend, but has announced that she is 4 months pregnant. ( Details at US Weekly.) Guthrie is 42, and as I had my youngest at 40 I thought I would give her some advice, from one midlife mom to another: 1) Sleep is not just for the weak With my oldest son, I was really into doing all the nighttime parenting. I was on a generous Canadian maternity leave and my husband was working, so I figured I'd just be the one to get up and be done with it. 9 months later I was somewhat of a wreck. At 40, when my sleep was already hitting the middle-aged sleep wall, I cheerfully turned some of the walking around/singing/rocking time to my spouse...and it still wasn't enough. Tearing around after a toddler in one's 40s is completely doable. Doing it on 5 hours of sleep, maybe not. 2) Take all the prenatal care seriously My pregnancy with my youngest was by far my most fraught: I had complications, had threatened pre-term labour, and gave birth to a near-term baby at just over 34 weeks. And yet I was the most fit I had been in about my life when I got pregnant. I was really glad to have followed all the guidelines and gotten all the information about my son's health up front. 3) Kids are a lot of joy when you're confident Although I did not actually plan to have my kids late, many days I'm glad I did. In my early 30s I was still finding out who I was professionally and personally. But by my late 30s and early 40s I have come to a better understanding of what's important to me. Parenting can feel some days like a list of crazy and competing demands, but my husband and I are clear on our family's priorities. That really helps me sort out the smaller stuff from the bigger stuff. What's your best advice for moms of any age? (Photography by David Shankbone, via Wikimedia Commons