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Teen Pregnancy
Teen pregnancy brings so many emotions to you. It can bring shame, denial, a lot of
stress and even depression. Your options and choices may be different depending on your
situation. I have been pregnant and I know how hard it is and also the many consequences it has.
Going through a teen pregnancy becomes a real world challenge and it can be very
overwhelming. A teen pregnancy is one of the toughest experiences you will go through. This
requires you to grow up almost immediately. The one thing that every teen should have in mind
always is that no matter what you can do anything you set your mind to and a baby won’t be an
obstacle.
First of all, once a teen becomes pregnant her whole world changes; she has a different
view of everything around her. Many teens begin by feeling fear and shame. She knows she is in
a hard situation and may think that no one is going to be supportive. Many teens go into a sense
of denial. Denying or ignoring a pregnancy can make things worse for you and your baby.
Denial doesn’t take pregnancy away; it takes time for prenatal care and counseling. Denial can
be passed on to friends and family. Parents may ignore the changes they see in their daughter. It
is possible for some girls to keep themselves into denial until labor. “Some teens may
acknowledge the pregnancy but deny the lifestyle changes or healthy behavior, which leads to
alcohol and drug use” (Wood).Depression is also very common in teen pregnancies. In some
cases it is possible that the teen may think about suicide. “The suicide rate for pregnant teens is
7 more than that of non-mothers,” (teen). Every teen feels different towards her baby; some may
deny them, feel anger or hatred towards them, and there are some who will actually feel love for

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them. A teen may feel guilt whether it is religious guilt, or guilt for letting down her parents.
Teens need to feel that they have love and support from others, especially since they are going
through a hard situation that involves growing up immediately. She may feel the acceptance and
therefore not feel like she did much disappointment. One thing you may do is thank the teen for
choosing life instead of choosing her other option, which could possibly be abortion. One of the
main things a teen is going to feel is embarrassment! She is not only going to feel embarrassed
towards her family but also towards her friends, even strangers that see her as she walks by.
Teens need someone to talk to them and help them walkthrough any emotional issue that they are
going through. “Teens are faced with emotionally charged and complex issues that are difficult
enough for adults to deal with and even more for teens- who are still children themselves”
(pregnancy-period). This can bring many problems and will affect her in many ways, such as in
her education.
So, when a teen is feeling insecure and embarrassed about herself it’sobviously
going to affect her social life in many ways. It is definitely going to affect her relationship with
friends and family. Although some are going to be supportive, there are others who may not
want to have anything to do with her. She may be ignored and not accepted, which is absurd
because this could happen to anyone. Pregnant teens are also going to have a hard time in
school. “ According to March of Dimes less than half of the teens who have a child before the
age of 18 go on to complete their high school education”(Pregnancy-period).“Only forty percent
of teen mothers finish high school; while seventy-five percent of all teens graduate” (teen). If
the teen actually continues in school she may have a difficult time. Classmates may disrespect
her and some friends may abandon her. The teen may start having doubts on her education, and
even in the possibility of having a successful career. If she actually continues school, her

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academic performance may become very low. It is actually good for a teen to get help from
others when it comes to school because education is something very important. With
determination and dedication she can accomplish many goals, even with a baby.
As well as teen mothers, teen fathers have a hard time. Some teen fathers drop out of
school in order to be able to support their baby;Being a father means you need to give your child
love, attention, food, clothing, shelter and mainly financial support.Many fathers are usually
older than most teen girls. Studies say, “Four out of ten girls claim that the father of their child
was between two to ten years older” (Walker). This would explain why many are not
responsible for their child. “Every father is legally responsible for child support in every state”
(Kidshealth). Child support pays for the child’s clothing, food, education, and health insurance.
Some fathers won’t pay anything and ignore the child; in this case “he could be put in jail for six
months or on probation” (Spitzer). Teen fathers, who become fathers, may welcome the chance
to be with their children. Other teen fathers may feel guilt and are frightened. Teen fathers
should know everything that comes with a pregnancy and everything they have to take
responsibility of.
Not only must a teen worry about what goes around her,she now also has that
growing baby to care about. Lack of prenatal care is usually delayed because of fear of telling
others about the pregnancy. What some teens don’t know is that there are some health
departments that are free or low cost and are patient confidentially, which means that you don’t
need parents. “Conceiving babies at such a young age can be life threatening for the teen and
also for the baby,” (Mazher).Health care providers discuss the importance of prenatal visits.
They may discuss what the teen is feeling physically and emotionally, and also what changes to
expect and how to deal with side effects. “The body of a teen is still growing so she needs more

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nutritional support for her needs and the baby’s. Nutrition counseling includes prenatal vitamins,
folic acid, and dos and don’ts,” (Weiss). Lack of proper nutrition can lead to anemia. Many
health care providers stress the importance of prenatal vitamins and folic acid. “Folic acid is
extremely important because it can help prevent spinal bifida” (kidshealth). Teens should also
exercise, walking and swimming is very good. “Without proper care teen pregnancies can result
in premature birth, low birth weight, brain damage, physical disabilities and more” (Weiss); with
proper care teen mothers can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
The biggest part of a teen pregnancy is parenting. Parenting is about developing a loving
relationship with you and your child. Entering parenthood unprepared may bring frustration,
resentment, and anger towards newborns. This explains why some “teens are at a higher risk for
abusing and neglecting babies” (Kidshealth).“Children born to young parents often display
retarded physco-social development and malnutrition effects; this is because mother lacks
parenting skills”(Mazher).There are many stereotypes towards teen parents. Some say “They are
just so irresponsible,” others, “There’s no way they are going to be able to raise that child, watch
them become a mess.” You would be surprised to see how many teens can actually prove them
wrong and become successful people. Teens could take prenatal classes. “Prenatal classes offer
information on trimesters, what to expect, nutrition, labor and delivery; after their child is born
they offer parenting classes on how to establish bonds and learn skills” (Earnest). Parents should
prepare them to see the practical side of parenthood by teaching skills such as feeding, diapering,
child safety, and other basic techniques. Teens can also take public assistance, which is very
helpful. “Places include WIC, Social Services, and Medicaid” (Earnest). Taking care of a baby
is not easy or cheap; it’s hard work and can be very expensive. You have many options and

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choices, but they are different depending on your situation; check your resources carefully. With
the help from others, teens can also become great parents.
In conclusion, a teen pregnancy is a big step to go through. They will have to
learn how to deal with their emotions without letting things turn them down. They will also need
to learn how to cope with the idea that their life has changed completely. A teen pregnancy isn’t
the end of the world; with the love and support of others they will be able to succeed.