So this is the beginning of my surviving a teen pregnancy series. I will try to break it down into a 3 part series because their is really a lot to be covered. After all you are pregnant for 9 months!
Accepting the Fact
First, accepting the fact that you are pregnant! Denial is the first thought that comes in your head (usually) in teen pregnancies. A lot of girls say that they feel pregnant or they missed a period but, they just go on with their daily activities and try to think nothing of it. But, you can only do that for so long. The best thing to do is to take a pregnancy test. You can buy them from most drugstores, or places like Walmart, or Target. Some of the prices might be a expensive. So I would recommend the following things: If you have a GYN(gynecologist) usually a OB/GYN(obstetrics/gynecology) I would make an appointment and say you need a pregnancy test and they will handle everything! Depending on where you live you could visit a clinic and you can find a lot of free clinics here:
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx?byCounty=1
and lastly where I live there is a place called Birthright it is free and confidential and they also offer free counseling and explains to you that you have choices! I will post the website here for you to find more information :
http://www.birthrightstl.org/index.htm.
Okay, so maybe you found out that you are pregnant. Now, what should you do. First thing that I would suggest is that you let someone know. I know how judgmental some friends and family can be so you need to let someone that you trust and that you know will support you. I know know it may be hard but, remember you are not the only pregnant teenager! TRUST ME!
Telling your Parents/Caregiver that you are pregnant
Yes, I'm telling you now this is not going to be that easy. Different people take things different ways. I always remember my mom telling me that if I got pregnant that she was going to put me in a girls home and all kinds of things. Well, I actually wrote a letter to my mom telling her that I was pregnant and she just balled it up and threw it at me. She didn't really talk to me that day but, the next day she sat down and told me that she loved me! She let me know that I WAS going to finish school and take care of my child and that she was disappointed but she still loved me. Its not going to be like that for everyone but, the earlier you tell your parents the better off you will be.
Finding Support from Others
Next thing I suggest you do, if you are school......STAY IN SCHOOL! You should talk to one of your schools counselors and talk to your teachers and let them know your situation. I was pregnant my junior year and I let all of my teachers know and my counselor and they were very helpful and understanding. They really worked with me so that I could stay in school. Also my OB/GYN was also very helpful. I had really bad morning sickness throughout my whole pregnancy and I missed a lot of school. So my doctor actually made it to where if I would need it, I could get in home tutoring. If you have a really close friend or someone you should also talk to them about it. They may not understand everything if they never been in your situation but at least someone that will listen to you.
You can always feel free to email me anything, if you have questions, need advice, or anything at: xxsome1likemexx@gmail.com
Telling the father of the child
This can turn out many of ways. The father may or may not want to be a part of the childs' life. Most of them deny the child and this not only happens in teen pregnancies but as well with usually unmarried adults. So lets talk about the father you tell him and he wants to be a part of the childs' life that's fine best case scenario! If that's what you want. Then there's the one that says he knows that's his child but doesn't want to be there. You can either say ok, I don't want my child around someone who doesn't want to be in my childs' life. Go on with your life and do the best you can for your child and wait until you find someone that wants to be the father figure to your child. If that doesn't work for you, you can file for child support and that will help financially but that still will not fix the emotional factor that comes from the father not wanting to be in the childs' life. The father that denies the child, when you have your child, you can say ok I would like a paternity test. I'm not sure but, I believe the only way you can get it for free is if you file for child support and the father says he would like a paternity test. Which most of them will cause they are not going to pay child support for a child that's not theirs.
Well this about wraps up part 1 of surviving a teen pregnancy. In part 2 I will talk about certain issues that occur with pregnancy. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section!
If you would like to ask private questions, ask for advice or you need anything you can email me at:
xxsome1likemexx@gmail.com
Hugs and Kisses♥♥♥
T.Lacy
