So I have a question for all of you teen moms… How did you cope with schooling?
I just finished Grade Eleven, and my little guy is due three days after school starts. I want to graduate this year and have a large course load that requires me to attend school for both semesters. I’m an honors with distinctions student, and my teachers for this upcoming year had agreed to help me by looking for textbooks (as I am taking English at home) and by sending my biology work home with me as well, to get done over the summer in advance to complete what I will be missing when my son comes. But so far, none of my teachers have done what they said they would.
How did you guys get through school? Did you take hard classes and still pass? I’m so nervous about my future and being able to do what I need to do to fulfill my dreams. Any suggestions on how to cope with a newborn and school?
So, being a teenager is hard. I think everyone on here is experiencing or has experienced the fake friends, the bullying, and the other unfortunate things that any teenage girl has to deal with throughout high school at one point or another.
I, however, am really lucky. Not that I haven’t been teased, or put on the spot, but the nicer half of my graduating class (yes, all 25 of them) threw me a surprise baby shower. It was incredible to see so many people, some close friends, some I hadn’t talked to in months, all come together to support my boyfriend and me, and to celebrate my pregnancy and our little boy.
The older generation of my town, on the other hand, aren’t so nice. The dirty looks, like I’m a terrible person; criticizing my every move as if they could do a better job. I am a “straight-A” student, always thriving in school and attending classes. Why am I suddenly a bad person for making one slip-up? Yeah, it’s going to be life-changing. But when they ask, “Are you dropping out of school?” or “How will you provide for it?”, you can’t help but feel underestimated and unappreciated. Another one of my favorites is “When are you getting married?”. The pressure to meet everyone else’s standard is ridiculous.
I am almost eight months pregnant and happy to say that my baby boy is thriving in my womb. He has been growing steadily and already has every ounce of love that I am capable of giving him. I just want to say, that I’m so proud to be able to call myself a “mom” or sorts. And that I’m proud of everyone of you that decide to keep your babies as well. Motherhood isn’t a time to grieve. It’s a time to learn and experience the miracle of life that only you can provide to that baby.
Best of luck to all of you other teenage mom’s 🙂
I am seventeen years old, and five months ago I was faced with the decision of abortion, adoption, or continuing an unplanned pregnancy at 16.
I was taking the birth control pill, but despite our “protection plan”, my boyfriend and I took a pregnancy test in early February after my second period was missed. It came back positive, and we wasted no time telling our parents. I actually wrote my parents a letter and gave it to them before school. I explained our situation, told them the results, and clearly defined my wants and beliefs as far as choosing abortion, adoption, or keeping the baby. I explained that I am pro-life, and want to take responsibility for our actions, and to keep the baby. He also did the same thing, expressing his similar beliefs. Later that day, I returned home from school, and my parents were waiting to talk to me. They told me that having the baby, either way, was my choice, and expressed their concerns with schooling, and leading a normal 16/17 year old’s life. The choice to keep my baby was never second-guessed.
Six months later, I am now almost eight months pregnant, and I couldn’t be happier with our decision. My boyfriend has stuck by me through everything. We go to weekly prenatal classes, clinics, and doctor’s appointments as well as scheduled ultrasounds to ensure that our baby is healthy. As of Wednesday, July 13th, we were 31 weeks and five days pregnant, putting us at 33 weeks today. The countdown is on, and we’re ecstatic about having a little boy. I wouldn’t change my decision to keep our baby for the entire world. This experience in itself has been very fulfilling. Schooling in September will be difficult, as we are due three days after regular classes begin, but my teachers and classmates have been very supportive and have agreed to help me as much as possible to make my first semester of my senior year the best that it can be while trying to raise a newborn. I am still living with my parents, who have been more than supportive through everything.
I wish all other teen moms, and other pregnant girls and women on this site and around the world the best of luck. Abortion is never the answer. If you think about it, your fetus has tiny little fingernails after only eleven weeks of being in your uterus. It’s our job to protect and love them as much as possible while they’re so tiny and vulnerable. Abortion is a scarring, unforgettable experience from what I have heard and read. I hope that our story inspires you to keep your babies, and become the best mothers you can become.
Because for nine long months, the only person your baby relies on is you, and it’s your job to keep him or her safe 🙂
