I’m starting a new category in the pregnancy blog concerning teenage pregnancy, so I thought I would write a little introduction, as well as share my experience on the topic.
I was living with my father, fresh out of high school and at the golden age of eighteen when I found myself pregnant for the first time. I was a very successful art student in high school, and I had just started taking random art classes at the local college, trying to determine what field to major in. I was quite certain that I wanted to pursue a career in some type of field relating to art, but wasn’t sure exactly what. So I signed up for some pre-requisite classes at night and worked full-time in a cafe during the day.
I was about half-way through the semester when I suspected my period was late. I didn’t pay much attention to my cycles back then, so I couldn’t say for certain if it was or not. After it became apparent to me that it had in fact been some time since my last, I promptly went into denial mode. I had been telling my then-boyfriend of several years that I felt uneasy about the probability of becoming pregnant, which led us to be on-again, off-again for some time. Sure enough, my fear became a reality. After about a week’s worth of denial, I could no longer wait. I took the test, and it was positive.
I went to Planned Parenthood to be given a blood test. They confirmed for me that I was most likely already 12 weeks pregnant! It seems quite amazing to me now that I could be so far along without realizing it. Almost immediately, I began to make up for about six weeks worth of early-pregnancy sickness. My “morning sickness” was often its worst in the evening, so much to my regret I stopped going to my classes at the college. I have never been back to school, and this saddens me, but I fully intend on returning some day, perhaps when my girls are older.
For the record, I am very happy with the way my life turned out. In fact, I am so full of happiness to the near-point of bursting, and much of my delight is derived from my children. The reason I am happy is that I am proud of the mother I am, and I make sure to reach certain goals for myself in order to be successful as a young parent. Both are things I will explain further in later articles.
I plan to write about several different issues that pregnant teens face, such as stigmas of society, telling your parents, and more. Please stay tuned to this category!
Pregnancy Blog | Teen Pregnancy
Being a teenage mother doesn’t have to mean being uninformed and ignorant, as is often assumed. Take charge of your pregnancy, and read Let’s Talk About Making Informed Parental Decisions During Pregnancy for more info.
The Let’s Talk Blog Top Ten – Reasons to Have Children Early in Life
Let’s Talk Pregnancy Blog Top Ten – Ways to Break the News