We all know that teen pregnancy shouldn’t be on you top list of things to do but when it does happen there are after-effects on the mother that are hard to deal with, especially at a young age, that people don’t realize.
The Trouble that comes with Teen Pregnancy
Money Problem
When the baby is due soon the financial stress starts to build up on the teen mother. The baby needs things like:
- Diapers
- Bottles
- Pacifier
- Crib
- Baby clothes
- Bibs
- Wash cloths
- Lotion
- Shampoo
All these things to do not come cheap so then the mother needs a job or some way to be able to earn money for all the things that the baby needs. But when your belly so big that you can’t see your feet and your back hurt, how is that supposed to happen? 80% of teen mothers will be on welfare at some point. Many of the babies’ fathers are not present or stay with the mothers. Therefore, the teen girl is left to fend for herself with a child on the way. The family of the teen sometimes is present in the process of support for the teen but many disown them. Photo by:Polina Sergeeva
Emotional Outrage
Of course when finding out that your pregnant it isn’t the best time when you have composed yourself. There are several factors that come with teen pregnancy like the fact that a teen might not finish high school to take care of the baby. Only one third of teen mothers get a high school diploma. That’s something that she might regret when she’s older and trying to find a job. Also, all the emotions that come with pregnancy: scared, stressed, over emotional crying, and happiness, not to mention the stress that comes with tying to make things work with the baby’s daddy and with your parents. It really adds on to the mother when there is a possibility that the baby could be sick or come abnormal in some way due to the fact that you’re only 16 and still maturing physically.
Too Much for one young body
At the age of 15-18, a girl’s body is ready to bear children but it isn’t fully matured to do so at that age. Other factors like:
- alcohol drinking
- smoking marijuana or other drugs
- lack of sleep
- wrong eating patterns…
can affect the way the baby develops so it is important to see a doctor and take care of yourself. Most likely when you are a teen in this situation, you may feel fine to go about your regular schedule but you may find that it is hard to do certain things like sports and activities that require more physical attention.
Trying to keep up with daily life as a Pregnant Teen
Photo by: Ed Yourdon
Teenage Pregnancy 