As you probably already know, I became a mother at the age of 16, therefore, I feel very strongly about people stereotyping young mothers. I've tried very hard to overcome the name that I was given long before I even dreamed about being pregnant. It's very hard to be a teenager, still in school, and find out that you're going to have a baby. I've been through it twice. I thought I was pregnant when I was 13 years old. I was so scared that I had no idea what to do. Thankfully, my parents were there to help. Not everybody's parents are going to be the way that mine were, but, the best advice for if you're pregnant and wondering what to do. You have to tell your parents. Even if you're so scared of it that you've thought of running away or anything like that, you've got to tell your parents. If you can't tell them, tell another adult that you trust about your situation. Have them help you tell your parents. Just please don't wait till the last minute to do it. Being pregnant is a big thing and that baby will need medical attention from the time that you find out you're pregnant till the time that you have the baby and long after. You could be putting your baby's life at serious risk by not telling anybody and not going to see a doctor about it. There are programs to help those who can't afford the medical bills. There's always a way. I personally don't believe in abortion, so I won't advise that, but, if that's what you chose to do, then just please honestly think about it before you get it done. Make sure that it's what you believe will be best for the baby that's growing inside of you. I know quite a few great websites for young mothers. There's some that'll help you make a decision about what would be best for you and your baby, some that are there to help if you've made a decision that you now regret, great places to talk to people that have been through the same thing you're going through. Please feel free to e-mail me about this any time.
OK...now that I've got that off my chest, time for my story. I was scared for a little bit about being a mother at the age of 16 yrs old. My daughter's due date was 5 days before my 17th birthday. I dropped out of school, got my GED, and got married all due to the fact that I was pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy. Cassidy came a little bit early according to her due date, but, she was very healthy. The doctor that delivered her believes that there must have been a mistake in the calculation of my due date. I was put down some for being a teenage mother. Nothing that I took to heart because I believe that any female of any age CAN be a good mother. I know some mothers who didn't have their children till they were about 30 years old and they have lost their children due to abuse and neglect. Just because we're teenagers doesn't mean that we can't be good mothers!!! It has nothing to do with the amount of years you've been on the Earth, it has to do with the amount of wisdom you've collected in your brain and love you've collected in your heart while you've been on this Earth. AND, before somebody says I'm sexist, young fathers CAN be good fathers, too. I've got a few friends, one who's only 17 years old with an almost 3 year old son, who is a great father. He's working and going to school, but his son is his world. Children are growing up faster. We have already proved that. Now it's time to sit back and let us live for ourselves instead of judging everybody as one.
I will be the first to admit that there are some teenage mothers who are not ready to care for a child. All too often I hear stories on the news where a young mother has had her baby in a bathroom stall and then thrown it in a dumpster. If these girls had been offered help instead of ridiculed for being young and pregnant, things MIGHT have turned out differently. The world today criticizes young mothers and then punishes them when they act out of the fear that has been instilled in them from the criticism. How young is too young to teach a child about safe sex? Who knows now. I've heard of girls as young as 9 and 10 years old getting pregnant, yet when it's brought up to teach sexual education in 4th and 5th grade classes, it's absurd.
Maybe I've said too much of what I think on this page. I'm not sure, but I'm not changing it. I feel very strongly about what I've wrote and I will continue to let young mothers know that they're not alone and that just because they're teens doesn't mean that they're bad mothers. If you have any comments as to what I've wrote, please e-mail them to me at the address at the bottom of this page. I'm always willing to discuss my views and beliefs. I just ask one thing of you, please don't criticize me for what I believe in. If for some reason, what I have said offended you, than I am sorry. This was meant in no way to offend anybody.
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