Teenage Pregnancy - Making Decisions (Part 1)

This is such an important subject that I'll probably divide this post into 2 parts so as not to make the posts too long. When I'm perusing the Internet and occasionally writing replies to questions on other forums, I notice that advice sites are absolutely overwhelmed with questions from very young women and girls asking about contraception and pregnancy. So many girls appear to be making decisions regarding whether or not to have a baby, with little objective guidance and no real idea about how to ask the right questions of themselves in order to make the best choice in their own particular circumstances.

If you're very young and faced with making what will surely be one of the most important decisions of your life, then how on earth do you decide what  to do? Finding out that you are pregnant can be a huge shock and it might be difficult to think clearly about what to do next.

Here are some important questions you may want to consider:

• Do you have good support? If you're very young and still at school or college, then have you told your parents or another caring relative or guardian? No matter how you think they'll react, the only way to know for sure what kind of support you might have, is to talk to the responsible adults in your life.

• What is your relationship with the potential father of your child? Was this a one night stand or are you in a long term relationship? Is he kind and supportive of you, or is he pressurising you to make a choice you're not comfortable with? Does he want to be involved if you choose to keep your baby?  If the answer is yes, is he mature enough to be able to put his own needs on hold in order to learn how to become a good Dad? If not, do you want to raise a child alone? 

• Where will you live? Are you able to live with a caring and supportive adult not only during your pregnancy but more importantly after the baby is born? For how long? 

• Work & Education: Have you considered the impact of interrupting your education or work?  How and when will you go back to school or work? What financial support is available?

• What about your friends and social life? Are you truly ready to give up your freedom and the life you live now, for weeks, months and years of staying home in order to care for a baby or small child? How will you feel when your friends are getting on with many aspects of their lives without you? Can you genuinely imagine being home with a baby, not just for a few nights but as a long term commitment?

• How will you satisfy your own emotional needs? Being a mother is all about caring for someone else, but what about you? If you have good support from your family or partner, this may not be so much of an issue, but for a young woman facing pregnancy and parenthood alone it might be the most important issue to think about. 

As I feel that the emotional and relationship aspects of teenage or single pregnancy need so much consideration, I'll explore this  in more depth in Part 2...