Teenage pregnancy is any female who is pregnant under the age of 20 years old by the end of the pregnancy. Early teenage pregnancy is constant headache for many families that have to put up with the changes. Getting pregnant early affects a teen's entire life whether they are prepared for it or not. Lets look at the six reasons why getting pregnant early is a bad idea.
Health Risk to Mother and Child - Everything we do in life can be dangerous and most times these dangers are unexpected. This is what pregnancy is like, you never know what to expect from it, whether you or the child will come through the nine months without any issues. Pregnant teens may face a greater risk of developing health problems such as:
Hypertension
Depressive disorder
Anaemia
May have low birth weight
Still births
Learning difficulty and respiratory problems
Lost of Freedom - This can be a major issue for a pregnant person as their lives and bodies will gradually change and everything will seem to revolve around the unborn child. Some of these changes will affect their personal, social and educational aspect of their lives. Their personal life will no longer be theirs to do as they please, but must be shared continuously unless the child is given up for adoption. The social aspect of their life really suffers as well because everything revolves around you and the baby. There will be no time to hang out with friends.
A pregnant teen will be occupied with parental stuffs such as doctor's checkup, visiting baby clinic, getting a child vaccinated, feeding and changing diapers. Don't forget, this is just a tip of the iceberg as this may go for a very long time. Another important factor to consider is the educational aspect of the teen's life. During this stage most teenagers drop out of school. Some may return to college after pregnancy, but their lives are still impacted by the change.
Becoming a Single Parent - Time and time again, I've seen teenage couples expecting their child, taking things slowly with all the help they can get and they still fall apart. This is due to the impact of being young, drop out of school and being responsible for a young life. This is a very overwhelming feeling and many succumb to the pressure and give up. It is very amazing to see this new person enter the world but after a few months, things begin to change. When this happens, the results are devastating, as the mother is the one who is left to pick up the pieces and the father is off doing his own thing or vice versa.
Financial Hardship - Being a teenager and accommodating a baby will require lots of money because that's what most babies require. They require lots of attention, patience, and love. However, money continues to be a bigger problem in their lives. As a pregnant teen, this is inevitable because of the fact that they are young, may not have a job, their partner may be in the same situation and not much stability between both of them. So, whether you like it or not, money will be an issue as pregnant teen unless their partner is an adult who is willing to step up to their responsibilities. The only way to avoid this dilemma is by not getting pregnant early.
Lost of Friends - Being pregnant or being a single parent changes everything. Lost of friendships is just one of the many results of early pregnancy. We all know it is not a disease or illness, but becoming a mother or parent will not sync well with some of your young friends. It doesn't mean that they dislike you or jealous either. All it means, is that you all have different goals and priorities. It becomes harder to relate to them, because as a mother, the future now contains a child in it. The other side of the coin of friendship is that, as a new mother, new friends will definitely come into your life. The good thing about these new friendships is that, you will have common interest, which will make interacting much easier.
Change of Priorities - Prioritizing is organizing important things to be done in the appropriate order, with number one being on top of your list to accomplish. However, being pregnant or a young parent at an early stage of one's life, causes a shift in priorities. As a teen, your parents usually have great plans prepared for you, while as a young person, all you're probably thought about is just having fun with your friends. Whenever early pregnancy occurs, all plans automatically goes on hold. This is where priorities must be reorganized to fit in with the new schedule of mother and child. A child is a permanent change to anyone's life and must not be taken lightly especially for a teen.
This is written to give teens and parents of teenagers an idea of the consequences early pregnancy may have on them. I believe teens should not be engaged in sexual activities unless they are ready for the responsibilities that may result from it. Also, if you feel abstinence is not for you, do the best thing and protect yourself because early pregnancy is not a joke. Having a child is a huge responsibility and one that will stuck with you for a lifetime.
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