Understanding The Impact of Adolescent Pregnancy to The Mother and Baby

Teenage pregnancy is something that occurs everyday. Television shows, such as 16 and Pregnant , Teen Mom and many others expose the harsh reality of being a child and also trying to raise one. Coming from a mother who was pregnant at sixteen and living in a single parent home, I know firsthand on how long lasting the effects are of the parents’ mistakes are on the child.

Everyone knows how it happens. It may be an accident, but it also may be because of ignorance. Teenage pregnancy does not only affect the lives of the parents, but it also affects the child.

When a young girl becomes pregnant, it does not only alter her life, but it also alters the life of the unborn child. When someone so young carries a child, it may cause problems for both the mother and the baby. Throughout the pregnancy and even after birth, many face problems such as delivery complications, malnourishment, and mental illnesses such as, anxiety and depression.

All women are not made the same, so delivery can be different for each individual. Some can give birth perfectly fine, however, others may have complications and have to go through an emergency c-section. When age becomes a factor, most doctors become very concerned. Also the doctors begin monitoring the baby real close to make sure there are no signs of poor health.

When someone so young and not yet fully developed, conceives a child the chances of a perfect, healthy baby are very slim. Malnourishment becomes a big problem for most teenage mothers’ infants. It is very important for the mother to be healthy so in return, a healthy baby is produced.

Into the life of a child from toddler up to teens, some find that the child has a mental illness. Depression, bipolar disorder to anxiety and much more have been recorded. Any of the previous accounts can happen in any pregnancy and happen to any child, but it is proven that there is a higher rate in teenage pregnancies.

Both of my parents, high school athletes and scholarships recipients, were anxious to live out their dreams of playing college sports. My father, a few months before graduating, and my mom, a year younger and committed to play softball at the University of Chattanooga, soon found out their lives were turning upside down. Because of a careless mistake, my parents threw away their dreams of college athletic careers. My dad ended up going to Middle Tennessee State University, even after his relationship with my mom failed, and my mom was just trying to finish her senior year of high school.

Many people cannot say they were at their mom's high school graduation, nor can they claim that they were there for the first day of college, but I was. I have never been more proud of my parents. Both of them graduated high school and college while raising a child. Most teens who get pregnant tend to drop out due to pressure of either being pregnant or the stress of raising a child and attending school.

As a child of a teenage parent, I was faced with many stereotypes. Growing up, I was told not to be “as stupid as my parents”, and I was told I may turn out just like the other twenty-two percent of children raised by a teen, and soon be one myself. But the lesson that has stuck with me the most is to learn from the mistake my parents made, and I should know the consequences of teenage pregnancy.

Not only was I faced with what other people were saying, I also had to overcome a different type of parenting. My parents are young, they understand the culture changing, but are not oblivious to what teens do. With that being said, I grew up in a very strict household. To this day, I still do not have as much freedom as my peers.

Getting pregnant at a young age not only alters the parents’ lives, but it also plays an enormous role in their child's life. I may not have been one of the statistics, who had parents drop out of school or be living in poverty, but my parents’ decision eighteen years ago still plays a role in my life to this day. I would not trade my life or my parents for anything because my life would not be the same if they would have waited a couple of years to have a child. Even though I would not change anything, I do not want a child to experience a situation like this. Every action has a consequence that may end up affecting more lives than just your own life.