Thursday, February 14, 2008

Pregnant Teenagers

Pregnant Teenagers
Pregnant teens often feel frightened and uncertain If youre a pregnant teenager you may feel like youre all alone However teen pregnancy is more common than you may think The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate of all developed countries with over one million teenage girls becoming pregnant each year More than 95 percent of these pregnancies are unplanned Many teenage girls are terrified when they first discover their pregnancies Teen mothers often feel depressed as they contemplate the responsibilities of parenthood It is also very common for teens to worry about the reactions of their friends and family Some girls especially younger teens try to hide the pregnancy from their parents However this is a plan that often backfires While many parents are initially shocked most eventually provide their daughters with the support they need The sooner your parents realize you are pregnant the easier it will be for them to help you through this difficult time in your life Although many teen mothers dont tell their partners about the pregnancy the expectant father deserves to know If youre afraid to tell him try writing a letter or meeting him in the company of a supportive friend or family member If he denies his responsibilities you can later choose to have paternity established through a DNA test However if you decide to seek child support youll be required to produce proof of paternity Since a teenagers body is not yet fully developed a young mother faces additional health risks Pregnant teens are more likely to experience anemia and preeclampsia than older mothers They are also more likely to experience premature labor and or have a baby with a low birth weight If you are a teen mother who is planning to keep her baby its very important to seek early medical attention Proper prenatal care can greatly increase your odds of having a healthy pregnancy Your doctor will recommend that you eat a healthy diet get enough rest and refrain from unsafe sexual activity In addition youll also need to avoid smoking drinking and or illegal drug use for the duration of your pregnancy While over onethird of all teen pregnancies end in abortion or adoption many young mothers decide to keep their babies If youre planning to raise your child on your own there are a number of programs that are designed to provide the assistance you will need Since most pregnant teens dont have a steady income youll probably be able to receive food stamps WIC and medical assistance Depending upon your location childcare assistance may also be available Contact your states Department of Human Services office to learn more about available governmental programs Many communities have local religious and or nonprofit organizations that provide young mothers with counseling parenting classes and other support services They may also offer diapers clothes formula and other essentials In todays society education is more important than ever Finishing high school will dramatically increase your odds of finding stable employment In fact a college education is now a prerequisite for many careers Your school guidance counselor can provide you information on resources that can help you reach your educational goals while raising your child PregnancyIf youve been dreaming of pink baby booties you may be wondering how to conceive a girl Unfortunately nature offers no method to ensure that youll give birth to a baby girl With the exception of artificial insemination gender selection is a 50 50 proposition However there are many theories on how you can tip the odds in your favor While many people insist that the only thing that matters is giving birth to a healthy baby one recent survey of prospective parents found that almost 80% admitted to a preference for one specific gender In fact nearly 84% of parents who decided to have an ultrasound to determine the babys gender said dealing with any potential disappointment before the birth was a significant factor in their decision As you might expect women tend to prefer daughters while men often express a greater desire for sons However couples who already have a child of one gender often wish for the opposite gender on the second pregnancy to create a more balanced family

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