Im 17 And We May Be Expecting...

The statistics for Teen Moms ARE dire. Short of having the grandparent raise and support the new child - it is going to be a very dire situation. Statistically women who have children as teenagers end up living in poverty! Those children live in poverty and then those children go on to have kids as teenagers.

That should be very scary! It isn't enough to scare these girls though. They think it will be different for them. And, while it will be different for some, it WILL NOT be different for the vast majority (hence statistics).

OK, missing my point. I never said they weren't dire, I said they didn't have to be AS dire as they are. I also never once said teen parenthood was a GOOD thing. I'm saying that there are better ways of dealing with it when it happens than how our society is currently doing so.

As I said before, for every 1 of my family, there are 49 who fail. There are things that could be done to make the outcome much less dismal. Sometimes I think people don't WANT to make the outcome better. It will give them less to throw in the face of girls who are considering purposely having children.

Hi there,
I want you to know that I am now 30 years old and I got pregnant my sophmore year in college. My boyfriend of 2 years and I found out we were pregnant in September and we married during Christmas break. I transferred colleges and enrolled in the college he was attending. He went right back to school and he worked part-time. I sat out one whole year, until my baby turned 6 months. She turned 6 months and I went to school full-time and I actually finished a semester before my hsuband. I took 18 hours and never took a semester off. We did have support from my in-laws, they paid for our health insurance after we had our baby. We had to get government assistance, but hey that is what it took and I was appreciative of what we got. My husband and I planned out our schedule so that when I was in class, he would be with our baby, and vice versa. You can do it and things can work out, I promise. Do not think that your life is over or that you cannot achieve your dreams. You have only taken a detour, but you can still reach your destination! Please contact me if you want to ask some more questions. I would be happy to offer you some help. I am working on a site now that will give step by step guide to pregnant teens on what to do after they find out they are pregnant. I am proud of you for having your baby and wanting to still fulfill your dreams. God took care of my husband, baby, and me and I thank Him everyday. I can tell you of ways to get your college paid, without money out of your pocket. I want you to know that my husband and I will be married 10 years right after Christmas, we now have 3 beautiful children, and we are very happy. Please contact me, anyone can if you would like help. I have been there. I have been in your shoes.

I wanted to make it clear that my in-laws did not pay for our living expenses, we did that. They paid for our health insurance.

Wow, that is quite an accomplishment. What about your parents? Did they at least pay for your tuition?

Yes, it was an accomplishment and my husband and I worked extremely hard and we never gave up. Was it always a bed of roses, of course not. But, we did it. No, my parents did not pay for my tuition once I got married. Nor, did my husband's parents pay for his tuition. There are so many programs available for teens who are pregnant. We both went to college, both graduated, and we did not have any loans or money out of pocket. Of course, this help may only apply for those girls ages 18 and over.

We both graduated college at the age of 23. It was a remarkable feeling to have my parents see me walk across that stage, even after they told me I would never make it, that I would be divorced, and that I would be living back with them. I did not have support from my family, but I had tremendous love and emotional support from my in-laws. The love and support makes such a difference. We were determined to prove everyone wrong and to beat the odds. My husband now works for a large pharmaceutical company and I am able to stay home with my children. My dad ended apologizing to me after I graduated college. Now, we use our story to help others and people are amazed at what we accomplished.

I did not try to become pregnant. I had a lapse in judgment and my mom wasn't very open to me about sex. My husband and I were both virgins also and believed in waiting for marriage. That obviously did not happen.

But, yes, girls should wait till they get an education before they decide to have a child. It is much more difficult to be in school, married, and have a baby. It will be a harder road, but nonetheless, a road that an be traveled if given the proper guidance and direction. I do not recommend any girl "trying" to get pregnant before they are out of college. But, so many times girls become pregnant without "trying" and they are faced with what to do with their life. Girls need direction and hope.

livinglifefully, how much of this board have you read? How many threads? I, personally, was completely stunned by how many teens, and I mean 13 yrs. old and up, who are actively TRYING to get pregnant.

I have seen some of those threads. It is sad. They are 13! What 13 year olds are emotionally mature enough to understand their situation?