Teenage Pregnancy Options.
A very important decision.
So you just found out you're pregnant. What should you do now? Well it pretty much boils down to three options. I am not promoting or condoning any of these three decisions, but it is reality! Before you make a decision, you need to think long and hard. This is a decision that will affect you for the rest of your life. It is now too late for the protection speech! You need to decide what to do.
Option 1: Adoption. You can give birth to the baby and give him/her up for adoption. This may be hard to do, but do you have the financial stability to raise a baby? Have you even finished high school? Most likely not. There are many women in the world that are not able to either become pregnant, or continue a pregnancy. They are financially stable, and would be ecstatic to adopt your baby! You can choose to have an open adoption, where you would still have some involvement in your child's life. This may include letters, pictures, and visits. Or you can choose a closed adoption, this means you would not have any involvement in the child's life whatsoever. Once you sign the papers, that's it! Giving your child up for adoption does not mean you don't love him/her. It shows that you were strong enough to know that someone else could give them a better life than you could.
Option 2: Abortion. This is a very touchy subject. It all boils down to what you personally think about the situation. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. It is your right to do what you please with your body. However, you have to consider the after effects. You may be able to go on with your life as if nothing happened, or you may fall into a depression. It is possible that you could have nightmares, or live with regret. This is your decision to make, so do not let anyone force you to terminate your pregnancy if that is not what you want to do.
Option 3: Keep him/her. Here it is! If you choose to keep your child, realize that this is a baby and not a toy! Babies eat and sleep when they want to, not when you want them too! Saturdays at the mall is not in your future anymore! Your childless friends will not want to spend all day with you and your cute, crying baby! They may babysit once or twice, but they will start to disappear! A baby will not keep a man. Unfortunately, most teen mothers are just that! A teen mother. Very very few, will marry the man that got them pregnant. Yes, every girl wishes for the fairy tale to end "They lived happily ever after". Honey this is not a fairy tale, so don't be surprised when summer comes, and you are stuck in the house with the baby. I am sure you have noticed all the single teen mothers out here! At one point in time, they too thought their boyfriend would be there for them. Do not be surprised if you go into labor, and he shows up with his new girlfriend. Sorry, but it happens! I will not sugar coat anything! If you choose to raise your child, I commend your effort. It will not be easy! No more sleeping in on the weekends! Be prepared to wake up two to three times a night!The baby stage only lasts for a little over a year. They will get older, and talk back to you. Most likely, the same way you did your mother, when you were being disobedient!! You will get to wash their poopy underwear while potty training. You will not enjoy the screaming of a baby that is teething. You get to change diapers, oh just wait until they eat green beans for the first time, lol. Seriously, if you decide to keep your child, I wish you the best. Please make sure you have a support system. This is a secret you can not keep forever. If you choose to raise your child, please finish high school! Having a baby does not mean that you have to drop out of school. You just have to put more effort into it, and live off of less sleep than your classmates. It's hard, but it can be done! Do not allow yourself to become two statistics. The first one, well it's too late. That would be the teenage pregnancy. The second would be "Teenage mom dropout". Please finish school! Please, also, do not keep your pregnancy a secret, freak out and kill your baby after giving birth. The baby did not ask to be here, pregnancy was the consequences of you having sex! Not only that, I heard that women in prison are vicious to women that murdered their child! Of course your parents will be disappointed in you, but the bigger question is "What are you going to do"?
