Feeling Alone

You have decided to go through with the nine months of pregnancy.  The thoughts of "how, when, who, and why" are going through your head like a train off the tracks.  So many questions to ask, but you feel that nobody is there to answer them.  Maybe you are lucky enough to have a wonderful and understanding family who will always accept you for YOU!  But maybe you are the other person who gets pushed aside for the decision you just made.  You thought it was the right thing to do, you thought you were being responsible, you thought that others would be there for you....but you look around and nobody is there.  The father of your child has decided he is too young for this and takes his life elsewhere.  So...here you are - you and your unborn child!  The feeling of being alone could never feel any worse, right?  WRONG...you are strong enough to be the person your child depends on.  There are people out there who care and who are going through the same thing you are.  You need to advocate for yourself and your child if nobody else will.  Find teen mom support groups in which you can relate to and get support from them.  Keep your head up! 

Support

It's so important to have the support of your family and friends when dealing with the issue of pregnancy.  This is true at any age, but especially true if you are a pregnant teen.  The part of the brain that restrains risky behavior and thinking skills is not fully developed until the age of 25.  It's important for teens to welcome the advice of their parents, teachers, counselors, grandparents, doctors, etc...  Teenagers can be stubborn and have the attitude in which they feel they know everything already.
Being a teen mother myself, I thought I knew it all.  I made decisions based on what I thought I knew, not on what was necessarily the truth or even what was best for myself and my son.  There is a lot of support for young moms throughout the community in which they live.  Take that support and run with it!

What now?

So you just took the pregnancy test and it turns out that your whole life is going to change.  No longer are you looking out for number 1, you now need to look out for another human being.  Every decision you make from here on out will be crucial.  So, what now?