Everyone told me that raising a child would be hard, but I never realized just how hard that was going to be. I never ever once thought that having to wake up at 2, 3and 5 A.M. to feed and change a baby would be hard, but it’s a complete nightmare, but now that he’s a little bit older, its only once a night. Don’t get me wrong, I love my son more than anything in this world, but protection is something that definitely would’ve been in play if I would have known what I do now. And I thought the labor and delivery was rough…
Something that they don’t tell you is that babies constantly cry when they are getting their teeth, and they’ll drive you up the wall. Oh, and there’s the cry where they just want attention, especially when you’re trying to do laundry or something like that.. That’s a joyJ
I’m not trying to sound like I hate motherhood, because I don’t I love it. I’m trying to get the rest of the teenage population to see that yeah, sex is all fun and games, but it creates another human being. It creates a little person who depends only on you. It’s a baby who YOU are responsible for and all of your actions affect. It’s not something that I would wish on my most hated enemy because I know just how hard it is and how much it slows down on you accomplishing your goals, dreams, wants and even sometimes your needs.
Maybe some people can’t have it as lucky as me and have your baby’s daddy there supporting the baby, or even be married to him. But, here are some statistics that I researched so help widen your eyes.
About half of all marriages when the teen is under 18 at the time of marriage end up in separation or divorce within 10 years. That is double the rate of marriages for adults over age 25.
The majority of all teen pregnancies occur among the older teens. According to the Guttmacher Institute ,U.S. Teenage Pregnancy statistics, two thirds of all teen pregnancies occur among 18 and 19 year olds. This accounts for approximately 73 per 1,000 girls. While about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, this age group is responsible for the highest rate of unintended pregnancy.
The current birth rate for girls aged 15-17 is approximately 22 per 1,000. However, from 1991-2007, birth rates for this age group showed a steady decline of more than 40%. In addition, birth rates for girls ages 10-14 also decreased between 1991-2007. It is estimated that they are down by more than 55%. Presently, there are approximately 0.6 births for every 1,000 ten to fourteen year old girls. However, in recent years, this number appears to be staying fairly consistent, while other age groups continue to decline.
It is estimated that 85% of all teenage pregnancies are unplanned. More than half of the teens who get pregnant report using some type of contraceptive. However, an estimated 90% of teen pregnancy may be the result of inconsistent use of contraceptives or failure to use them properly. Many other factors are thought to contribute to teenage pregnancy, including family structure, pressure from peers, and the community environment of the youth.
Although numerous efforts have been made to educate our youth about abstinence, safe sex, and birth control, teen mothers continue to give birth. In many cases, this results as a disadvantage to the teen mother, her baby, and society. Teen mothers are unlikely to finish high school and often fall into a lower socioeconomic status. As a result, an estimated 80% of them end up on welfare. Newborns of teen mothers often lack proper pre-natal care, have lower birth weights, struggle to perform well in school, or have a greater chance of being neglected and abused. In addition, a child born of a teen mother is more likely to become a teen mother themselves.
(Courtesy of www.pregnantteenhelp.org)
