A Personal Story of Teenage Pregnancy

It was the end of 8^th grade, the summer before I hit high school. At 14 years old there was nothing in my way. I ended school on a good note. Decent grades, great friends and a wonderful boyfriend. There wasn't anything that could bring me down.

As summer dies down and I start to prepare myself, for that first day of high school, I wasn't surprised to realize that I haven't gotten my period. After all there was no reason for concern I was on birth control. So I just figured that it was all the stress of school. A while month passes with only a spotting period, I don't say anything to anyone what would be the point. After all I am under a ton of stress. Well another month passes, still a spotty period. I still wasn't worried I have had problems with my period since I started it, along with the fact that I am still on birth control. After 3 months of a spotty period I finally confide in my older sister, telling her that I Haven't had a normal period in 3 months. Immediately she goes to the store and buys a pregnancy test. At first I didn't want to take the test, arguing with her that I can't be pregnant I'm on birth control. Needless to say I gave into her pleading, and took the test.

There I was sitting in the bathroom with my sister and friend waiting to see the result of the test. I'm thinking in the back of my head there's no way that I'm pregnant, damn it I'm on birth control. Well 3 minutes go by and I pick up the test, to my surprise it says POSITIVE. It was at that point I completely drew a blank.

I'm only 3 months into my freshman year of high school and I just found out that I'm pregnant. Let alone I'm only 14 years old and my boyfriend is almost 16. What the hell, everything then comes rushing in. How did this happen? How could this happen? Your not supposed to get pregnant when your taking birth control.

How in the world an I going to tell my family, his family and more importantly him. What are people going to think of me. How am I going to finish school. There were so many question's, emotion's, and worries.

The first thing I needed to do was to tell him that I was pregnant and then we could go from there. So much to my surprise he doesn't get angry or upset. He just wanted to know how, he went back to the same thing I had been saying , the birth control. We then waited a week or so and told his family and then waited a day or two and told my family. Both of our families reacted just the way you would think they would. Angry, upset, shocked and worried. In the long run my family and his family came around, after the initial shock of course.

Now at the top of my list is to figure out if the baby's healthy. I have been taking birth control the entire time, haven't taken any vitamins and we don't even know how far along I am. So me and my boyfriend go to a Planned Parenthood and take a test there. Which of course is positive, the nurse then tries to figure an estimated due date with the information I have given her. My due date is June 17^th 2002, she then tells me that I am about 15 weeks along. How in the world could I be 3 months pregnant and not even have the slightest clue. I just didn't understand.

I now have to find myself an OBGYN, I finally find myself one and have to see her on an every two week basis, I am considered high risk because of only being 14 years old. Everything goes well with the pregnancy, I gain weight like I should, take my vitamins like I should and do everything my doctor tells me too. I go into see my doctor again, and much to my surprise I am having an ultrasound today. I'm 24 weeks pregnant, my doctor tells me we can tell the sex of the baby . This puts everything into perspective, it everything seem so real. I am going through the ultrasound, patiently waiting to find out what I am having. Then out of the blue my doctor stops, turns the screen a bit closer to me and shows me that I am having a GIRL. Can you believe it I'm having a baby girl. MY pregnancy continues to stay good, except that my due date gets changed from June 17^th to July 9^th, so I wasn't as far along as I had expected.

I go into the doctors for a normal routine 37 week check up, and much to my surprise she tells me that I have gone far enough in my pregnancy. My Doctor tells me that she is sending me to be induced. The reason why she induced me is my age, at 14 years old my body hasn't even stopped growing, and my body has been put under enough stress with the pregnancy. I go into the hospital the evening of June 20^th and after 29 hours of labor on June 22^nd, my daughter is born. Only 6 days before my 15^th birthday, my gorgeous 6 pounds 15 ounce baby girl is born.

I am now a 21 year old wife and mother of 3 little daughters. My oldest baby is now 6 years old. I wouldn't change anything for the world. It may have been tough but my then boyfriend and I made it through. We were married in 2007 with two beautiful little girls, and everything was just wonderful. We then welcomed our youngest little girl just this year.

That is my story of how teen pregnancy changed my life. I was very young when I had my 1^st daughter, it may have been extremely tough. I gave up my childhood to raise my child. There were ups and downs, but I don't know what I would do without her. And for that I want to thank her.

This story is dedicated to my gorgeous daughter. I love you so much "Goose", you have made me so strong, and for that I would be lost without you.