My Story about Teenage Pregnancy
This is my personal account of navigating teenage pregnancy. My world shifted dramatically when I was 13; my parents separated, and while my mother relocated to the countryside with my younger siblings, I, in true teenage stubbornness, chose to remain with my father. I was just starting to experience the highs and lows of high school and had recently begun my first real relationship. It was during this time that I lost my virginity to this boyfriend. Subsequently, he was unfaithful with my son’s future father’s ex-girlfriend – a complicated twist of fate that led me to meet the father of my child.
Our relationship was less than five months old when I began experiencing unusual physical changes. Despite not missing any menstrual cycles, I was frequently sent home from school due to nausea. Being only in Year 9, my academic life was already faltering. I started a downward spiral, with school attendance becoming increasingly sporadic. My father, attributing my struggles to the recent family separation, arranged for me to see the school counselor weekly. However, this intervention did little to improve my attendance or overall situation.
One day, my brother and his girlfriend (now happily married with two daughters) came to stay with us.
It was my brother’s girlfriend who noticed my condition and suspected pregnancy, handing me two home pregnancy tests. Hesitantly, I took one. The agonizing three-minute wait felt like an eternity, and then the result: one strong pink line and another very faint line. My immediate reaction was disbelief and fear, ‘oh no!’ I took the second test, and to my dismay, it was also positive.
My brother and his girlfriend drove me to the nearest emergency clinic. After providing a urine sample and undergoing another test, the doctor declared, “you aren’t pregnant.” Relief washed over me. However, about a month later, I missed my period. Finding me in tears in my room, my brother’s girlfriend suggested, “maybe the doctor’s test was too early to detect it?” Her words resonated with a nagging feeling I couldn’t ignore.
Driven by this possibility, I scheduled an appointment with my regular GP for the next day. Walking into the clinic, I was filled with apprehension. I opted for a blood test to be absolutely certain. Three long days later, my brother accompanied me to the doctor’s office. There it was, the confirmation, laid out in my blood results: I was pregnant, estimated to be between 8 to 12 weeks along. On the drive home, my brother and I called my dad to share the news. His initial reaction was far from positive; he thought I was joking until my brother confirmed the reality.
Teenage Pregnancy: First Ultrasound
My dad accompanied me to my dating scan at 11 weeks and 4 days. The memory of that day is vivid. On the way home, his anger erupted, yelling at me, calling me an idiot, and insisting I should get an abortion. Later, my son’s father arrived with his mother and stepfather. We sat down together to discuss our situation.
My boyfriend and I had already decided to keep the baby. Abortion was not an option for either of us. Sitting in my living room, he gently rubbed my stomach and reassured me of his love for me and our baby, promising his unwavering support. Despite my father’s initial harsh reaction, he ultimately became the most supportive of all the parents. He grew to accept and cherish the fact that I was carrying his first grandchild.
Teenage Pregnancy: The Birth
My ‘show’ occurred on December 24th, 2013. Early on January 2nd, 2014, around 6:30 am, labor pains began. I went downstairs and spent the next four hours in a warm bath. My boyfriend, realizing I wasn’t in bed, checked on me. I reassured him I was fine, just uncomfortable, and urged him to go back to sleep. Reluctantly, he did.
When he woke up at 10 am and found me still in the bath, he inquired again if I was okay. I repeated that I was fine and that he should go about his day, promising to be out soon. An hour later, I finally got out of the bath and went upstairs to try and sleep, managing to rest until 4 pm. For another hour, I endured increasingly painful contractions in bed. Finally, at 5 pm, I got up and double-checked my hospital bag, ensuring everything was packed.
Around 6:30 pm, I went downstairs to find everyone eating dinner. I declined to join, feeling unwell and in pain, and headed back to the bath. After four more hours of laboring in the bath, my stepmother knocked on the door and asked if we needed to go to the hospital. I simply replied, “Yep.” My boyfriend helped me out of the bath and even put my dressing gown on me.
The car ride to the hospital was excruciating.
Upon arrival, I was found to be three centimeters dilated. The hospital staff informed me that if labor hadn’t progressed further in two hours, they would send me home. They administered pethidine for pain relief, and I managed to sleep for about two hours. While I rested, my dad called my mother, who lived three hours away, to let her know it was time. My mother drove through the night to be there for the birth of her grandson.
When I woke up, my room was filled with family – my boyfriend’s parents, my parents, my younger sister, and my grandmother. When it was time to check my dilation, I asked everyone except my partner to leave the room. I was now five centimeters dilated, and the medical staff decided to break my waters. The sensation of my waters breaking was unexpected; it wasn’t the dramatic gush often described. It was just a small amount of fluid.
At 10 am on January 3rd, 2014, it was time to start pushing. Just half an hour later, at 10:30 am, my beautiful son, Jake Dean Pearce, was born. My partner cut the umbilical cord. I couldn’t hold Jake immediately because his shoulders were stuck, and he was cold. He was placed on a heating pad, and just moments later, he was placed in my arms. My partner and I both cried as we held our son for the first time. I remained in the hospital for three days before being discharged.
Teenage Pregnancy: In the End
Bringing my baby boy home was the most incredible feeling. Everything felt perfect. Balancing motherhood, being a partner, a big sister, and trying to continue my education was challenging, but I managed. However, within four months, things became complicated. My partner requested a DNA test to confirm Jake was his son. The test confirmed paternity. Yet, just four months after Jake’s birth, my partner was unfaithful. Although Jake’s father and I are no longer together, we maintain a healthy friendship. He has a caring girlfriend who treats Jake with love and fairness.
What about me?
I am now in a very fulfilling relationship and happily engaged. My fiancé and I are expecting our first child together in December 2015. My fiancé also has a son, just four days older than Jake, for whom he has full custody. I have never been happier, but my journey has not been without its difficulties. I lost many friends when I became pregnant and remain out of touch with many people from that time. School was also a constant struggle. I faced considerable criticism, but I wouldn’t change a thing, even if I could.
Being a young mother and continuing with school is hard. I stopped attending school at six months pregnant and relied on my stepmother to care for Jake while I attended school to complete Year 10. In January of this year, I enrolled Jake in childcare for the first time. I have returned to school, and my partner and I live independently, just 15 minutes from my mother and 30 minutes from my father.
Life is often challenging, but there is always hope. Seeing Jake, now a happy toddler, running around our home reminds me to stay strong. I am currently halfway through Year 11 and look forward to finishing high school so I can dedicate more time to both of my children. It’s not an easy path, and teenage pregnancy is not something to be taken lightly. Be sure you are prepared for the realities and consequences, and if you are pregnant, know that perfection is unattainable.
