Becoming a Teen Mom.

We always think it could never happen to me. No one plans it either, but sometimes life doesn’t happen how we plan.

Being a teen in the 90’s is nothing like it is now. We didn’t have social media, rules, and cell phones. I was the rebellious one who hated school, and hung with wrong crowd. At the age of 14 I was already skipping school, smoking weed, and trying alcohol. This is never the way I planned my life to start. If I only knew as much as I thought I did. I wish at this time in my life I had someone showing me the right path.

I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everybody. Once I got to high school I was already sexually active. There was always that one teacher trying to help. But, I was never trying to listen to higher authority. I knew it all and I knew exactly what I was doing, so I thought! When I was 15 I started to work, and I was introduced to an older guy through my brother. It seems like most teens are flattered when an older guy shows interest. This was my first mistake.

As I got older I started to dress more promiscuously. I was still into drinking and smoking weed. It makes me sad now to think that no one in my life warned me of what dressing like this could do. I know I made my own decisions, but I was still just a kid. Still knew no better. When I was 16 this older guy I was introduced to previously became my boyfriend. Of course no one agreed with me being with him because of his bad past and our age difference. Which to a 16 year old that just encourages the relationship more.

It didn’t take long for us to become close and sexually active. I was in love. Especially because all my friends liked him too, but he chose me. Being the rebellious teen I was I was always at his mom’s house. Skipped school to see him, and stayed over by lying to my mom. You can only guess the consequence we were bound to face going this route.

Surprise!! Not even two months later I found at I was pregnant. Scariest feeling in my life, being a teenager, and still in high school.

I bought myself a test after missing my period. Trying to hide it, I took it to school and made excuse to use bathroom during class. I could of screamed when it came up positive, but I was in such a shock I didn’t even react. I went back to class and told one of my close friends, at that time. She reacted the same way I did!

The hardest part about all this is I couldn’t even share with anyone. Being pregnant at 16, I had to hide it. There were so many thoughts and questions going through my head. Do I keep it? How do I tell my boyfriend? Will he get in trouble? How will my mom react? What am I gonna do?

After getting positive test I had to tell my boyfriend. He wasn’t very thrilled about this. He was terrified he would get locked up. We agreed to hide it as long as I could, but we knew we had to tell my mom sometime. I mean, come on, I’ll eventually either get bigger. I wore baggy clothes and didn’t tell anyone else.

It wasn’t long that my mom noticed these baggy clothes and odd behavior. She first told me I was getting abortion once we confirmed pregnancy with doctor. She took me to our home town clinic and I got a pregnancy test done. I knew the results already, so to no surprise doctor confirmed it. I told my mom I wasn’t getting abortion. I was determined I would have the baby and we would take care of it, without her help.

Once it was out in the open, the rest of the town got news of it. I knew how it looked to everyone and it made my boyfriend pull away. You can only imagine how I felt. Sixteen, walking around with big belly, and now my boyfriend freaked to even be with me. This had to be the worst time in my life. I just convinced myself I could do it. I was already working and planned to continue finishing school.

As time went on I started getting in trouble because I wasn’t attending school. I was embarrassed to walk the halls. Being labeled as the pregnant teen in my school. Although, I did my best to take care of myself, the baby, and help my boyfriend not be freaked.

During the beginning of pregnancy I started staying at his mom’s house with him. This made it easier so if I needed anything. Unfortunately, around my 5 month mark my boyfriend ended up getting put in prison. I was crushed. I now was doing it completely alone. The worst part was he was gonna be gone for 5 months. Putting him gone for the rest of the pregnancy and the birth. This had to of been the worst feeling on a pregnant 16 year old. I had no choice but to be strong for this child.

Once my boyfriend had been gone for a few months I moved back home. So, when I went in labor my mom could take me to the hospital. I was due two months after my 17th birthday. I continued working and attending high school up until delivery. I was two days over my due date when I went into labor. Surprisingly I handled the labor pains well up until the contractions were 5 minutes apart. That is when my mom took me to the hospital. My labor was long, hard, and it was 20 hours before my son made his entrance into the world. He was 9lbs 2oz and 21 inches long. I was officially a teen mother!