Smart Teenagers

Pregnant teenagers are not only scared about going through labour and giving birth, but also by the decision of raising the baby or giving it up for adoption or aborting.

Raising the Baby

The one thing that pregnant teens know is that raising a baby hard. It’s probably the hardest job on earth. It’s even harder when you’re a child yourself.

You give up a lot to raise a child. You can’t go partying or hangout with your friends. Often, some of your friends disappear because they think that you don’t have much in common with them anymore. This is because you won’t be able to hang out with them as much.

Life also becomes expensive for most teenage mothers. Even with government welfare they rarely have enough money. Diapers cost $50 to $75 a month. Formula costs $75 to $100 a month. Child care costs $300 to $500 a month. That’s if you decide to work. This doesn’t include clothes, bottles, food, rent etc.

Adoption

Some pregnant teenagers feel that they are not ready to raise a child. These pregnant teenagers may view adoption as an alternative.

There are two types of adoption. There’s private adoption and sealed adoption.

Private Adoption

With private adoption you get to choose the adoptive parents. You may already know the adoptive parents or a relative might know that there’s a couple that wants to adopt. Or you may place an ad in the newspaper and interview the candidates.

The nice thing about a private adoption is that you get to know the couple. In some instances you can have an arrangement where the adoptive parents send you pictures of your child. This is called an open adoption because you have a relationship with the adoptive parents.

Sealed Adoption

A sealed adoption is also known as a closed adoption. With a sealed adoption, the pregnant teenager goes to an adoption agency. The agency chooses the adoptive couple before the baby is born. The pregnant teenager never gets to meet the adoptive parents. Once she has signed the required papers, she loses ownership of her baby. She will never get to see her baby again after she’s given birth.

Sealed adoptions are now rare because most states have passed a law against them. This is so that the child can later find his/her natural parents.

In both types of adoption, the adoptive parents usually pay for the mother’s medical expenses before she gives birth. Some give the mother money so that she can start a new life.

Abortion

An abortion is a forced miscarriage.

Some people say that abortion should be illegal. They say that it’s immoral. They say this because it is against their values or religious beliefs.

Suction

This procedure is done in a hospital or clinic. You lie on your back and spread your legs as you would during a gynecological visit. The doctor then inserts a spectrum into your vagina and opens your cervix. He then removes the placenta and fetus from the uterus with a suction device. The procedure only lasts a couple for minutes, so there's no need to stress.

You'll have to rest for 60 to 90 minutes afterwards. After that, you should be back to normal.

Saline

Saline abortion is also known as induction.

The doctor injects a strong salt water solution (it can also consist of a chemical called saline) into the sac containing the fetus. This forces a miscarriage.

The saline abortion is always performed in hospital. It is done after 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Conclusion

Whichever option you choose – raising the child, adoption or abortion – each has its consequences. If you choose to raise your child then you give up your childhood. If you put your baby up for adoption then you lose out on special moments you could’ve shared. If you abort then you may feel guilt for the rest of your life.

The best advice that I can give is that you make up your mind while you’re still pregnant. Most pregnant teenagers leave this too late.

Write down your values and your beliefs. You need to have a rough idea of these before you go for counselling. See a psychologist or a social worker. Talk to your school counsellor or to your priest or rabbi. Ask for advice and tell them what you believe. Some of the advice that you get will clash. You need to compare this advice with your values.

Take some time to make your decision, but not too much time. Once you’ve decided then stick with your decision.

At the end of the day it’s about your values and beliefs. It’s your body. It’s your life. You decide.