Parenting

If you choose to parent your child you may need to re-arrange some things in your life.

You may need to find out how much parental leave you will be able to take from work or if you can continue to go to school after the baby is born. There are also organizations that provide baby equipment exchanges and new parent support groups.

It may be helpful to call your local Planned Parenthood to find out what organizations or schools have special programs for teen parents in your area.

There are different health risks for adolescents who are pregnant. Teen mothers tend to have lower birth weight babies which could lead to health problems for the baby.

Prenatal classes could help you learn about not only pain management during delivery, but also nutrition, childcare and breast feeding. The sooner you take care of your own health and the baby’s, the better the chances are that the baby will be healthy at birth.