Teen Pregnancy Help

Pregnant teens and teenage moms need several kinds of support, including social and emotional, medical, and academic support. This article will give pregnant teens and their family members ideas on where to look for teen pregnancy support.

Social and emotional support

One of the first kinds of support pregnant teens will need is emotional and social support. Though parents of pregnant teens may feel angry or disappointed, they should try to offer support to their teen who is dealing with pregnancy. Some areas have support groups for the parents of pregnant teens.

Depression is common among pregnant teens, and a pregnant teen may feel left out by her friends or may not know how to talk to her parents and friends. Pregnant teens need an opportunity to express their fears, hopes, concerns, and questions without feeling judged. A pregnant and parent teen support group offers a place where they can talk to other girls who are going through the same thing and make new friends who understand their concerns. Support groups may be available through schools, community centers, health clinics, or religious organizations. Teens can check the phone book or ask doctors, counselors, or other adults for help finding a support group.

Teens should be careful about joining online support groups as these sometimes offer bad advice and misinformation. A good support group should provide privacy and be moderated by an expert, such as a doctor or counselor.

Medical support

The other type of support it’s important for teens to find early is medical support. Pregnant teens face special medical needs, and should see a doctor as early in their pregnancy as possible. A good doctor will be able to give the teen advice about nutrition, common fears and concerns regarding pregnancy, what to expect during and after pregnancy, and possible complications that might occur.

Doctors can also help teens find prenatal classes to help them have a healthy pregnancy and delivery, as well as programs to help them quit using any alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs if the teen has a substance abuse problem. They may also be able to direct them to parenting classes and programs that help with the financial cost of having a baby.

Academic support

One of the most important things a pregnant teen can do for herself and her baby is to finish school, but this can be a difficult task. Pregnant teens need the support of at least one concerned adult, such as a parent, teacher, or counselor, who can help them find the best programs to get finished with school, such as schools for pregnant or parent teens, tutoring, homeschool, online school, night classes, or GED programs.

Other types of support

There are many other types of support a pregnant teen may need, depending on her situation. Some of these types of support for pregnant teens include:

• Parenting. Teens who are raising their babies will have a lot of questions about being a good mom, and support groups for teen moms, including those at school, church, or medical center, can offer a chance to learn, ask questions, and find out what to expect from motherhood.
• Marriage. Teens who choose to marry may want counseling and guidance as they face the challenge of supporting each other and their baby.
• Financial. Pregnant teens and teen moms need to be able to pay for medical care and good nutrition before and after birth. WIC, Medicaid, and many other local programs are available to help mothers and infants have a healthy pregnancy and birth. Pregnant teens should also learn financial skills like managing money and finding and keeping a job.
• Adoption. Teens who choose to give babies up for adoption may want to join an adoption support group, or may want to talk to participants to find out if adoption is right for them.
• Spiritual. Many teens may want spiritual guidance on the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood, or the choices now facing them in life, such as getting married or raising a baby as single parent. Religious groups may offer support groups or counseling, possibly even to those of other religions.

Sources:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, "When Children Have Children" [online]

Nemours, KidsHealth, "When Your Teen is Having a Baby" [online]

Mothers of Preschoolers, Teen MOPS [online]