Teenage Pregnancy
In today's society, it is hard to be a sex-free teenager when everywhere you look you are being influenced by the graphic sexual images on TV, in magazines, and elsewhere. Peer pressure also plays a major role, influencing a young person to commit sexual acts at an early age. When teenagers are sexually active, pregnancy can happen causing many young mothers to feel that their lives are over and that they will have to spend their remaining free time taking care of a child.
Indeed, a newborn needs constant attention and supervision, but with the proper handling of the situation a teenage pregnancy can be used as an opportunity to begin a new life and to correct the wrongdoings of the past. With optimism, good-naturedness and family support, a young woman dealing with teenage pregnancy can overcome the hurdles of attending school through to graduation and raising a child successfully.
Remaining optimistic and warding off the stresses that sometimes accompany a teenage pregnancy can go a long way in ensuring a healthy lifestyle and a healthy birth. Stress not only affects one's mental state, but it also causes harm to the body. Stress forces the body to work at a heightened-panic, alarmed state fatiguing muscles and other bodily functions. Remaining calm, on the other hand, helps hormones that are needed for proper fetal development get to where they need to go. Relaxation techniques can alleviate many of the problems of pregnancy-related stress. One can begin a yoga or meditation program where they can learn and focus on breathing techniques that will soothe frustrated nerves.
Along with remaining calm, thoughts of a good nature also help stave off inadvertent pregnancy stresses. When a pregnancy occurs it is easy to get caught up in detrimental emotions. These can include feelings or thoughts of suicide, producing self-inflicted wounds, and/or being or feeling crabby and irritable. All of these can wreak havoc on a body trying to produce the essential hormones needed for proper fetal development. Keeping the mind free of bad thoughts can prevent this. Physicians recommend reaching out for support, either from friends, family or the baby's father.
It is not unusual for a pregnant teenager to feel isolated and alone. This can stem from the fear of having to notify parents or from feeling humiliated in school. According to Webmd.com, if a teenage mother is not supported by at least one adult, whether it is a parent or other adult in the community, it is less likely that the mother will eat healthy, keep fit, or get the proper rest they need. Although the thought of confronting parents with this issue may seem terrifying, the best bet would be to let at least one adult know as soon as a pregnancy is discovered. An adult can help to procure prenatal care like checkups and vitamins. There are people out there willing to help, if one so desires. A support network of adults can help fend off feelings of isolation and fear.
It does no one any good to think of a teenage pregnancy as a life sentence. Bringing a life into this world has hidden joys and rewards. Successfully raising a child can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences in this life. Not everyone gets the chance to raise a child. Some women suffer from sterility or other complications that may leave them unable to become pregnant. Other women get pregnant and tragically miscarry. A pregnancy should be viewed as a miracle and every precaution should be taken to ensure that the life within one's belly makes it through all three trimesters and comes out healthy.
