Teen mum and proud of it! (Teenage Pregancy)

Member Name: clarabella23

Product:	Teenage Pregancy
Date:	07/01/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Made me who I am, showed me what I could do

Disadvantages: Not normally planned pregnancies, some people feel they are missing out on life.

I am glad reading the reviews that no-one actually seems to be giving teenage mums a hard time. It is a hard job, as it is for any mum, but it has it's benefits as well as negatives.
I was technically classed as a teenage mum. I was 18, but thought of myself as in a different situation, as i'd been with my partner for well over 2 years, and I already had my own house, so wasn't relying on others for everything.
I found the comments and disparaging remarks so hurtful during my pregnancy. Yes, I was young, and yes, I had got caught pregnant by mistake (problems with the pill, won't happen again!), but does that make it OK th judge me? We decided we were keeping the baby, faced up to the facts, and dealt with i ourselves. We paid for everything for our dauhter ourselves, except the pram, which my mum bought. My mum also did this for my 26 year old brother, but I was the one that people made comments about, surprise, surprise!
On the plus side, I found the medical profession to be very helpful during my pregnancy and after the birth. I had various problems during the pregnancy and had to be scanned every two weeks, as well as ending up in hospital with other problems every few weeks, and I found that almost all of the midwives, doctors and health visitors were absolutely great. The only time I found them to be unhelpful was when I said I had decided not to breastfeed after my daughter was born. I felt they were very disapproving of that, and found it easier to 'tell me off', because I was younger than them.
On the whole, I feel I am a better person for being a young mum. While people of my age are still spending weekends and all their money partying, drinking and sleeping around, I work full time, own my own home and car and have a happy, healthy 5 year old. How can that be a bad thing?

Summary: Might not be for everyone but worked wonders for me!