I was 15 when i became pregnant. I was scared and part of me really didn't believe I was pregnant.
By anonymous on 12/06/2008
I was 15 when i became pregnant. I was scared and part of me really didn't believe I was pregnant. My relationship with my mum was not a good one and my own father had left when I was 7 years old. I felt like I didn’t have a soul in the world and wished I was dead. When I did tell my mum I was 6 months pregnant and even though she let me stay living at home at that point life was hard and unhappy. My school was also informed and they had me dismissed as they said it was a liability to have me there. I didn’t contact my friends; I felt too ashamed, so in turn I had nobody. When my baby was born my mum was forcing me to give her up. I lay in my hospital bed feeling empty as the ward filled with happy families twice a day at visiting hours. I still cry when I recall my memories, but I would go through that another hundred times to have what I have now because, you see, despite everything, I kept my baby and when I was old enough I left home and began a new life with just me and my baby.
She is 20 years old now and at university studying law and every day when I see her face I know I made the right choice. I forgave my mum but our relationship never improved. My daughter showed me how to love and what it felt like to be loved. It wasn't easy; it was the biggest learning curve I ever had to undertake but she was worth every bit of it. People used to think she was my little sister and still do and we have always giggled at this. For anybody in this situation, follow your heart. It will tell you the right choice to make. Yes, I missed out on doing so much stuff when I was a teenager but I didn't give up. My daughter went into nursery and I went to college, where I rejoined my friends who fell in love with my little girl.
A few years ago I went back into the education system and went to university and got myself a degree. If I had given my baby up, so my family could save face, I would have regretted it every day for the rest of my life. Being a teenage mum isn't the best thing in the world but it isn't the worst thing either. If you are a teenage girl and pregnant, follow your heart not what people are telling you to do. This is your life and whatever you decide to do is what you have to live with. Like I said, don’t get me wrong, having a baby is the toughest job in the world. You are unpaid and on call 24/7 and at times feel like you are watching the rest of the world passing you by but it is rewarding too. If you are the family member of a pregnant teenage girl, don't destroy her for what has happened. Support her, and remember she isn't the first and won’t be the last teenager to find herself in this situation but it’s what you do from here that makes all the difference. Things happen in life that we don’t always plan, growing up can be tough and everyone makes mistakes. That’s what makes us human. Turning around an unplanned event and showing that your love and support is unconditional will reap huge rewards for everyone later in life. X
Editor’s note: Thank you for sharing your story…It is quite evident that you are at peace with yourself having made that courageous decision all those years ago. It must have been very difficult for you, overcoming your circumstances and navigating your way through life without the much needed support of family and friends. Your courage has now paid off; you have a wonderful daughter and made up for what you missed at that age in terms of your education. What a success story you are – all because you heard your heart, paid attention to it, followed it and fought against the odds, all the time knowing that, whatever the circumstances, you were at peace with yourself. Thank you for being someone whose story can bring life and courage to others…
