FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) Am I Pregnant? The most sure way to know is to get a pregnancy test! If you are still in high school, go to your guidance counselor and talk it over with him/her. They will most likely go out and get the test for you and not report to your parents until you feel is the right time. Missed periods, morning sickness (also happens anytime of day or night), tender and tingling breasts. Though these symptoms may be due to other things, they are a sign of pregnancy. Don't take the test until after your first missed period, at this time the test should work better. Ok, I'm Pregnant, now what? As a pregnant teen you do have options, but these options most likely may not be finalized without parental consent. You can choose either: a)adoption this is a better alternative than abortion and you'll know your baby is safe, you may also request to be sent pictures of your baby, depending on the adoption program and parents. b)abortion though I do not recommend this, it is your baby. You thought youself responsible enough to have sex, but can't be responsible enough to know better than murder a baby for your own "better life." People who do choose abortion become depressed and regret it alot. c)keep the baby most teen moms now-a-days choose to keep their baby. This is a very good option, but is very hard. You have to think of your future and the baby. The baby won't be small for long and as it grows it's need grows and the amount of money you need to spend grows as well. How do I tell my parents? There are many ways to tell your parents you are pregnant, yet none of them are easy. It all depends on the type of parents you have.

• If you suspect that your parents will yell and scream when you tell them the news, then try this method. Write a letter to them (or even and e-mail), leave it on their bed or by their breakfast/lunch/dinner whatever, or in a book they may read, just make sure they get it. By doing this, make sure you are not near when they read it, maybe put it someplace and leave the house for a short walk. Therefore they'll have no one to yell and scream at, so they'll give themselves a chance to think, though they may do a bit of yellin' and screamin' when you return it should be minimal to what may have happened.
• If you have the type of parents that will just sit quiet and maybe even cry, try this. Confront them face-to-face, YES, face-to-face. Tell them that your pregnant, explain how sorry you are and how disappointed they must be, tell them you are willing to do whatever it takes to raise the child (or whatever option you chose to go with) Though they may apear like they are not listening, they are hearing every word!
• For the parents who may consider kicking you out!!! There is no easy way to let them know. But you could try this. Tell them face-to-face, speak quickly. Have a small bag packed with a few pieces of clothes. Arrange with a friend or family member to have you stay with them a few days. Also write your parents a little note and leave it somewhere you know they'll find it, telling them where you will be and giving them the phone number or whatever. After quickly but respectfully explaining what has happened, pick up your packed bag and leave to go to where ever you arranged to stay. Some parents will call you back as soon as they see you attempt to leave, others will let you go and call you a few days after. If after maybe a week, your folks don't call to at least see how your doing, call them!!! It may be that they don't have the courage to face up to you after just letting you leave. Or maybe they know you will call when you feel ready, either way call them after 5-7 days. Some will take you in, and VERY rarely some parents will leave you on the street!

How will I support my baby? This nobody can answer but you. Since teen fathers aren't always reliable, the teen mother depends soley on parents, friends and family. You need to try to get a job. But this is VERY hard especially if you've dropped out of school. And if you can't afford a nanny or day care, then you can't get a job unless you have someone else to take care of your baby while you work. What about my education? In this case you don't have too many choices, but enough to keep you afloat. a)home study there are websites that offer online courses, or you can pay anywhere from $100 to $1000's for a complete home study course which you even get your high school diploma. These courses can take anywhere from 4-9 months depends on how much time you spend on them. There are high school courses and college courses. For the teen moms still in high school I highly suggest you try to get a diploma in some way. Home Study is great, you'll get to be with your baby and simply mail tests in and work etc. and it'll be graded and these courses finish way faster than school itself. If you are in the 11 grade and you begin the courses about 1 month into pregnancy and can complete each course in 4 months, you could have your high school diploma in 8 months!!!! For grades 11 and 12! Check this website for info on high school courses, Citizen School b) just drop out though I don't recommend it, if you don't have the time for normal high school and the money for home study, this is about the only option. A high school diploma is needed badly in todays world, and try to get one no matter what! c)stay in school this is very hard, you are still gonna have to leave for about 6 months anyway! because the last 4 months of pregnancy you begin to "show" alot, and it's dangerous to be in a school with hundreds of kids running down isles etc. But it is much better than just quiting. d) special teen mom school though not too many communities have these those who are lucky enough to have one near-by should try to get to it. They teach you alot and offer day care for your baby etc. I am not sure how much you pay or whether or not it's free but I do know this is a good option.   How will I know when Labor is starting? Even if right now you don't believe you'll know, you surely will. You will get a few small contractions lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to maybe a minute coming about 20-30 minutes apart, gradually these contractions will increase intensity and time between "rests." Also in some women the water breaks at the beginning of labor, this is a good sign. But some women the water breaks about one day before or even after birth, or maybe the doctor will have to burst it for you. When should I leave for the hospital? Depends on your doctor and how far away the hospital is from your home. I suggest you take a test run a few weeks before the set labor date to see how long and what route you want to take to get to the hospital. Some doctors prefer if you leave for the hospital a few mintutes after contractions are coming more intense, some want you to leave as soon as they start, discuss this with you doctor a few weeks before the set labor date. How many times should I feed the baby a day? You should feed the baby every 3-4 hours (for a 24 hour day) depending on its appetite. After a few days you will become accustomed to the babies eating habits and this will become easier. The baby isn't hungry, why is it crying? There are many reasons the baby may be crying. a)it may be uncomfortable check the crib or where ever you may have the baby. Check the baby's skin it may have been bitten by and ant etc. Make sure the diaper is clean if it is wet the baby may feel uncomfortable. b)it may be sick check the baby's temperature, see if there is any fluid running from its nose or maybe even eyes. Check for any skin discolorations. c)the room may be too hot or cold it is advisable that you get a nursery themometer this tells you exactly how a baby's room should be, and shows you the temperture the room may be at, at the time. If it's too hot, turn on the air conditioner, if you don't have this, try getting a small fan or opening a few windows. If it is too cold, cover the baby, close any open windows and turn off any fans or air conditioners. d)the baby may need to be burped Yes this can make a baby not sleep. If you have just fed the baby and forgotten to burp it or thought it didn't need burping, take it from where ever it may be and lay it over your shoulder and gently tap or rub its back, if it does not burp there may be something else the matter. e)the baby may be tired, but unable to sleep in this case, lay the baby in its crib, try sing softly to it and maybe even rub its belly very softly. If that doesn't work then take the baby in your arms and rock it slowly back and forth or walk around the house with it rocking slowly. You can even try humming while doing this, when you do get the baby to sleep you must GENTLY lay it back in the crib. IF EVEN AFTER TRYING ALL OF THESE AND THE BABY DOES NOT STOP CRYING IMMEDIATELY SEE A DOCTOR!!! How old must my baby be before given solid foods? Some babies even before they have teeth like to chew. Between the ages of 3 and 6 months you may begin adding a little baby cereal to the baby's milk. You can get the soft gerber baby foods etc. I am on a small budget, what does my new baby need most? When your a teen mom, budgets are tight, getting what you need sames immpossible much less getting what you want. What your baby needs most in it first few weeks is of course a crib, clothing (at least 2 suits and 2 booties or socks). You need crib linen (if you can't afford to buy this at first, check to see if you have any VERY soft linen of your own, even if it is clean rewash it without detergents fold it to fit the crib as well as possible). A baby does NOT need a pillow, these give the baby risk of suffocation. If you plan to breast feed that will knock ALOT of expense of your budget, as long as you eat right so that the milk will be perfectly healthy. If you plan to bottle feed get 2 or 3 bottles and formula, this builds up to alot of money after a few months. You need to get diapers, either disposable or cloth, although the cloth ones save money (since you only got to buy about 7 and keep washing over and over) the disposable ones are more sanitary and you don't have to worry about too many leaks, or did I wash them good? etc. These are the main things. Can I make my baby's clothes? Yes you can. Choose very soft cloth in soft colors (baby blues, light pinks, light yellows etc.) Whether you have a sewing machine or plan to sew on hand this is always a money saver. Make sure to make a few little booties or baby socks, make bed clothes and going out clothes etc. Be sure to make the clothes that you have easy access when changing diapers, and that the clothing are easy to put on, with wide necks. Also make a few little hats.   HOME