I'm 17 almost 18 I found out today I'm pregnant what should I do? I'm scared?

Answer 1

you need to talk to your parents, the babies father, your doctor, your teacher, a therapist, someone you trust and figure out what to do with the baby and with your life. can you raise this baby? where will you live and how will you feed it

Answer 2

You have to ask yourself the hard questions, and then make choices that follow those answers, and live with those answers for the rest of your life.

Are you going to deliver it or kill it?
Are you going to raise it or give it away, or some combination thereof?

This is what it means by being responsible enough to make the decision about whether to have sexual relations. It means that you are going to have to live with the outcomes of those actions.

One of my best friends tells me "I murdered my first baby". I didnt believe it was wrong at the time, but later on I realized I was wrong. If you abort, you may change your beliefs later and regret it.

If you decide to keep it, then you have to be able to provide for it for the next 18 years. Alone you arent in a position as a 17 year old to do that. Talk to the father. Talk to your local church, you would be surprised how they can help you. They wont run the race for you, but they can help you get to where you can stand on your feet and you can run the race and complete it well.

If you decide to give it away then there are a few options. Sometimes relatives will adopt the kids. There is a kind of adoption called "open adoption" where you can still have a relationship with the child even though someone else raises it. You might look into that.

The longer you take to tell people about this, and build up your team, the less prepared you are going to be when it comes time to deliver the baby, and feed it, and buy diapers.

Answer 3

What do you want to do? Are you ready to settle down and have a baby? Taking care of a child is a full time job. I have a 3 year old and a 5 month old. I am 26 and still can't manage it all sometimes. I wish I could get a break every once in a while. I can't sleep alone, shower alone, use the toilet alone. Kids can be great when you are ready. Do you have any support from the father? Will your parents help you out? You need to tell your parents. They might surprise you and be 100% behind whatever you decide to do. You are going to need their support no matter what. If you are afraid, talk to a counselor or pastor or even a close friend. Have them go with you to talk to your parents. I hope all goes well for you. And if you are happy with this pregnancy then congratulations!

Answer 4

First thing I would do is tell an adult you trust. Your parents, an aunt, a grandparent, even a friend's parent. They can help you figure out how to tell your parents and make the right decisions for yourself. I know you are scared, but all in all this probably won't be as bad as you think some day.

If you do not have anyone you can to to with this information, there are programs almost everywhere for unwed mothers and teenage mothers. Your local health department can help you with those choices, and can get you the services you need for yourself and your unborn baby.

Remember: this isn't just about you anymore. It's about you AND another human being. This could be the one person in the world coming that you would do ANYTHING for. Being a mom is a blessing, just sometimes not the right timing. It will be hard.

I raised two great girls (twins) that I gave birth to at 19 years old. They are both in college today and doing great. You will be in my prayers.

Answer 5

I've been there .... I was much younger and had to make a decision that I regret now and I always will ... but @ the time I was scared and I had no one to turn to. I got an abortion. I don't know what your feelings are on that but I was only 14 and terrified. I never talked to anyone ... not even the counselor planned parenthood suggested ... i just did it and that's what i regret ... I never thought it through. THINK IT THROUGH ... whatever is the right choice for you ... don't do anything for anyone else, not your family, not the father, no one but you. YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON, and YOU are the only one that can change YOUR LIFE. It will be hard no matter the choice ... but at least you'll know you made it yourself. I got caught up in the shame and humiliation of it all, all I kept thinking was that "I hope no one ever finds out!" ... it's there, you can't take it back so don't be ashamed of it. My decision was made from fear... don't let that happen to you. Talk to someone unbiased, a counselor, an obgyn, look at all your options and make an informed choice! Much Love!

Answer 6

Talk to the father of your baby as well as your parents. Also make an appointment with a doctor. Good luck and congratulations. Please don't go on welfare. You can have a child without having taxpayers support you.

I can't believe some people on here. I was 17 when I got pregnant with my first child. I now have 2 and I've never been on welfare, I'm still with my daughters' father. I also graduated high school and I'm going back to college next year. Not everyone ruins their life by having a baby at a young age. At 18, you can support a child if you don't want to give it up for adoption.

Answer 7

Definitely speak to your parents. They need to know in order to make sure you receive the proper medical care during the pregnancy. You should also speak to the father of the baby to let him know.

You have options that require your careful consideration:

1. Keep the baby, be the best mother possible;
2. Give the baby up for open adoption;
3. Abort the pregnancy;
4. Allow a family member to adopt the baby;
5. Arrange for a private adoption;

Obviously, I am a fan of adoption if you choose not to raise the baby on your own. When a close relative found herself in your situation eight years ago, she decided to allow me to adopt her baby. A few months later she found out she was having twins. Another few months went by and she and the father of the babies decided to marry and keep the children. I am happy to say that they are doing fine. The twins are happy and healthy kids.

If you need to talk to someone, please let it be a trusted adult. Talking to others your age may feel right, but most teenagers lack the ability to be objective about such a serious topic. That is not to say that you should avoid the topic with your friends; however, when you hear their advice, consider how much weight you should apply to the advice.

I wish you the best of luck!

Will D
Enterprise AL

Answer 8

There are only a few options for you. Abortion, aboption, or keeping the baby. You need to do some reseach on all of them a do what you feel is right, dont listen to others. I will tell you a little about what I know about each but you still should do research and go with your heart. Im not telling you which you should do just going to try and give you a little info on all. First I will tell you that none of them are easy choices and they all have there good and bad. I have a friend who had an abortion and she is pretty messed up by it. We are best friends and the only time she talked to me about her abortion was when she found out I was pregnant (Im nine months now) and she begged me not to do it. Some people think that this is an easy way out and they tend not to understand that abortion can be the worst emotional upset for a women to go though, try to research the emotional effects if you choose this. For one of my friends she also had an abortion and although she doesnt talk about it she has told me that she hurt by it but she feels that it was best for her, she was very young, just was kicked out of her apartment, and going though a on and off again relationship. I dont know to much about aboption but I have heard of many women not being able to give up the baby after carrying the baby. But some women are happy that they are able to give their child a better life. And of course there is the choice of keeping the child. I will be honest when I first read the pregnancy test I said I was getting an abortion, but then by the next day I just couldnt do it and wanted to keep it. Im only 21 and havent finished college so of course the baby has put college on hold for awhile and I do struggle with making rent but for me I feel that it is worth it. So like I said there are positive and negatives for all of your choices. You should talk to your parents and even though they may be upset at first they will help you though. I was scared to death when I found out I was pregnant but everything seemed to fall to place so just trust in yourself and you will be fine. I hope what I have said has helped and good luck

Answer 9

Talk to your parents and the baby's father and decide what do as far as keepin the baby or what have you. Bein a parent is a huge step of adult hood. Just because you have a baby doesn't mean that all your dreams are gone down the drain. Many women now days have kids and go to school and work. That doesn't mean it is easy but Life in general isn't easy. With support from family and friends you will be fine. It is something you have to decide, but you should of thought about it before having sex. I don't mean to sound mean but you know. There are plenty of state help if you don't have family to help you out. Check with your local health department. Good Luck and best wishes to you and It is your choice

Answer 10

Don't be scared. Take the time to research your options. Is the father likely to be in the picture? You should communicate with him. Is marriage something you see in your future?
If not, will you be able to raise the child yourself? Consider carefully your financial situation and your hopes for higher education. Luckily, these days it isn't binary -- you can have both.
If financially it doesn't seem to be working, think about allowing someone to adopt your child. There are many options there: open adoption, closed adoption, and more! There are lots of Web resources for this research.
Do not panic. It is not the end of your life. Take the time to make the decision that is right for you.

Answer 11

I'm the same age and if it was me, i would choose what would be best for the baby, for example, if you think it would be better off with a family that could focus all of their attention to raising a child then adoption would be my way to go because i know with college i would not be able to give the baby the attention it needs. i would talk to someone who is close to you about your decision making, like your parents. I wish you the best of luck and don't give up hope, sometimes these things just work themselves out!

For all you know, in the long run this could be a blessing in disguise!