is it hard to take care of a baby at 16??? please explain?

Question

im not pregnant a friend of mine is...and she is 16 . 7 mothns pregnant

Answer 1

Honestly, from personal experience, it's not as hard as everyone will tell you it is. It's true that it's hard at any age, and it's true that your never really ready to have a child until it actually happens. I was lucky enough to have an extremely supportive family & be eligable for welfare programs like Medicaid, WIC, & Food Stamps. If your friend is worried about costs, she might wanna research some of those programs. The average cost lately of having a child is between $6,000-10,000 depending on where you live. I also ended up dropping out of high school & getting a GED & getting to go to college a year earlier than my graduating class, however, most high schools lately can accomidate a pregnant teen with an alternative way to graduate then having to attend class with everyone else. Physically, she'll be considered a high risk pregnancy, and may have complications or go into labor early, but overall she should have a healthy pregnancy. I did, but I also went into labor a month early. After my son was born I managed to balance taking care of him, working a full time job, and studying to get into college. I had alot of help from my mother, but I got up in the middle of the night, I made bottles, & I changed alot of diapers. It was frustrating at first, but you get use to it after a while. Emotionally, she may experience some depression since she won't be able to do all of the things girls her age will be getting to do (unless she has really cool parents who are willing to babysit alot). I went through a period of mourning the fact that I was no longer a child & had to focus all my attention on raising a child, but I got over it quickly. My son is now 4 years old, perfectly healthy, im married (not to his father), im still going to college, & I work a part time job. So, for me personally, it wasn't hard it was just a little frustrating at times. I highly suggest looking into getting government assistance or discounted health insurance if she cant afford the medical bills & food costs. Alot of baby magazines will offer free subscriptions to expecting moms if she wants to do some research. And if she has the love & support of her family & friends she should do just fine. Good luck!

Answer 2

It's not easy taking care of a baby as a full grown thirty-something adult! Of course it will be hard at 16. Yes, baby's are cute - but they cost money - LOTS of money. Do you have a full time job? Does it come with health insurance? How will you work full time and finish school? Are you prepared to take care of a baby alone, or are you expecting your parents to do a lot of the leg work? Who is going to buy the formula, diapers, pay for day care, clothes, etc.?

These are just a FEW of the questions a 16 year old needs to be asking herself if she's considering becoming pregnant.

There is so much life out there for you to live - that you should live - BEFORE you have a child. Sex and reproduction aren't the only fun and interesting things to do in life. You'll miss out on a lot if you have a baby at 16 - and so will your child. God bless you, I hope if you are not already pregnant, that you think this through and hold off for a long, long time.

Answer 3

UMM....YES! First of all, what jobs can a 16 year old get that could pay for the care of a baby i.e. formula, diapers, clothes, socks, doctor care, need I say more! Also at 16, your still in highschool and education is very important seeing as you need at least a high school diploma/GED to work basically anywhere/everywhere that pays good. Even if someone were 16 and quit high school to get their GED they still have to be 18 to work at say a factory. I'm done talking right now because I don't think a 16 yr old should be having sex let alone be a mother or father!

Answer 4

Well it is hard to take care of a baby at any age. If you are thinking of having a baby at 16 , you can forget about party's hanging out with you friends and just having fun with your age group. You are stuck with a baby and thats all it going to be you and the baby. Don't forget how much they can cost. A pack of 140 Diapers is up to $25 not to mention that wont last you a month. formula is $13 a can and it also goes quick. Then you got cloths to bye they grow fast. Wipes $12, pacifiers, sleepless nights. There is a good side to this but you need to be old enough to understand. I know thing happen but it is hard.

Answer 5

I am 16 and know 3 girls (all 17 at the moment) with babies, and I hope your friend isn't like those three. They are all still as immature, lazy, uncoopertive and selfish as they were before, even more so actually. Those girls still party hard and are doing the same thing that got them pregnant (one is pregnant with her second baby after having a baby in October, day before her 17th birthday with a different boys baby). Though having mom and dad there to help, no mom should be out partying every night just because mom and dad can take care of it. I hope that your friend will take better care of not only the baby, but of herself. You, too, should help her. Instead of going to that party on Friday, help her take care of the baby so she won't feel so alone. You have to be her friend, that's the only thing that's going to keep her sane.

Answer 6

You bet it is! A baby ties you down, totally. You never get to go anywhere unless you can bring baby along, too. You're stuck at home, while your friends are all out. Even getting out to the store for groceries is sometimes hard.

I don't know what your financial situation is, but babies cost a lot. They always need things, like diapers, new clothes every few months. Formula, baby food, baby cribs & other furniture. Baby bath tubs, a stroller, a buggy, a car seat, a baby carrier, and on and on and on. The list never ends.

You have to be prepared to get up during the night to feed baby at first. After baby is sleeping thru the night, there will be illnesses that you'll need to get up and take care of. Ear aches, teething, tummy aches, colic, many other things.

If you have someone who can help you with the financial things, and someone who will help you often with baby care, you can probably manage. It'll be tough, but you can manage it. If there is no one who can help you, it may not be very managable.

Answer 7

You have a very big heart and you need to love to fill it. I suggest you volunteer at your local Hospitals as a candy striper call and ask if your old enough. Ask your parents if you can get a baby sitting job or nanny type work. You will have fun and you won't be tied down to a baby of your own which at your age would not be good for you. Have fun and think about your future do you want to go to college or visit other country's. You may want to consider a job as a nurse or doctor where you work just with children. You oviously have a big heart for kids maybe even a teaching job would fill your heart as well.

Answer 8

More than you will hopefuly ever ever know. Day care cost a fortune. Welfare will never ever cover the costs of diapers, formula, clothes, toys...And you don't want your child seeing your parent as more of a parent than you. You also wouldn't want your parents to have to care for the child, when theirs is almost grown.Midnight feedings and 8am classes do not go hand in hand. Neither does having a job and no diploma. There is also the fact that when the baby comes, the friends go. They don't want to have to deal with that. They want to go and get their drivers license, and it sure is not to drive you to the OBGYN. Not to mention the horrible of labor, which makes you want to pull out your own fingernails..It is tough, but not impossible. You will be a better parent when you are 25-30. More patience, more to teach your child. Hopefuly a spouse to share the duties. take your time. You only get to be 16 once, and you don't want your sweet 16 party to be a baby shower.

Answer 9

I was 16 when I had my first daughter! It was just as hard as being older and having a baby, but I do think it is HARDER for a 16 year old......Your friends are going out and partying, you cant. your friends get cool jobs, you cant. your friends want to talk about boys, movies, latest music, but I can tell you that you will only want to talk about the baby, and even if you don't want to talk about the baby, you won't be 'up to date' with all the things your friends will be, it can be very isolating.
In my case I pretty much lost contact with all my friends once I had my baby, they were all working on getting good jobs and all they rest, and I was on a completely different wave length, I had to grow up, quick. I now have a good career AND family. I would never trade ANYTHING, but if I can advise someone on how it WILL affect your life, I will.

Answer 10

I'm sure it is. Think of your life now and the stress you have with school and boys and your friends and what not. Now multiply that exponentially.

You can't go out with your friends to the mall or the movies whenever you feel like it. You can't sleep til 10 or 11 or 2. When the baby wakes up hungry at 2 am, you get up with it. When it's up for the day at 630 or 7, so are you.

Enjoy being a kid before you have one.