Healthy Pregnancy

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f you're a pregnant teen, you're not alone. About half a million adolescents give birth each year. Most teens who have babies didn't plan on becoming pregnant. You may have been surprised when you found out or even hoped it wasn't true. You may have been terrified to tell your parents. You may have worried how this might affect your relationships with your family, friends, and the baby's father. Sharing the news of your pregnancy can be one of the most difficult conversations to have.

Whether you feel confused, worried, scared, or excited, you'll want to know how your life will change, what you can do to have a healthy baby, and what it takes to become a good parent.

The most important thing you can do is to take good care of yourself so that you and your baby will be healthy. Girls who get the proper care and make the right choices have a very good chance of having healthy babies.
Prenatal Care

If you are pregnant, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible to begin getting prenatal care (medical care during pregnancy). The sooner you start to get medical care, the better your chances that you and your baby will be healthy.

If you can't afford to go to a doctor or clinic for prenatal care, there are social service organizations that can help you. Ask your parent, school counselor, or another trusted adult to help you locate resources in your community.

During your first visit, your doctor will ask you lots of questions including the date of your last period. This is so he or she can estimate how long you have been pregnant and your due date. Doctors measure pregnancies in weeks. It's important to remember that your due date is only an estimate: Most babies are born between 38 and 42 weeks after the first day of a woman's last menstrual period, or 36 to 38 weeks after conception (when the sperm fertilizes the egg). Only a small percentage of women actually deliver exactly on their due dates.

A pregnancy is divided into three phases, or trimesters. The first trimester is from conception to the end of week 13. The second trimester is from week 14 to the end of week 26. The third trimester is from week 27 to the end of the pregnancy.

The doctor will examine you and perform a pelvic exam. He or she will also perform blood tests, a urine test, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including a test for HIV, which is on the rise in teens. (Some STDs can cause serious medical problems in newborns, so it's important to get treatment to protect the baby.)

The doctor will explain the types of physical and emotional changes you can expect during pregnancy. He or she will also teach you to how to recognize the signs of possible problems during pregnancy (called complications). This is especially important because teens are more at risk for certain complications such as anemia, high blood pressure, miscarriage, and delivering a baby earlier than usual (called premature delivery).

Your doctor will want you to start taking prenatal vitamins that contain the minerals folic acid, calcium, and iron as soon as possible. The vitamins may be prescribed by the doctor, or he or she may recommend a brand that you can buy over the counter. These vitamins and minerals help ensure the baby's and mother's health as well as prevent some types of birth defects.

Ideally, you should see your doctor once each month for the first 28 to 30 weeks of your pregnancy, then every 2 to 3 weeks until 36 weeks, then once a week until you deliver the baby. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes that needs careful monitoring during your pregnancy, your doctor will probably want to see you more often.

During visits, your doctor will check your weight, blood pressure, and urine, and will measure your abdomen to keep track of the baby's growth. Once the baby's heartbeat can be heard with a special device, the doctor will listen for it at each visit. Your doctor will probably also send you for some other tests during the pregnancy, such as an ultrasound, to make sure that everything is OK with your baby.

One part of prenatal care is attending classes where expectant mothers can learn about having a healthy pregnancy and delivery and the basics of caring for a new baby. These classes may be offered at hospitals, medical centers, schools, and colleges in your area.

It can be difficult for adults to talk to their doctors about their bodies and even more difficult for teens to do so. Your doctor is there to help you stay healthy during pregnancy and have a healthy baby - and there's probably not much he or she hasn't heard from expectant mothers! So don't be afraid to ask questions. Think of your doctor both as a resource and a friend who you can confide in about what's happening to you. And always be honest when your doctor asks questions about issues that could affect your baby's health.
Changes to Expect in Your Body

Pregnancy causes lots of physical changes in the body. Here are some common ones:
Breast Growth

An increase in breast size is one of the first signs of pregnancy, and the breasts may continue to grow throughout the pregnancy. You may go up several bra sizes during the course of your pregnancy.
Skin Changes

Don't be surprised if people tell you your skin is "glowing" when you are pregnant - pregnancy causes an increase in blood volume, which can make your cheeks a little pinker than usual. And hormonal changes increase oil gland secretion, which can give your skin a shinier appearance. Acne is also common during pregnancy for the same reason.

Other skin changes caused by pregnancy hormones may include brownish or yellowish patches on the face called chloasma and a dark line on the midline of the lower abdomen, known as the linea nigra.

Also, moles or freckles that you had prior to pregnancy may become bigger and darker. Even the areola, the area around the nipples, becomes darker. Stretch marks are thin pink or purplish lines that can appear on your abdomen, breasts, or thighs.

Except for the darkening of the areola, which is usually permanent, these skin changes will usually disappear after you give birth.
Mood Swings

It's very common to have mood swings during pregnancy. Some girls may also experience depression during pregnancy or after delivery. If you have symptoms of depression such as sadness, changes in sleep patterns, or bad feelings about yourself or your life for more than 2 weeks, tell your doctor so he or she can help you to get treatment.
Pregnancy Discomforts

Pregnancy can cause some uncomfortable side effects. These include nausea and vomiting, especially early in the pregnancy; leg swelling; varicose veins in the legs and the area around the vaginal opening; hemorrhoids; heartburn and constipation; backache; fatigue; and sleep loss. If you experience one or more of these side effects, keep in mind that you're not alone! Ask your doctor for advice on how to deal with these common problems.
Things to Avoid

Smoking, drinking, and taking drugs when you are pregnant put you and your baby at risk for a number of serious problems.
Alcohol

Doctors now feel that it's not safe to drink any amount of alcohol when you are pregnant. Drinking can harm a developing fetus, putting a baby at risk for birth defects and mental problems.
Smoking

The risks of smoking during pregnancy include stillbirths (when a baby dies while inside the mother), low birth weight (which increases a baby's risk for health problems), prematurity (when babies are born earlier than 37 weeks), and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant who is younger than 1 year old.
Drugs

Using illegal drugs such as cocaine or marijuana during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, prematurity, and other medical problems. Babies can also be born addicted to certain drugs.

Ask your doctor for help if you are having trouble quitting smoking, drinking, or drugs. Check with your doctor before taking any medication while you are pregnant, including over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies and supplements, and vitamins.
Unsafe Sex

Talk to your doctor about sex during pregnancy. If you are sexually active while you are pregnant, you must use a condom to help prevent getting an STD. Some STDs can cause blindness, pneumonia, or meningitis in newborns, so it's important to protect yourself and your baby.
 

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Some birth control methods work better than others. The chart below compares how well different birth control methods work.

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Some birth control methods work better than others. The chart below compares how well different birth control methods work.

The most effective way to prevent pregnancy is document.write(defabstinence120)abstinenceabstinence. However, within the first year of committing to abstinence, many couples become pregnant because they have sex anyway but don't use protection. So it's a good idea even for people who don't plan to have sex to be informed about birth control.

Couples who do have sex need to use birth control properly and every time to prevent pregnancy. For example, the chart below shows that the birth control pill can be effective in preventing pregnancy. But if a girl forgets to take her birth control pills, then this is not an effective method for her. Condoms can be an effective way to prevent pregnancy, too. But if a guy forgets to use a condom or doesn't use it correctly, then it's not an effective way for him to prevent pregnancy.

For every 100 couples using each type of birth control, the chart shows how many of these couples will get pregnant within a year. The information shown is for all couples, not just teenage couples. Some birth control methods may be less effective for teen users. For example, teenage girls who follow the rhythm method may have an even greater chance of getting pregnant than adult women because their bodies have not yet settled into a regular menstrual cycle.

We list the effectiveness of different birth control methods based on their typical use rates. Typical use refers to how the average person uses that method of birth control (compared to "perfect" use, which means no mistakes are made in using that method).

For us to consider a birth control method completely effective, no couples will become pregnant while using that method. Very effective means that between 1 and 2 out of 100 couples become pregnant while using that method. Effective means that 2 to 12 out of 100 couples become pregnant while using that method. Moderately effective means that 13 to 20 out of 100 couples become pregnant while using that method. Less effective means that 21 to 40 out of 100 couples become pregnant while using that method. And not effective means that more than 40 out of 100 couples become pregnant while using that method.

In addition to preventing pregnancy, abstinence and condoms provide some protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, most birth control methods do not provide much protection against STDs.

Choosing a birth control method based on how well it works is important, but there are other things to keep in mind when choosing a form of birth control. These include:

• how easy a particular birth control method is to use
• how much a particular birth control method costs
• whether a person has a health condition or is taking medication that will interfere with how well a particular birth control method works

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Abstinence Natural Method of Birth Control

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Abstinence Natural Method of Birth Control

Abstinence?  Yes or No…

With all the talk about sexuality, birth control and dating, it almost seems like you're being encouraged to become sexually active. This is not the case at all, unless you feel pressure from friends or your partner. Becoming sexually active is a very serious decision and it has very serious consequences. Unfortunately, many people don't consider all the consequences. In the old days, the biggest consequence of premarital sex was pregnancy. This is still a serious consideration, but the stakes have gotten a bit more life threatening. Today, sexual activity can mean sexually transmitted diseases — one of which is AIDS and AIDS can kill you.

You can use protective measures like condoms and spermicide to protect you from STDs and pregnancy. But, the only 100% way to avoid unwanted pregnancy or STDs, is holding off on sex until after you're married. (Assuming the person you marry did the same and is faithful to you). If you and your partner agree to this, then you will be each other's only sex partners — and therefore free from infection. But in this world of ours today, there is a thing called divorce too, so it doesn't mean that you will just be with that one person your whole life. Just a fact and the truth.

Saying No

It can be very tough to say no to sex. There is a lot of pressure on you at this time in your life and many teens feel pressured into having sexual intercourse. You may think that lots of your friends are doing it, or you may just want to find out what sex is like. Remember, sex is not a test of love. You can show someone special that you care deeply about them without having sex. There are many ways including hold hands, kissing and hugging, listening to the other person, etc. You can figure it out, it is kind of a thing that comes naturally; this is something you should talk to your partner about. If this is something you can not talk to them about, then that does say a lot about your relationship and perhaps this is not the person with which you want to be having that kind of intimacy. Just something for you to think about.

Why Wait?

Why would you want to wait until marriage or serious commitment to have sexual intercourse? Aside from the obvious reasons of avoiding pregnancy and other diseases, you should consider the sacredness of the act of sexual intercourse — especially when it's your first time. Sexual intercourse is the most intimate a couple can be. It is the complete giving over of oneself to each other. It is sensitive, serious and very personal. It should be a decision that you make after giving it a lot of thought. It should be something you want to do — and done at a time that you choose. Sexual intercourse should not be taken lightly.

Some practical suggestions for practicing abstinence include:

1. Decide what you want to do about sex at a time when you feel clearheaded, sober and good about yourself. If you have a partner, decide together at a time when you feel close to each other but not sexual. For example, try talking while you take a walk and hold hands.

2. Decide in advance what sexual activities you will say "yes" to and discuss these with your partner. Agreeing to become sexually intimate does not mean you can engage in ANY physical contact. Just know your limits and when to stop.

3. Tell your partner, very clearly and in advance, not at the last minute, what activities you will not do.

4. Avoid high-pressure sexual situations, stay sober and stay out of the empty house or the back seat, if you are not sure the person you are with will respect your decision.

5. If you say "no" say it so it is clear that you mean it. Don't offer reasons or excuses for saying "no." Take the offensive. Tell your date how his/her continued pressure makes you feel (for example, uneasy, scared, offended, hurt). Refuse to discuss the matter further or walk away from the situation.

6. Learn about birth control and safer sex, so you will be ready if you change your mind. Always keep condoms and spermicide around. Always!

7. Read our Abstinence section of "Birth Control".

it's Your Decision

Choosing abstinence until marriage not only protects you, it gives you the opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with your future spouse, one that is based on respect and true love. It will be difficult not to give in to the pressures to have sex, for sure. Your friends will claim to be having sex and it's made to look so common place and acceptable on TV and in the movies. But choosing to wait, is YOUR choice, no one else can make that for you. Take some time and think about how you really feel about your own situation and values.

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