Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20–24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition.
Whatever you decide to do, go to a doctor right away so they can help you stay healthy. The staff at your local Planned Parenthood health center can give you accurate information about all your options, answer your questions, and offer support. You can also find a trustworthy abortion provider at AbortionFinder.org.
Many women choose to delay announcing a pregnancy at least until the end of the first trimester (12 weeks into their pregnancy). This is usually because of concerns about the risk of miscarriage (pregnancy loss) during this time.
Telling your parents you're pregnant early on is almost always better. The longer you wait to tell your parents about your pregnancy, the more complications and difficulties can arise. Often, waiting to tell your family causes you more stress and anticipation — which is exactly what you don't want in early pregnancy.
While many women know they are pregnant as early as a week after a missed period, social norms dictate pregnancy announcements should wait until after the all-important 12-week mark. The early weeks of pregnancy are often filled with roller coaster style emotions, hormones and pregnancy symptoms.
You might want to tell your partner and/or family that you're pregnant early so they can support you through those early symptoms. However, some like to wait until the risk of miscarriage is low (after the first trimester) before revealing the news, so five weeks might be too early.
Young people under 17 also have high-risk pregnancies because they may be: Anemic. Less likely to get thorough prenatal care. More likely to have premature labor or birth.
Most couples will get pregnant within a year if they have regular sex and don't use contraception. But women become less fertile as they get older.
Parents who abuse or neglect their family must take responsibility for pushing their vulnerable teens into the arms of their boyfriends. Their parents may not have abandoned them completely, but the troubled teenagers' need for love and attention often drives them to engage in destructive behaviour.
Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. Pregnancy loss that happens after 20 weeks is called stillbirth.
You are free to announce your pregnancy whenever you want to. Around the 8 week mark you are likely to have your first midwife appointment. During this appointment, you will find out whether you are pregnant. So this could be a great time to share the news with close friends and family.
While the bump may appear early at about the 12-week mark, it generally happens at about 14 to 16 weeks of pregnancy. This is the first month of the second trimester. In general, the bump happens around the time that your pregnancy risks reduce, so this can be a good time to share the news.
There's only one way to find out for sure if you're pregnant: take a pregnancy test.
For adolescents who are sexually active, using effective contraceptives (such as condoms, birth control pills, the patch, the vaginal ring, the intrauterine device or IUD, and/or injectable birth control methods) every time they have sexual intercourse will reduce chances of unwanted pregnancy.
If you get a positive pregnancy test result, call your healthcare provider. They'll likely schedule an appointment eight weeks in where they'll confirm the pregnancy and its location via ultrasound, as well as run other important tests and screenings.
Pregnant women are often advised to wait until they pass the 12-week mark, when the risk of miscarriage drops sharply, to announce their pregnancies to the world.
There is no definitive time or age to have a baby. Everyone is different. Some people feel psychologically well-prepared to have a baby in their early 20s, while others do not.
Teenage girls are biologically able to deliver a baby, however, it is important they receive proper medical care in order to deliver a healthy baby. Regardless of the ability to deliver a baby, a 15-year-old is usually unprepared for the reality of parenting an infant.