The Guttmacher Institute estimates that 750,000 women aged 15 to 19 become pregnant each year. As a parent, teacher or mentor to a teen girl, finding out that your charge has become pregnant can be disappointing and upsetting. Once you get over the initial upset, it will become clear that she'll need plenty of help in the years to come, especially if she's going to be parenting without the help of a partner. Offer help to teen mothers by giving support when it's needed and biting your tongue when you're tempted to pass judgment on her choices.
Step 1
Place your own feelings aside when it comes to your beliefs and opinions about teen parenting. Whether you believe a child born to teen parents should be put up for adoption or you want the father to have a greater role in the raising of a child, you'll find that it is not your decision. Your teen will need your support and unconditional love, so after the initial upset of discovering the pregnancy, it's time to put your feelings aside to help your teen deal with the pregnancy, childbirth and eventual raising of her child.
Step 2
Ensure that the teen mother receives adequate medical care during and directly following her pregnancy. KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation, notes that teen moms are especially prone to certain medical problems during pregnancy, including high blood pressure, anemia, premature birth and low birth weight. All of these conditions can be controlled and monitored via competent medical care, but some teen moms may be irresponsible about receiving that care. Ensure a healthy nine months by making appointments and ensuring that she gets to each one.
Step 3
Create a birth plan and plan of care for after the baby is born. If your teen wants to go back to school, you'll need to arrange for child care throughout the day. Understand that your teen is immature, and may not be able to care for her baby in the same capacity that you would.
Offer your support and help, making sure that she doesn't abuse your help to spend extra time with friends or cultivate her social life. It may help to write a contract with her concerning her school work, living situation and child care options so you both know what is expected of each party.
Step 4
Obtain birth control solutions for your teen. While you may not want her to become sexually active after having a child, she'll need to ensure that she has reliable birth control in case she plans on resuming sexual activity. Your local Planned Parenthood office can offer real birth control solutions that can stop your teen from becoming a teen mom more than once.
Step 5
Locate your local Mothers of Preschoolers or Moms of Tots group for teen moms. Being a teen parent can be isolating and lonely, and allowing your teen to socialize with other teen parents may help her feel surrounded by support. She'll meet other teen moms and talk about the various and individual problems that they face, and she can eventually build a social circle around those who are similar to her.
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