Pregnant at 17

Teenage pregnancy in the United States has become a lot more common. In 2012, a total of 305,388 babies were born to women aged from 15 to 19 years old. My sister Michelle, was one of those girls that was pregnant at a young age. Michelle was 17 years old and a senior in high school when she had my nephew, Connor.

Due to the pregnancy, her life took a dramatic turn. Not all, but many people treated her differently. She would get nasty looks from teachers who usually were so friendly toward her. She ended up losing some friends because of it as well. She could no longer go out whenever she wanted and her social life was destroyed. After the birth, she had to stay at home for 6 weeks to take care of the baby. During that time she was home schooled. Between juggling school, friends, and the baby she practically had no time to herself.

Unlike a lot of teen mothers, Michelle never pasted Connor off so that she could have a regular teenage life. Michelle grew up a lot with in 9 months. She worked even harder in school so that she could support her son. She was able to graduate with her class, receiving her GED. She was very responsible about being a mother, making Connor her main priority, and she never complained once about it. Michelle was the one that got up at 1 o’ clock in the morning to take care of the baby. Even though she did most of it on her own, we still supported her.

As a family, we have always been close. We supported Michelle’s decision to keep the baby. Due to that we all helped her as much as we could. I became an aunt at 7 years old and also grew up quite a lot. I learned the proper way to hold a baby, I helped feed Connor, I helped change his diaper, and I was there for many of his big mile stones.

Although she was only 17 when she had Connor, Michelle is a perfect example of a single mother that was able to make it on her own. My sister is a very strong person. I have so much respect for her due to everything that occurred.