Akin - Pregnancy and Parenting

It Happened to Me

Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder

Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquisitive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading lists, websites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, there are loads of expert information by acclaimed writers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.

1. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and Sean McGarrahan, 2002.
2. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell, 2002.
3. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.
4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen, 2003.
5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2003.
6. Cultural DiversityConflicts and Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2003.
7. Diabetes: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Katherine J. Moran, 2004.
8. When Will I Stop Hurting? Teens, Loss, and Grief: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Dealing with Grief, by Ed Myers, 2004.
9. Volunteering: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2004.
10. Organ TransplantsA Survival Guide for the Entire Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2005.
11. Medications: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2005.
12. Image and IdentityBecoming the Person You Are: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen and Molly C. McKenna, 2005.
13. Apprenticeship: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2005.
14. Cystic Fibrosis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Melanie Ann Apel, 2006.
15. Religion and Spirituality in America: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2006.
16. Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cynthia L. Winfield, 2007.
17. Physical Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2007.
18. MoneyGetting It, Using It, and Avoiding the Traps: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2007.
19. Self-Advocacy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle and JoAnn Augeri Silva, 2007.
20. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2007.
21. The Military and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2008.
22. Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Green, 2009.
23. Reaching Your Goals: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Anne Courtright, 2009.
24. Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kelly Rouba, 2009.
25. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Natalie Rompella, 2009.
26. Body Image and Appearance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2009.
27. Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2010.
28. Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2010.
29. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tatyana Kleyn, 2011.
30. Living with Cancer: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2011.
31. Living Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2012.
32. Social Networking: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jenna Obee, 2012.
33. Sports: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Fay, 2013.
34. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Revised Edition, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2013.
35. Bigotry and Intolerance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2013.
36. Substance Abuse: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Sheri Bestor, 2013.
37. LGBTQ Families: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Eva Apelqvist, 2013.
38. Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mathangi Subramanian, 2014.
39. Eating Disorders: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica R. Greene, 2014.
40. Speech and Language Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Marlene Targ Brill, 2014.
41. Divorce: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2014.
42. Depression: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2014.
43. Creativity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Aryna Ryan, 2015.
44. Shyness: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Bernardo J. Carducci, PhD, and Lisa Kaiser, 2015.
45. Food Allergies: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Reino, 2015.
46. Self-Injury: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Judy Dodge Cummings, 2015.
47. Activism: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2016.
48. Pregnancy and Parenting: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Akin, 2016.

Pregnancy and Parenting

The Ultimate Teen Guide

Jessica Akin

It Happened to Me, No. 48

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB

Copyright 2016 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Akin, Jessica, 1983 author.

Title: Pregnancy and parenting : the ultimate teen guide / Jessica Akin.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2016] | Series: It happened to me ; 48 | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015042078 (print) | LCCN 2015045271 (ebook) | ISBN 9781442243026 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781442243033 (electronic)

Subjects: LCSH: Teenage parentsJuvenile literature. | Teenage pregnancyJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC HQ759.64 .A395 2016 (print) | LCC HQ759.64 (ebook) | DDC 362.7/8743dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015042078

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

To teen parents.

May you find the strength, love, and inspiration to see you through one of lifes toughest, most exhausting, and yet often most rewarding journeysraising a child.

Contents

Acknowledgments

I want to thank all the teen parents who, with such courage, honesty, and bravery, shared their stories so others could learn and be inspired: Sammi, Billy, Thuy, Mark, Holly, and Monica.

To Ann Angel for always pushing me to honor and trust my own journey. Thank you for being one of my biggest champions and someone I look up to and admire.

To Amanda Angel for helping a fellow writer and author even while it was probably the last thing on your mind. Your generosity and kindness in sharing your story touched my heart.

To all the medical professionals and individuals dedicating their practices to helping teen parents, especially Dr. Gaebler-Uhing, Melissa Vukovich, Barbara Bell, and Tara LaBerge. I hope the time each of you took to sit down and talk with me about how to encourage, uplift, and support teen parents is honored and manifested in this book, as I could not have written it without your words and expertise.

To the best friends anyone could possibly have, who supported me at every step of my journey, listened to my writing woes, and are always available to discuss the dysfunction, disorder, and many delights of parenting and life: Erin, Andy S., Senator, Sara, Kami, Tracy, Jessica K., and Heather.