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Avoiding Teen Pregnancy

Does location play a role in whether or not your teenager will make you a grandparent long before you’re ready? According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), you may consider moving to the following states if you don’t want your baby giving birth to a baby while she is still in her teens: New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. According to the CDC, those states have the lowest rates of teenage pregnancy in the entire country. The states with the highest rate of pregnant teenagers include Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Mississippi. … Continue reading →

Helping Kids have a Clearer Vision of both Pregnancy and Parenting

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I’ve recently shared that statistically, as a group, teen mothers who place their babies for adoption fare better (in terms of staying in school and off the welfare rolls, and avoiding another premature pregnancy). I should also say that there are many young mothers who do a very good job of raising their babies. (To see one of our dedicated blogger’s series on being a young parent, click here.) I admit that I used to think two parents were always better than one. I now realize that being adopted does represent a loss for the baby as well as for … Continue reading →

Babies Having Babies

I had just crossed the threshold into teenhood when CBS ran a Schoolbreak Special called:  “Babies Having Babies.”  It was directed by Martin Sheen and starred my idol Lori Loughlin and Jill “The Love Boat” Whelan as pregnant teens who meet up at a group counseling session. The show was one of my first introductions to the relatively unknown world of teenage motherhood and a far cry from today’s mega-hyped MTV reality TV hits “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom.” Critics have long claimed that both series glamourize teen pregnancy and encourage young girls to procreate outside of marriage.  Meanwhile, … Continue reading →

Single Parenting is Not Glamorous

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I’ve read many studies that say the rise in single parenting is also influencing the rise in teenage pregnancy. To many young girls single parenting looks glamorous, from the outside. Teenage girls who can’t wait to get away from their parents see pregnancy as an out and when they see lots of women raising their kids alone, they think it’s not a big deal. Not only is single parenting a big deal, single, teenage parenting is a huge deal. Many times the single mothers they see are established in their careers, they have a strong financial base, they also have … Continue reading →

Understanding Morning Sickness

If you are experiencing morning sickness (or afternoon sickness, evening sickness, or even all day sickness) as part of your pregnancy you may be wondering why. You may also be wondering who it happens to, when it will end, and whether there is anything you can do about it. Here are a few basics to help you understand and cope with the mystery that is morning sickness. Why do pregnant women get morning sickness? There is no definitive answer to this question, but it has been studied and a number of possible causes have been identified. The hormonal changes of … Continue reading →

The Food Journal

Keeping a food journal during pregnancy is a really helpful tool to ensure that you are eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong foods. It is also a wonderful way to keep track of calories and where your daily calories are being spent, which in turn helps improve your eating habits. I began keeping a food journal while I was pregnant with our first baby. It revealed early on that I was not eating enough vegetables and that I was consuming too many sugary snacks. I quickly corrected this once I saw this disturbing pattern . Later in my … Continue reading →