When you see a teenager walking around town or in the mall pushing a baby stroller or sporting a big belly, what do you think? All sorts of labels are constantly put on these girls, and most are negative. The reality is, these girls probably did not choose to have a baby in high school or college. Who wants to carry a diaper bag to the mall instead of a purse?

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the rate of teen pregnancy is constantly escalating, and more teens are getting pregnant than ever before. In many schools around the country, there is an average of 3-5 pregnant girls each year. The sad part is that most of them are not able to graduate.

Babies are a lot of work, and teens don’t realize how hard it is until it is too late. A lot of pregnant teens did not use protection because they figure, “Oh, it won’t happen to me”. Unfortunately, they find out they are wring and they throw a big complication into so many people’s lives. Not only are they affecting the baby and themselves, but also their families, baby daddies, friends, and many others.

Often times the teens are embarrassed to walk outside with big stomachs, so they stay home and avoid social contact as much as possible. Unfortunately, this sometimes means they do not go for check ups with the doctors and do not take prenatal vitamins to help their babies, putting the unborn child and the mother at risk for serious health complications.

A lot of people label these girls and their partners without realizing how hard things are for them. They do not see the ugly side of this except enough to judge them. Anyone can get pregnant accidentally, and judging them will just make them self conscious and cause more worry for them when they need to be taking care of themselves and their babies. So next time you see a teen mom, don’t judge them. Offer to hold the baby while they make him a bottle or pay the cashier. Let’s make their lives a little easier, because they are already quite difficult. Who knows? You just might make their day!