Sometimes it can be tough to recognize the signs of teenage pregnancy and to know the physical effects mom can expect. Ultimately the mom needs to take care of both her body and the baby once she knows she is pregnant. Below let’s take a look at some of the early physical signs that a teenager is pregnant and why it can be difficult to recognize those signs. We can also take a closer look at some of the other physical effects teens can expect during and after pregnancy that are linked directly to teenage pregnancy.
Physical Signs Of Pregnancy
Most adults know the major signs of pregnancy, but with teenage girls it can sometimes be trickier to recognize those signs. According to WebMD here are some of the signs of pregnancy and reasons why it might be harder for a teenager to realize they are pregnant.
- Missed menstrual cycle– Young girls sometimes have irregular periods, or their menstrual cycles may be thrown off from sports or even eating disorders
- Nausea or vomiting– Also can be caused by unhealthy eating patterns or sickness
- Aversion suddenly to foods– Teens who are on the go or dealing with body conscious issues or disorders may not realize right away why they are avoiding some foods
- Sore nipples or breasts– Puberty or strenuous sports can also cause similar issues.
- Unusual fatigue– Today’s teens are often stretched even thinner between school, sports and part-time jobs. With school often starting very early in the morning and teens that tend to stay up late, fatigue in teenagers is not uncommon.
- Unusual mood swings– Hormones during puberty can often cause similar issues.
Related: 16 and Pregnant: The Basic Facts of Teenage Pregnancy
Most women do not have all of these pregnancy symptoms, which can make pregnancy early on tougher to spot with a teenager. Pre-natal care for both the baby and the teen is so important to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. Less prenatal because the pregnancy was discovered later on means fewer chances of detecting preventable issues early.
Physical Effects Of Teenage Pregnancy
Every new mom deals with changes in her body when pregnant. Many new moms experience all kind of challenges from stretch marks to gestational diabetes to varicose veins. Teen moms have a few extra health issues to watch out for.
More Chance of C-section
According to How Stuff Works, teen mothers are more likely to need a C-section. The pelvic bone does not fully develop in an adult until about age eighteen. If the pelvic bone is underdeveloped, there may to be enough room for the baby to be born vaginally. C-sections means a longer recovery time for mom then if the baby was born vaginally.
Anemia
Teens are more likely to develop Anemia, which is an iron and vitamin deficiency. Slight anemia is normal in pregnancy, but teens whose growing bodies also need the nutrients are at a much higher risk. Anemia has been linked to low birth rates, birth defects and postpartum depression.
Related: Teenage Pregnancy Effects On Baby: Discussing The Challenges
Obesity
A new study in Medical Daily has shown that teen pregnancy can be linked to obesity. While researchers think that other factors such as lifestyle, race, education and income level are more direct links, the study shows that having a baby in your teens can mean long term health risks.
What other physical effects can you expect with teenage pregnancy for mom? Do you know a teen that had trouble spotting pregnancy signs? Tell us about it in the comments!
Image Credit: Thomas van Ardenne
Great information about such an important topic. Education is always the best way to teach a teen.
Great post, much needed information that should be shared with all teens. Education, resources and honest facts are often overlooked.
I am so glad you wrote about this and are bringing forward important signs of pregnancy in teenagers! I think many people will find this post very helpful!
I think these can apply to all moms! I can’t even imagine going through a pregnancy and raising a child as a teenager…especially with all those hormones raging!
I think talking to our kids about this is so important. I would prefer my kids wait to have their own kids until after college and a degree, but I do know things happen.
I remember when I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter. I was 19. Missed period and unusual food cravings made me suspicious.
Education is key. Show like 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom helped in very little ways, but for the most part it just showed kids they could have a baby, get on a show and get paid a lot of money.
I had never thought of pregnancy being harder to detect in teenagers than adults. But as I read through the list it made perfect sense. Education is key.
We need to have better sex education and make birth control easily available. I did not realize the rate of C Sections were higher with teenage Moms.
I was a teen mom. I wouldn’t change a thing. I also didn’t end up having a c-section for any of my babies thankfully, but I dunno. I look at teen pregnancy much different than the average person.
All of the information available for pregant women is great. This will help clue someone in when they feel really lost!
Yes, those are really happened to me, except in vomiting, I didn’t experienced it while I’m in pregnancy.
This is an interesting article. I didn’t know that its lined to increase chance of c sections. Very useful info
That is interesting that they report that teens are more likely to need c-sections. 100 years ago most people were married and starting families well before they were 18….
And I agree with another poster that sex education should start at home.
Wow, I had no idea that it is linked to increased chance of C sections and obesity! Very interesting. I’m sure this will be a helpful post to many.
I think sex education should start at home. It would be best for us to discuss it with our kids in a way that they understand about teenage pregnancy. Encourage our kids to be open about their problems so that they do not turn to someone else when they need to talk about things.
Such a great resource for teen girls and their families… hopefully it will help shed some light on the lesser mentioned aspects of teen pregnancy!
It’s never too early to educate girls so at age of ten, we are slowly educating our daughter all the pros and cons of teen pregnancy.
This is an informative post about how teen pregnancies differ from adult pregnancies. I wish girls could be educated more on the topic of teen pregnancy.
I had no idea that the pelvic bone was not fully grown til 18. I had my first (and only) child when I was 28. So I never had to deal with this.
Pregnant teens an their families face so many challenges. This is such a fascinating post.
I never realized that teenage moms suffered more then a regular mom. It makes sense due to them not being as developed!
Teen pregnancy awareness and support is so incredibly important. It is difficult to be a mom without having the added pressure of being a teenager.
Mood swings is all I could think of! You’re right on target with them getting anemia or just not taking care of themself.
This is such an important topic. Seems like I’m seeing more and more teenage pregnancies lately. These young girls really need to be educated on the effects of pregnancy.
Teen pregnancy is such a huge issue. Teens have no idea what they are getting themselves into when they get pregnant. It is so sad.
Teenage pregnancy is high in this country and needs to go down. Education is the best thing for kids to understand how hard it is to have a baby and be pregnant as a teenager.
I think those effects could apply to any mom, but I also think teen pregnancy needs to end. We need better sex ed in our country!
Thanks for bringing up such an important topic. Teen pregnancy not only affects the teen in that she has to grow up quickly to become a mom but there are health issues as you described here.
Thank you for sharing this Kristy. I hope you’re having a great week.
Cori