Teenage Pregnancy: Exploring The Positive Effects

Teenage pregnancy can have some positive effects. We focus this article on some of the positive side effects from pregnancy in your teen years.

When we talk about teenage pregnancy, most of the time the information focuses on the many negative aspects. While there are many issues for teen moms, there are also some positive effects of teenage pregnancy. Below are some of the positive side effects teen moms may experience from having babies young.

Teenage Pregnancy Can Strengthen Your Village

It took a long while for my relationship with my family as an adult to develop. I moved and traveled for a while which made it tougher to connect back with my family after some rough teenage years. After having a child, I feel the relationship with my family is much closer. Family bonds tend to strengthen when a child is born, and this can be especially true with teenage pregnancy. Many teens live with parents once the baby is born. As both teens and parents are exploring bringing a new member of the family into the world, many families will become closer to provide and take care of the new child. This can strength your bonds with your family, which can ultimately make you much happier in your life overall.

Your Energy Level Is Higher

Remember when you could go to school all day and then stay up all night? You bounced back from everything without feeling like a freight train hit you the next day. Youth means when the baby is up all night, you may still be still able to function the next day. Teenagers may also bounce back from childbirth easier than older women. This is not to underestimate the incredible strain teenagers are dealing with, but age is on their side for recovery.

Related: The Effects of Teenage Pregnancy: Examining the Results of 12 Studies

Enjoy More Freedom Later in Life

Some people wait until later in life to have children. While having a child in your late thirties and forties is great, it also means that you will be in your fifties and sixties when your children are finishing high school. Having children early does mean that in theory your children also leave the nest while you are in your forties.

Maturity Becomes More Necessary

No matter how mature you were before having a baby, it is very likely that having a baby will mean that a young mother will need to start taking more responsibility. Some studies even suggest that for young mothers who are also socially disadvantaged, the added responsibility of a child means they are less likely to be involved with drugs and alcohol, as mentioned in The Guardian. They rightfully mention that many young mothers are driven by the urge to provide for their children. With the aid of a support network, this drive can have a positive effect on young women who otherwise might be caught up in other pursuits that do not better their lives or the lives of their family.

Related: Teenage Pregnancy Effects On Society: Have We Improved?

 Here are a few other more lighthearted reasons to have a baby in your teen years.

  • In the teenage years, it is likely you can share clothes and might just be able to pull it off.
  • While being constantly reminded how young you are is annoying, it might be nice when your child is a teenager.
  • You might be a young grandma! This might mean you can enjoy your grandkids even more.
  • Your skin is stretchier, so the chance of stretch marks is lower.

Did we miss any of the positive effects that can come from teenage pregnancy? Leave us a note in the comments!

Image Credit: Rubbertoe (Robert Batina)

19 thoughts on “Teenage Pregnancy: Exploring The Positive Effects”

  1. Who wrote this article please?
    It is an inspiring article that talks about the positives of teenage pregnancy that you do not see very often.

  2. hey i am currently doing my research about teenage pregnancy for my school i was wondering if you would volunteer to do a survey for me

  3. I can definitely see the benefits in having children young and planned to have my first way before I turn 30, but I guess we’ll see if that happens. While I can see the benefits of accidentally getting pregnant as a teen, I would NEVER recommend anyone get pregnant that young… simply because the teenage years for most people are vulnerable and somewhat selfish, not the time to be raising a child, IMHO! But, if it happens “on accident”, finding the good in the situation is the best way to handle it!

    1. I agree, I would not recommend planning a teenage pregnancy but you can find good in many situations if you try and find support.

  4. I was only 17 when I got pregnant with my first son but my friend and family made it a wonderful experience for. I’m so incredibly grateful for my situation – I know not everyone has that kind of support. Thank you for bringing attention to this matter!

  5. I think with any situation there are negatives and positives from everything. I have a couple friends who had teenage pregnancies and it was all in their outlook how they dealt with it. I think being able to keep up with the kids would be a perk of being a young mom.

    1. Some days I could use a bit of that teenage energy I used to have. Coffee is one of the best substitutes I have found, but it’s still not the same. ;)

  6. Thank you for sharing this article. I think a positive support system would make the journey easier for a teen mom. I believe anyone can parent successfully! I wasnt a teen mom but had my kids young enough that I am certainly enjoying my time with them as adults!

  7. When I read this title I have to admit I gave it the side eye. I never thought there could be any positives to something so life altering. But you’re right there are great things that transpire when a teen mom has a child. Hopefully they have the community that you have or at the very least the resolve to make it through if not. It’s all about how you look at your situation I guess.

    1. The glass is not always half empty. Teen pregnancy is not an easy path, but there are still some positive sides should you find yourself in that situation.

  8. It is great to read an article that doesn’t only talk about negative things about teen pregnancy. I know a couple of people who got pregnant as teenagers, and it was very hard for them to adjust their lifestyle.

  9. I can see both sides of this subject. I had friends who had children in their teens who turned out to be great moms, while I have seen others who decided to slack all responsibility and allow their parents to raise the children. I think it all depends on the maturity level of the teen.

    1. Totally agree. That can really happen with any parent, but it is more complicated for teens who are only beginning to emerge as adults and now must be an adult after becoming pregnant.

  10. I married a man who had kids in his early – mid twenties. His timing was great because they’ll be out of the house while we’re still in our forties. But if he’d had them in his teens, I doubt he’d have gotten his PhD, and I still think he jumped the gun on becoming a parent.

    I skipped kids altogether and have enjoyed my freedom straight through, I’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to build my career, which led me to move abroad and open my own business. If I’d become a teenage parent, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to dream big and make it happen.

    There are so many paths in life, and everyone must find the one that’s right for them, but teenage pregnancy for the most part doesn’t look like Gilmore Girls.

    1. I agree teenage pregnancy does not look like Gilmore Girls, but the same could be said for many tv shows. Do all scientists have the crazy antics that they have on The Big Bang Theory? Does every hospital deal daily with the extreme cases shown on Grey’s Anatomy, or are some of them removing routine appendixes.

      Getting pregnant in your teens does limit you, but so does having a family member who is critically ill or caring for an aging parent. While I do not think getting pregnant as a teen is a smart choice, it is possible to have some positive side effects.

  11. I don’t think teen pregnancies should be planned but they do happen. It is important to remember the positive things so that they entire family can enjoy the new member of the family and not think of it as a burden. Everyone wants a their baby to be in a positive environment.

  12. Interesting take on a controversial subject. It’s important to evaluate the risks and benefits of any situation when deciding whether to move forward with a decision. I do agree that enjoying more freedom later in life is a benefit of having kids young.

  13. It’s good to remember there are some positives to teenage pregnancy. As a Mom of 3 daughters, I wouldn’t choose that path for my girls simply because it is such a hard, obstacle-ridden ride, but if it was to be, we would find a way to be emotionally supportive and show our daughter how much we lover her.

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