Aw. Thanks. My kids are awesome (even with a 9 year age difference). lol
And I’m glad I could give someone a laugh- after all, my mouth tends to be the biggest cause of my problems. That filter that tells you inside your head " that’ll probably start sh*t, don’t say it" is broken in my head. If I think it, 9/10 it will come out of my mouth. 
My main struggle - I’m looking very young 
4 days before my 30 birthday I tried to buy a beer and shopkeeper didn’t sold me, because for her I was too young (in my country isn’t allowed to drink until you’re 18). Best gift ever 
So when I was pregnant in age of 29 I heard often some “whispers” behind my back (in shop or doctor) about teen pregnancies 
@nuha.episode I understand you’re mum - you can’t win with your maternal instinct, when it hits you
In my school… Hmm, some of my teachers was even ok, when my daughter was born, that I was skipping classes at 10am, because I was breastfeeding. But some were mean, they threw out sentences with implications, and when fe I was after birth at home they didn’t let me to pass some exams 
Oh, and I was really stressed out by the thought that my water might break at school 
This happens to me with everything.
Oh and OP, not every woman’s water breaks naturally. I went into labor (was in labor for hours before they finally came in to break my water for me— more painful, imo, than the labor.) And speaking of labor – it’s not all screams of agony and cussing out everyone. Not to say it’s not painful, but it does depend a lot on pain tolerance and the ability to compartmentalize.
I went into labor at a restaurant, thought they were Braxton-Hicks (false labor contractions), and walked around for an hour and a half so that my friends could order and eat their meals. Then drove them all home, went back to my house and my friend was like - you should go to the hospital-- I thought “it’s supposed to be insanely painful, I can wait” but my friend insisted and so I went. I was in active labor and already 4cm dilated. 
Best part of the intake was me asking if I could leave and come back when the pain was worse and the lady doctor was like “Uhhhh… no? You’re having a baby.” lmao
Age of consent in some states is as low as 13 (on the legal records). However to be able to make medical decisions you have to be 18 years old or have parental consent to make decisions on your own behalf or be emancipated (considered an adult by the courts).
There are also some states that have “romeo and juliet” laws that state that if a person in a documented relationship (say a 16 yr old and a 17yr old) that protect the 17yr old from being charged with a crime once they turn 18 if they are still in the relationship.
personally, it’s a huge topic to portray through episode and some can be sensitive towards it/ or find it offensive.
if you carry on with this, one major thing is to not seem like the child is a burden - I feel like showing the child to be more of a blessing would be more interesting to read (and write)
So I usually hate pregnancy in stories only for the fact that most of them are unrealistic and/or don’t make sense, and even though you’re focusing on solely teen pregnancy I’m glad that you’re asking for advice to make your story as realistic as possible.
This is literally like the entire story of my first pregnancy so it’s pretty long.
I don’t really consider myself a teen mom, but I did have a somewhat teen pregnancy because I had become pregnant at 19 and then had my first child at 20. My then boyfriend, now fiancé, and I had this…connection. Even to this day I just feel a connection with him that I can’t even explain. But anyways, it was my idea to stop being careful. I knew we ran the risk of pregnancy, but I didn’t think it would really happen, until it did not long later (we are both extremely fertile🙃). I also was not very educated on ANYTHING s*x related. My mom was very closed off on those topics and I usually felt like she didn’t have time to listen to me or would judge me. My dad was more open and easier to talk to, but as a girl, it was hard to tell my dad about everything, ya know?
I didn’t realize I was pregnant until I was 8 weeks along. I missed my period but didn’t pay much attention cause it was already irregular. When it was technically 2 weeks late, I started feeling…funny. So I took a test, and it was positive. I will remember that moment forever. I knew instantly my whole world was about to change. I texted my fiancé (who was working at a job that required him to be away for an entire week at a time) and told him. I don’t really remember much after because I was still reeling from shock. Sometime after, I went to work and I texted my parents and said I had to tell them something. I knew they would bring it up then, so there was no way for me to get out of it.
When I came back home (I was living with my parents and my fiancé was staying with us too bc of how infrequently he was home) and told them, I felt the mood shift. They were not happy. I wasn’t expecting them to be over joyed, but it was still such a fucking hard thing for me to do. BUT, they were still supportive of me. And they all provided me the opportunity to become a stay at home mom and raise my child to the best of my abilities. My mom and/or dad took me to every. Single. Appointment because my fiancé was never home during the week bc of his job. Even though they weren’t very happy about the overall situation, I could tell, after seeing their faces when we heard the babies heartbeat for the first time, that they were going to be great grandparents who loved the baby so much.
Moving along, my pregnancy was pretty normal in my opinion. I was very petite from being active in sports my whole life, so I was healthy and in shape. I was also working two jobs at this time. At one of my jobs, a woman came up to me, noticed I was pregnant, and then asked me WHY IM SO SMALL AND IF MY BABY AND I WERE HEALTHY???!!!?!!?!?? Pregnant woman can’t do anything right when it comes to size. If you’re “too big”, you let yourself go and get asked if you’re having twins. If you’re too small, you’re “unhealthy”. Excuse me ma’am but I’m eating 3 times a day with small snacks in between, I’m a naturally small person so stfu pls😊
The only “complication” I had was when the nurse screwed up my blood pressure and even though I HEARD HER say “whoops” and redo it, they scared me into thinking I had preeclampsia and I had to have weekly appointments where I was hooked up to a machine and they monitored my childs heartbeat for 20 freaking minutes -_-
I had morning sickness, not bad enough to throw up, but I had to carry a bucket with me when I worked first shift lol. I would ACTUALLY throw up if I was in the backseat of a car. I had to be either driving or front passenger. (Not long after finding out I was pregnant, my fiancé, his friend snd his friends gf went to the beach. We woke at 3am snd I felt terrible. I had to sit in the back and I kid you not, I threw up at least every half hour for the ENTIRE 4 hour car ride. By the time we got to the beach, my body was in so much pain, I couldn’t stand up straight because it felt like someone was stabbing my stomach). My only real cravings were cheese, nachos and soup. Nothing weird or crazy like you see on tv.
My parents helped me transform my room into a nice little bedroom/nursery. They took me shopping, helped me make a registry, and my mom planned a nice baby shower for me. Having their presence and being so active was so nice considering my fiancé couldn’t be with me.
I worked one of my jobs that was an hour away until a month before my due date (I couldn’t make it to work fast enough until I was about to pee my pants lol) and I worked my local job until the day of my due date, and then my mom forced me to stop working. She was worried id go into labor and wouldn’t be able to leave the store cause I was the only one there…plus I worked until 10 at night so yeah
I ended up going OVER my due date by 9 days and my baby was showing NO SIGNS of coming (I think I psychologically tricked myself into delaying labor because I was so scared of the pain). So I had an appointment planned on a Tuesday to have my baby. My fiancé was able to work locally until my appointment, so he came with. I requested that the doctor break my water because I didn’t want to take medicine to start my labor. They noticed that she had a bowel movement already because of how overdue I was, so they gave me 24 hours to get her out because inhaling poopy water isn’t exactly good for the baby 
Both of my parents and my fiancé were with me for the entire labor, and I NEEDED each one of them desperately. My mom walked with me and provided the support and knowledge that she wished she had during her three (traumatic) labors. My dad used his tough love to tell me I didn’t need the epidural, that I worked this hard to do everything right for my baby. (No epidural was part of my birth plan, nothing against those who use it). And my fiancé, who was a bit overshadowed by my parents, but was still present snd helpful in any way he could, nonetheless.
I had my child, healthy and beautiful, and it was. A moment I will never forget after 11 hours of labor. Every one in the room telling me how proud they were, my mom crying, my fiancé crying (my dad cried later when he was holding Chloe and she opened her eyes and looked at him for the first time:wink:)…I truly felt like a rockstar. News of my natural delivery spread through the nurses ward, and after I was cleaned up and ready to be taken to my new room, they all lined up outside and cheered for me 
I was still high off the adrenaline of just having a baby, so I’m not even kidding when I say I felt like a celebrity walking the red carpet. It was literally the best moment of my life.
Not even my fiancé’s terrible mom (who literally barged into the room and wanted to see what was going on while I was literally pushing my baby out) could ruin the moment.
Once in my new room, my parents eventually left to go home. My fiancé stayed with me, until he got a call from his work FORCING him to leave. He only got to spend 3 FREAKING HOURS with me and our new baby until he had to leave for work, or be fired. Chloe was under his health insurance so he had no choice but to go. I had her at 9pm, he left me at 12am. I had to spend that first night alone, with a baby I didn’t even know yet…exhausted, tired, and not really feeling like much of a rockstar anymore. On top of breastfeeding which we were severely struggling with. I suddenly felt really alone until my dad came back the next morning, and then my mom came after she got off work and then spend the next night with me.
My fiancé wasn’t even home to come home from the hospital with us. And let me tell you, we are both so bitter about it. He left that job not long after, and is now at one that he was actually able to be with for, and take off a week after having our second child.
Post child birth, life has been full of ups and downs. Our relationship suffered, it flourished, we’ve learned more about each other. We argue a lot, but we only want to be with each other. I’m glad for that. I’ve lost myself, largely because I didn’t have much of a chance to explore myself before having a baby, but my life and situation could be much worse. Part of me feels like being a mom was my calling in life, and this is what I was meant to do. Being a mom makes me feel fulfilled.
Not everyone feels like that, nor wants to feel like that, and that’s okay. So keep that in mind whilst writing your story 
• My advice when writing your story, is try not to follow the stereotypical things that you see in movies or other episode stories. Not everyone is supportive. I’m lucky with my parents and one brother being excited for the baby, but my youngest brother despised the new change coming. It took him years to come around, and now he enjoys time with both of my children.
• Don’t use stereotypical “screaming” during child birth. A lot of women portrayed in movies scream like maniacs and use it as an excuse to boss the father around, or be flat out rude. That’s not always true, as everyone handles the pain differently. I was calm for both of my natural child births. The only tile I raised my voice at my fiancé was during my first child’s birth when he ate a Reese’s fast break snd then breathed in my face lol ew!
• don’t be afraid to create unusual pregnancy symptoms, such as my example of extreme motion sickness. Not every one has throw up morning sickness, or craves pickles and ice cream 
my only real cravings for my first was cheese, nachos, hot wings and soup. For my second it was garlic powder on everything, cheese and more cheese. (Can you believe, both of my kids are obsessed with cheese? )
• do show that before during and after pregnancy is a struggle, no matter how positive your situation is. Whether there’s an unsupportive family member, the father isn’t in the picture, you don’t know who you are anymore, you never wanted the baby etc. there’s always something that makes it not quite right.
• do show relationships with the in laws. Most times, in laws are difficult to deal with. My MIL is the absolute worst, and that became apparent before my daughter was even born. She would later send me harassing texts, complain about me, be rude, trash talk me and just all around make life difficult all because I didn’t I cater to her and visit her with the baby every single day.
• do show the decision between breast and bottle feeding. I suffered through 5 months of pain, cracked and bleeding nipples before I could finally reach my goal of 1 year breastfeeding with my daughter. I also successfully breastfed my son for 1 year. But the choice between the two is a very hot topic, and mothers who nurse in public (like me) are likely to be shamed for it and told to stop asking for attention/put the boobs away or cover up. Even when I read pregnancy stories, they almost NEVER show or even talk about feeding the baby.
I’ve been working on this for like an hour and a half now lmao so if I think of anything else I’ll edit it in, and I’m also open to pm’s with questions as well. I can also share my experience with my second child, if you wish, as that was a completely different experience. Just keep in mind that every person, every situation, every pregnancy and every child is completely different, and this can be a dent I’ve topic for some people, so don’t be afraid to step away from the stereotypes and portray things in a authentic and considerate way 
Haha, in my first pregnancy I was afraid of the water going away in a public place and as a result I was induced to deliver late.
3 days in the hospital, with a lot of medical and unpleasant procedures, without anyone, because there was an influenza epidemic in my country (so I know how covid pregnant woman feels now).
It was not pleasant, but 7.5h and it went and the waters broke … Together with the last push, when my daughter was born 
But I also experienced the loss of water - I flooded the entire bed, and there was a wet stain in the hall for the bathroom 
This childbirth was a piece of cake, my husband and I watched a movie, we joked, and the nurse only went in from time to time and asked if I was was I kidding or in labour
Wait, they didn’t let you pass exams?
W H A T
I’m gonna go chill before I start throwing hands 
I know, I’ll keep that in mind 
I know 
They said that there was only 1 exam date and that they don’t care if I was just days after giving birth…
But… If you want to write this story, then (IMO) you need to find her someone who she can rely on. Our example shows, that pregnant teen need support, not even this material, but mostly emotional.
This doesn’t need to be husband, it can be parents, brother or a friend.
aw man, that amazing. Your story gave me quite a few ideas for mine, thank you so much for sharing it. I do, however, have a few questions.
I know breastfeeding is difficult, and that everyone has different experiences. I’m aware that breast milk is extremely important for a baby to get all the nutrients, but my mum started having major migraines soon after I was born, so she was only able to breastfeed me for less than a week.
Anyway, back to my questions, does it hurt while breastfeeding for the first time? Does milk always come out of both nipples? you mentioned bleeding nipple, is that harmful for the baby? i.e. if the baby swallows your blood? Does it hurt to breast pump milk?
I have a lot more questions, but could you just elaborate on what you know about breastfeeding? It’s okay if you don’t have the time, I completely understand.
Gotcha, I’ll keep that in mind :))
AND WHICH SCHOOL DID YOU GO TO, IM SUING.
In Canada, legally, a 12 year old can have sex with a 14 year old (yuck) but notwith a 15-year-old. A 14 year old with a 19 year old, but not 20. And 16 is the age of consent.
But you can’t be in a position of authority like a teacher or coach.
Sex under 12 is not legal.
Okay, this is my experience. My son was in the nicu from about the hour he was born until 1 week. The first feeding wasn’t painful exactly- just odd being my first time, I had no idea what to expect. But it wasn’t painful and it really gets to be something you don’t notice after a few feeding unless they bite down. ( I chose formula with my first.) Pumping felt just…weird. I didn’t like it but that was the only way to get breast milk for my son. It didn’t hurt, more that I was an emotional wreck --but pumping can up your supply and allow you to build a “stockpile” of breast milk that can be frozen and used later.
I was told that if I had a cracked, or bleeding nipple, to switch breast and wear a nipple cover when feeding on that side until it healed.
If I’m understanding the wording correctly, yes, both breast produce milk-- but no, milk only comes out of the one being used by the baby. Leaking can happen if you miss a feeding or don’t pump for awhile (cue the embarassing wet nipple circle on your shirts (but they have pads to put in your bra to minimize that.)
My son had blood sugar issues from birth (very low blood sugar) so they bolstered it by giving him formula in addition to my breast milk that I pumped to keep his levels up as well as a dextrose drip through an umbilical line. Because a childs stomach is only about 5ml capacity at birth, and they gave him formula, I was fighting an uphill battle to pump and feed and produce enough to keep him full. I powered through and made it 6 mo before I gave in and switched to formula because I wasn’t producing enough period. I tried the teas, drinking a literal ton of water etc. The tea actually ruined my supply and was the thing that stopped our breast feeding journey.
Breastfeeding is a natural thing, and is better for a child. However, fed is best and there are women who don’t produce enough, or are unable to for other reasons (things like post partum depression, prior trauma etc. ) or they simply do not want to breastfeed. It’s a choice and all choices are valid.
Also, for your story-- people are SUPER JUDGY about this whole thing. There are also people who see a breastfeeding mother and think it’s obscene and should be covered up or done in a bathroom stall. it’s a whole mess in public where everyone has something to say. So, I started using a infinity cloth cover that was basically seethrough and very breathable and just ignored the rest.
You’re welcome! I’m glad I can help!
One of my close friends couldn’t breastfeed very long either, and that made her upset. Not every woman can produce enough milk to keep up with baby’s eating, either. There are things you can try such as pumping frequently in between, supposedly there are lactation cookies but I never tried them.
If you latch the baby correctly, you’ll feel pressure. But if you feel pain or discomfort, they are probably not latched or sucking right. You can slide your finger inside the corner of the baby’s mouth to break the suction, and try again. Right after having the baby, especially if it’s your first one, it’s common to have sore nipples because it’s not used to the constant feeding/being exposed. Making sure the baby is latched right, along with caring for your nipples plays a big role in other pain/discomfort. And it’s extremely important to be educated properly on how to breastfeed, and have a knowledgeable nurse help you.
My daughter, my first child, was the biggest struggle with breastfeeding. I didn’t know what I was doing, and the lactation consultant “helping” me was a young woman who had no experience breastfeeding or even raising her own child. I was not taught the correct latching technique, so after a couple weeks or so of pain, it started going south very quickly.
My nipples became increasingly sore. Then they started cracking. Then they both split open and I was bleeding. No amount of rubbing them with Breastmilk, or letting them get air was helping. I sobbed during feedings. I dreaded them. I wanted to give up so badly because i just couldn’t take the pain anymore. I was probably at my lowest point in that time…I remember one night it was just me snd my dad downstairs and Chloe cried because she was hungry. I looked at my dad, picked up Chloe and started crying as I fed her. He told me to pump into a bottle and give her that, and that he would take me to the hospital to get help from a lactation consultant. So the next day I gave Chloe her first bottle. Thankfully she ate from it, because I couldn’t take another moment of that pain.
We went to the hospital where the (pretty unfriendly) woman heard my story, and gave me a nipple shield to wear to feed Chloe. It still hurt, but the amount of pain deduction just from her not being right on my nipple was a miracle in itself. Then she prescribed me an ointment to help them heal. I spent $50 on a tiny bottle that I only dipped into maybe 6 times before I miraculously healed!
Now, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies here. The shields came with a problem of their own. The milk would pool inside and if it shifted, that milk spilled everywhere. It would get under my daughters neck, and if I didn’t clean her well enough it would smell and make her red. I also had to make sure they were cleaned immediately after using every single time. This was a problem if we were out for the day, and I had no real way to wash other than rinse with water. And then she became dependent on the shield. I had a hard time weaning her off of it because it was much easier to access the milk with it. All in all, I just wanted to get her back off the shield ASAP bc it’s so much more convenient to put her right on the breast without worrying about where my shield was.
It took us 5 months to get through it. 5 months of pain, of crying, of struggling together. 5 months until Chloe could breastfeed on me, no shield and no pain. I learned so much during that journey, and applied it to my son, whom breastfed (way more often than Chloe) with no issues, absolutely perfectly and peacefully.
There is a term called a “let down”, which happens when baby is nursing and triggers the milk flow, so they can eat. Even when baby is on one side, both breasts will leak. The let down is pretty uncomfortable, it’s like a sensation of like a prickly feeling wrapping around the entire breast, and then the milk comes. When I’d feel that sensation, I would hold a breast pad (small cotton/fabric circle to help control leaking through clothes) to my other breast to prevent milk from coming out. What some women do is attach a pump and bottle, and save that extra milk for bottle feeding the baby at a later time, or freezing it to put in baby cereal when they’re old enough to be spoon fed.
Sometimes the let down flow comes too fast, and the baby may end up choking or becoming fussy because they can’t eat at the pace they want. Likewise, it may not be fast enough and they may also become fussy. I didn’t have that issue with my daughter, but my son would choke over the milk all the time until my flow slowed down and adjusted to his needs. I had to also help, by pulling him off my breast and waiting until the let down sensation passed and the milk slowed back down.
I would have to do this both times during 1 nursing session. When you nurse a baby, you should put them on both breasts. For example, a baby nurses on the right side, then when they’re done put them on the left side. When they’re hungry later, you put them on the left side first, then the right. The alternating helps to keep both breasts with a (somewhat) even amount of milk, and ensures that both are getting emptied correctly so that enough milk to fill the baby continues to be produced.
Sometimes there would be a let down on both sides, but if not, that’s why it’s important to prevent the milk from coming out of the other breast, so that there’s enough for the baby to eat.
Every doctor I’ve spoke to said it’s okay and not harmful to the baby. It’s such a small amount anyways that, ti my understanding, the baby doesn’t even notice or care. Plus when you’re pregnant they test you for diseases and other things in your body/bloodstream that may harm the baby.
It hurt my arm lol I never got an electric pump because I planned on exclusively breastfeeding, not bottles whatsoever, so I didn’t need one. I just used a small hand pump. The important thing was to keep the breast/nipple moisturized otherwise the pulling sensation could make the nipples more sensitive.
Applying a little bit of Breastmilk onto the nipple is enough to keep it moisturized and heal.
The cure-all for almost anything baby related.
Right! it’s insane how much of a miracle product it is lmao
@KylieJay and @ColeCatalyst you both are life-savers. I’ve learned a lot from both of you, and I can’t explain the amount of gratitude I’m feeling (to everyone else who’ve helped too, of course).
I know, I’ve heard a woman get harassed by a group of teens for publically breastfeeding her child. They threw in sentences like “how do you like this attention, you special snowflake?” and “feed your potato sack in the bathroom”, and other completely obnoxious insults. It made everyone uncomfortable until my dad went and yelled at the kids to stop. How do people expect y’all to feed your babies in the bathroom? Would they feel comfortable feeding themselves there? People like that make me want to scream.
The few times anyone said anything to me I asked how they’d like eating their dinner in a bathroom? Pretty gross, right? So why the hell would I want to feed my child in one. And that if my boob was so distracting, maybe their husbands should be the one being talked down to instead (much less graciously phrased, mind you- I am a very sarcastic and direct person irl and I don’t do well with obnoxious people – A funny little story : We were out and this happened and an old man next to us leaned over and said “Why didn’t you defend your wife” and my husband replied "Sir, you may not know her, but she doesn’t need anyone to defend her. I’d probably get in trouble if I tried. " And he’s right. lmao!
Very glad I could help you out, hon. 
Happy writings!
Right?? 
HJDSGJGSG THAT’S HILARIOUS 