I wanted to be a teen mom

Yes, you read that right. Growing up i always loved babies. I wanted a little brother or sister to call my own desperately. It never happened. Yet my love for babies continued.

After losing my mother in 2020, a piece of my heart left with her. A piece only a very special person could even begin to fill. After going through grief, once again my love for babies arised. I was 16 years young, still fresh to the world myself, but i wanted a baby. In a way, I felt as though I needed a baby and I knew in a way that I was ready.

Everybody thinks my sweetheart was a happy little accident.. but in reality she is far from it. Despite people telling me how hard babies were, and to always use protection, I tried my hardest to have a baby. Will I ever tell them that? No. But why not you may ask? Shame.

Shame in the teen mom community really needs to lessen. There are some really great teen moms out there. And me? Im doing just fine.

I had my baby just a couple months after turning 17. She didn't fill that empty space I was hoping she would, but instead she made my heart grow. The first few months were dreadful. I failed at breastfeeding, i lost countless hours of sleep, and many things occured that i was never warned about with newborns.

A few more months passed, some things got easier and some things got worse. Some people never warn you that sometimes people who claim to be friends will leave if you have a baby. I learned the hard way. None of that mattered then though, my baby was the only thing i could think of.

Here I am, 8 months into all of this parenting stuff. You might be wondering if I've learned anything from this, about how hard it can be and how its better to wait. I have learned some things. I’ve learned some very important things.

Babies are a gift. A tiny gift that comes wrapped in bodily fluids and an amniotic sac. A gift that is so very hard and can keep you second guessing yourself. A gift that will keep you up at night screaming, and tear your lady parts apart. A gift that is so hard to handle at times, but with a reward thats greater then anything the world can give.

Babies are pure, innocent, loving. Babies are the most interesting people to watch. They are great to observe as they learn and grow, and as they develop all their adorable quirks. They are hilarious when they laugh, beautiful when they smile, and entertaining when they explore. Their joy is all around the simplest and most amazing kind to experience.

I have no regrets. I only have hopes, for mine and my daughters future. I have hopes i will be able to be the best mother for her, and that she will be able to exceed. I have hopes maybe one day people will realize, teen moms doesn't equal bad moms.

—This post is in no way intended to encourage teens to concieve, but instead to give the ones who do the recognition they deserve.