Before I became a mom I was only 19 years old and just started dating a guy. I was in college for my marketing degree, living at home, worked a full time job, but used all my money to go out on the weekends and for gas. After three months of dating my new boyfriend, I was telling him how I wasn’t feeling too well lately. I was having cramps and felt like I had a flu. We were being safe but occasionally weren’t.  He decided to go ahead and buy a pregnancy test to make sure that wasn’t causing me to be sick. What do you know, the test came up positive. I was in disbelieve, cried, felt like my life was over and confused on what my next move was going to bed. I begged my boyfriend to let me go with the “other option” so my life could go back to normal. He was also a college student and had promised everything would be okay. We moved an hour away and got a small two bed room apartment together. I did all of this BEFORE telling my parents. He was a full time student and worked a part time job. I stayed home. My life changed drastically being pregnant. I went from college student, full time worker, full time partier. To spending my days laying around the house watching my belly grow. I didn’t make any friends in our new town, so on the time my boyfriend was off, we would just watch a movie or go fishing. Nothing like the “old” me would do.  We found out when I was 15 weeks pregnant I was having a girl. Times got hard. Medical bills caught up with us, we spent many nights eating ramon noodles and potatoes and BARELY making it. On April 1st at 5:00pm I started having intense contractions. We decided it was time to go to the hospital. Driving an hour to the hospital by time I got to the hospital i was 6 cm dilated and it wouldn’t be long until our daughter would be born. Only 6 hours of labor, and 15 mins of pushing. We welcomed a beautiful baby girl. She was 6lbs and 15oz and 21inchs long. My whole life had changed. I no longer feared about my future, and what I was doing this weekend. My life was ALL about her future, how I could be a good mom and watching her grow. A month after my daughter was born my boyfriend and I decided to make it official and got married. There were many nights that his friend would get upset that he could no longer go out drinking, he had a baby now. We took turns on waking up every 2 hours to feed burp and change a crying baby. It was hard. A few times I went home to my parents and cried. I wanted to be able to take a nap again, watch TV without having to chase a baby. I remember calling home crying, asking if things would get easier. It wasn’t easy. All my life was about my daughter. I gave up college and became a full time worker. I gave up being with friends all the time for a husband and family. I gave up living at home and depending on my mom for what was for dinner and being fed first. Now, I make dinner and the last to sit down and enjoy a meal. Being a mother is hard. It’s a 24/7 job. Whether you’re a stay at home or not. I work for my family, I constantly worry and check up on my baby. She is now almost three and I still learn as a go. I watch my friends plan out there weekends, they get to go out and go to clubs. I get to watch cartoons and get excited when a new cartoon movie comes out for my baby. It’s tough but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I see lots of young ladies getting pregnant, and believe that they think the hard part is pregnancy. No, the hard part is worrying constantly bout your child’s well being and thinking of ways to become a better mom. It is a full time job and a job that never stops, not even when your child is 18 and out of the house. I wouldn’t change a thing and now I’m a mommy of two, a beautiful girl and beautiful boy. Everyday is a challenge and everyday I STILL learn something new. 

Hey there! My name is Tara. I’m 18 years old and I have a 15 month old daughter named Allyson Rose. I got pregnant with Ally not long after I turned 16 and I was absolutely terrified of what was to come. In fact, I kept my pregnancy a secret for a long time. I got pregnant in the fall and I decided to wait until after the holidays to tell everyone. Well that January my grandmother had taken a turn for the worst and she passed away after a battle with cancer. After that happened I had no idea how I would tell my parents, especially my mom. So 3 more months went by and I still hadn’t told anyone. People were starting to talk about my belly so finally I told my dad and he held back his emotions because he could see how scared I was. Then the next day, the hard part, I had to tell my mom. She was angry at first but her main concern was getting me to a doctor. The rest of my pregnancy went great, I had such a wonderful support system. I am forever grateful for everyone that helped me out. On August 13, 2010, more than a week past my due date, I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl. That was the best day of my life. She has helped me become a better person. Sure I have my moments where I don’t think I can do it anymore but there’s absolutely nothing I would change. She’s my best friend and I can’t wait to watch her grow more and learn new things everyday! Really, who needs a guy when you get to wake up to this precious face everyday????

My name is Brittany and I just turned 23 in September. My story starts in 2005, the day after sophomore year had ended. I am a 16 year old holding 2 positive pregnancy tests. My at the time boyfriend who was 20 flipped out and started screaming and choke slammed me into a wall. Thank god my sister was there and my brother showed up, as well. Obviously, he was kicked out that night and I told my mom what happened and when she asked why I told her I was pregnant. I told her I would step up since it would just be me and do what I needed to do. Unfortunately, a week before junior year was to start, she decided we were moving. Moving away from my home, my school, my friends who all supported me, and most importantly, the job I had just gotten to help support my child. We moved an hour away to live with my aunt and uncle until we could find our own apartment. I was really depressed being away from everyone I knew and I skipped my junior year of high school. Plus we lived in the middle of nowhere so it was pointless trying to find a job, especially when I didn’t drive. I found out on my 17th birthday I was going to have a boy. A boy-Matthew Trent, and he would be perfect. That November, my mom and I moved into our own place and got his nursery together for the arrival which I couldn’t wait for. February 1st 2006 I was induced and gave birth to Matthew Trent at 2:12 pm after only 4 hours of labor. 8 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches long. Gorgeous and perfect. That August, I enrolled into a new high school and was ecstatic to have done so. I was going to make something of myself for that boy. I started to date a guy that I had known for 5 years in December of 2006. We were absolutely in love and he asked me to marry him in March of 2007. Then, me being completely infatuated with this idiot, said yes when he asked if we could try for a baby. A WEEK after he asked me to marry him, I got pregnant (I found out in April, the doctor told me the date in which I might have gotten pregnant). So, I let him know, and of course, he freaks out on me and tells me it’s my fault. Then drops the bomb that he had been cheating on me the entire span of our relationship anyway. GREAT. So-here we go again. 18 with a 1 year old, going to have another. I can do it. I finished my junior year out and started looking for work again. But my mother and I started arguing A LOT and I decided to move in with my dad. Matthew and I stayed with my dad for about 4-5 months. I found out that again I would be having another boy. I decided to name him Havoc Joshua, after a very close and dear friend of mine who had passed away. I was scheduled for another inducement for November 30th. November 29th at 6am however, I felt the first contraction and I knew that he had decided to come by himself. At age 19 I became a mother of two. 10:40am, my second son was born, weighing 8 pounds 15 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. He was perfect as well This time, I am a single mother of two handsome boys, who don’t have dads because they wish the boys didn’t exist. Fine with me-I get them all to myself! In March of 2008, however, my life crashed down on me. My mom went for emergency custody of my sons because I didn’t have a car, a job, or a steady place to live (we were still having mother/daughter issues and I kept going from my dads back to my moms). I was utterly devastated of course, but over time I understood that she did it so that they would have a stable home and I could get on my feet. I found a job in April of 2008 and was only focused on my work, getting my license and a car, getting a place to live (living with a friend at the time) and getting my babies back. Well, the end of April, I met a guy at work. He was the complete opposite of me and very charming/gorgeous. We started talking and have been together since June 5 2008. He is like a father to my boys and they love him so much, they even started calling him dad. This man taught Havoc to walk!!! He is a great guy and daddy and June 9th 2010 we welcomed our own son named Vincent Thomas born at 1:19pm at 9 pounds 3 ounces 21 1/2 inches long. My boys are growing up so fast and they are so wonderful. Matthew is 5, Havoc is 3 but turns 4 in 15 days, and Vincent is 17 months old. I went through hell, dropped out of high school, dealt with everyday drama from my peers and my family. But it turned out great in the end because I am taking a business major in college, my fiance and I are planning our wedding, and I have the 3 most beautiful little blue eyed boys in the world who make me so proud, keep me going everyday, and prove that I should regret nothing. <3