“I am a mother! I couldn’t be happier!” Women often say something like this after giving birth to a very much wanted and awaited baby. The realization that you’ve just brought a new life to this world is overwhelming. But what if the mommy is only 13 herself?
Unfortunately, cases of teenage pregnancy are not so rare in the modern world. According to the World Health Organization, in developing countries, about 2.5 million girls give birth before reaching 16, and 16 million become mothers between the ages of 15 and 19. About 3.9 million more girls have unsafe abortions. Sadly, sometimes pregnancy and childbirth take the lives of young mothers.
Meet Polina, a girl who safely gave birth to a daughter at the age of 13. The pregnancy was unplanned and the child’s father immediately refused to take responsibility, even insisting on an abortion.
For a long time, the schoolgirl tried to hide her condition from her parents. When the baby bump was impossible to conceal, and the baby started moving, she had to tell them the truth. Polina’s mom and dad were understandably shocked, but they came to terms with the situation and did everything to make their daughter and the future baby feel calm.
Labor lasted for 12 hours, the young mother lost a lot of blood, but fortunately, everything ended well. And soon, newborn Ulyana and her mother were at home surrounded by their close ones.
Now Polina leads an Instagram microblog, where she talks about the everyday life of a young mother, about her growing daughter, who, by the way, will turn 2 in July 2019.
She posted her revelation about pregnancy and childbirth at 13 and within 2 months, the video has been viewed more than 1.5 million times on YouTube.
You can have different opinions about such cases, but when it happens in the life of adolescents, adults must do everything to preserve the health of these young girls. After all, the main problems of early pregnancy are premature birth and low body mass at birth. That puts both the mother and the baby at risk.
Pregnancy before 15 and in the absence of medical supervision in the prenatal period entails other risks:
In the postpartum period, there is a risk of endometritis (inflammation of the uterus mucous membrane) and systemic infections.
Often, adolescents have an anatomically narrow pelvis, which makes it difficult for a baby to pass through the birth canal, in turn often leading to brain damage.
It’s also hard to overestimate the importance of the emotional and mental state of young girls facing early pregnancy. They often require moral support from relatives and others.
Do you know people who have been in similar situations? What is your attitude toward this?
This article is solely for informational purposes. Do not self-diagnose or self-medicate, and in all cases consult a certified healthcare professional before using any information presented in the article. The editorial board does not guarantee any results and does not bear any responsibility for any harm that may result from using the information provided in the article.