Young, Pregnant and Entering Single Motherhood

Two Women's Stories

By Jessica Williams

For some women, finding out they are pregnant is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Many moms struggle to get pregnant, and when they succeed, they couldn't be happier. Then there are those women who become pregnant by accident, only to find a lack of support from the baby's father and other people in their lives. Matters become even more complicated if the moms-to-be are young and still dependent on parents or others.

How women choose to deal with this situation is entirely individual. While some are terrified and remain dependent, others use the baby as a wake-up call and create an independent life for the soon-to-be family of two. We found two young, single mothers who handled their unexpected pregnancies in different ways.

Melanie was a 19-year-old college student when she became pregnant. She and the baby's father, a 20-year-old college student, ended their relationship prior to discovering the pregnancy, so Melanie dropped out of school and moved back home to be near her mother. She got a full-time job and intends to work until the very end of her pregnancy and as soon as possible after delivery.

Here is Melanie's story, in her own words:

"After conversing with my friend about how I had eaten like a sow that day and had been doing so quite a bit recently, it was suggested, jokingly, that I might be pregnant. Being on the pill and being very faithful to it, I shrugged off his comment at first. Then I seriously began to think about it. It sure wou

Want to see more?

• Choosing Single Motherhood
• Alone: Facing an Unexpected Pregnancy Without a Partner
• Going It Alone: When You're Pregnant Far From Home
• Talk about it!