[jessicasmith]

Ok so I'm 15 and me and my boyfriend want a baby but we are wondering how drastically our lives would change how we would tell our parents and the main things we need to know before the baby actually arrives?Please help

[DoulaLC]

One of the biggest concerns would be to your health. Since your body is still maturing, you have an increased risk of having problems in the pregnancy, with your own health, and with the health of a baby. Wouldn't you want to give a baby the best possible chance for good health?

You also would want to consider how will you financially support a child. Start with the cost of having the baby. What if there were health concerns and the baby needed to stay in the NICU (intensive care for newborns)? What about diapers, formula (breastfeeding would be a healthier choice and save on cost... would you want to breastfeed?), clothing, etc.

Are you and your boyfriend prepared to give up some of the time you spend on other things? Are you ready to be up every two to three hours to feed a baby round the clock?

Then there are the costs as the child gets older. Some estimates put the figure at about $225,000... and that is just until 18. Many stay at home longer or need to return home.

What about your own plans for education and those of your boyfriend's? What sort of work do you both do? Do you have insurance or would you expect your parents to foot the bills?

I know you don't think it would ever happen to you, but odds are very good that you and your boyfriend won't be a couple in the next several years. No one ever thinks it will happen to them because they love each other so much. People think those kinds of things only happen to someone else... but keep in mind that to other people, you ARE someone else! What if you had to raise a child on your own?

There is so much more to consider. Babies are precious and wonderful, but they are a tremendous amount of work. Your life changes drastically once you have children. If you are in a position to support a child financially, emotionally, and physically it can be a wonderful experience... but if you aren't ready it can be extra frustrating and challenging.

Think of it this way... could you, right now, and in the next several years, give a child all that you would want to be able to provide for them? Time, education, guidance, patience, medical care, etc?

You have so much ahead of you, so many opportunities, that you can't even imagine at this stage in your life. I know a baby sounds wonderful, but it would be even more so when you are in a better position to do it right. Your future child deserves that.

[kcomissiong]

You were 16 in THIS posting, asking a similar question about underage sex and pregnancy. Can you clear up that discrepancy?

[jessicasmith]

@ kcomissiong if you go to my profile it will show under about me that this isent jessica I am in fact her 15 yr old sister cleo