Colorado Resources For Pregnant Parenting Teens

A guide for teachers and administrators that provides information on how to develop, coordinate, and teach in an effective program for pregnant and parenting teenagers. Includes a listing of resources for teen parents, and professionals.

Written by a pediatrician/adolescent medicine specialist and a developmental psychologist, this book is a collection of informative, nonredundant yet comprehensive studies on adolescent pregnancy and parenting. More than 200 adolescent women in an ethnically diverse sample were studied prenatally and at regular 6-month intervals for 3½ years postpartum. Most of the teens were poor, unmarried, first-time mothers who resided within Southeast San Diego, a poor urban area approximately 10 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The purpose of this book was to offer researchers, practitioners, program directors, teachers, and graduate and medical students a better understanding of teenage pregnancy and parenthood within the following domains: * adolescent prenatal care and postpartum maternal and infant health outcomes, * immediate repeat pregnancy, * adolescent mothers' parenting, * the role of the adolescent's mother in teenage mothers' parenting, and * the baby's father.

More than 900,000 teenage girls face pregnancies each year. Almost all of these pregnancies are unplanned, leaving teen moms and dads unprepared for the emotional, physical, and psychological journey ahead of them. What most parents find as a memorable and positive change in their lives, teens and their families often see as catastrophic and devastating. In Pregnancy and Parenting: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Jessica Akin guides teens through the unique issues and struggles of a life-changing event that can be overwhelming even for a fully mature adult. Once a teen decides what course to take—between parenting, adoption, or abortion—she must deal with the consequences of her decision, often alone, but sometimes with the father-to-be and other family members. Topics covered in this book include breaking the news choosing the next step dealing with judgments and criticism coping with loss co-parenting finishing school life beyond the baby This book is filled with stories from teen mothers and fathers who faced their unplanned pregnancy head on. Written without bias or judgement, Pregnancy and Parenting: The Ultimate Teen Guide emphasizes and encourages teens to empower themselves with knowledge and make the best choices and decisions for their individual futures.

The writings in this anthology have been selected to introduce readers to the broadest possible spectrum of viewpoints on teen pregnancy and parenting. A question-and-response format prompts readers to examine complex issues from multiple angles. Debated topics include whether teenage pregnancy is a problem, whether it causes negative consequences for all involved, whether it helps struggling teens to succeed, the role of sexual abuse, and the efficacy of sex education programs.