niki1983

This is not because of the nurse you had, this is just because as a teenager you are not prepared to be the kind of parent you need to be to nurture your children. In reply to this comment, all i have to say is who are to say that just because of your age you are not ready or able to nurture your children. I know adults who don't take care of their children as well as I do. Another thing is, the reason teen moms are usually defensive is because someone always has something negative to say about it. I understand that maybe I am the exception as far as teen moms are concerned. However, you don't know if someone you are caring for is going to be part of that exception unless you know them personally. You can't make that assumption. Also, just to add, I don't think that it is just the nurses these teen mom's come in contact with it is everyone. I had teachers tell me that I should drop there course, in high school, because maybe I just couldn't handle it. All that negativity is the reason we are so defensive. I just think that people in general need to stop being so judgemental.

With my second child my labor was induced. I was given cervadil the night before. It put me into early labor by 2am. At 9 am one dr from my group came in to check on me and order pitocin. By 9:15 I asked for drugs. At 11:15 I was told that I was at 4-5 and would have a while to go, so I asked for more drugs. At 11:53am me daughter came into the world with the help of nurse Tina, my main reason for wanting to be an l&d nurse. Shortly after the ER doc arrived to check in and a few min after that a different ob from my group arrived - I fell asleep and don't even remember pushing out the placenta! It turs out that the first doc I saw that am had joined the 2nd doc at another hospital thinking that I was going to have a lengthy labor. And just to add my doc got paid for the delivery.

I have been reading some more of these posts. A lot of what is being said is so generalized. I was a teen mom, three times (had a 4th at 20), so I can relate to what the other teen moms have said and are going thru. We do get a lot of looks and rude comments and gestures. The nurses at my first delivery ( I was 15) were in disbelief about everything I said. They didn't even beleive me that I had to push, mean while the baby was crowning. That could have turned into a dangerous situation had my mother not been there advocating for me, like that nurse should have been. I am not saying that all nurses are this way, but enough of them are that something needs to be done about it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it should never be shown during patient care. On the other hand I agree with the nurses who have posted comments about it being sad. Although not all cases are, those that invole abuse are. However, If the case doesn't involve abuse you as the nurse have no right to judge that individual at whatever age they are. You don't know if that girl is one that is going to struggle the rest of her life or one that is going to "rise to the occassion" and succeed in life. Teen moms are given these stereotypes all of the time and people who go around saying negative things about us just have no clue how bably it hurts. In my case, which I know may be the exception, I continued school ( only one year left untill my nursing degree), I am married, and all of my children have the same father (my husband) . I guess what I am trying to get across is that noone, on either side, has a right to generalize or stereotype and individual situation. If you do not know first hand, you need to be open and not judge.

I am also in school for nursing. I am at the end of my first year (one year to go!). I am 21 years old and eversince I can remember I have wanted to be a L&D nurse ( I would also consider NICU). I also have four children. When I had my first the nurses treated me pretty bad (I think because of my age - 15). That was one reason I wanted to go into the field - to make a difference. With my second, a nurse delivered my baby because the dr. didn't make it (and labor was induced!). All the nurses I had for babie 2-4 were great. I want to strive to be just like them. I think it was a combonation of a bad, and several good expeirences that ultimently determined my final descion.

There wasn't really a reason I continued to have more children, they just kind of happened. With my second child, I was 17, I got pregnant on birthcontrol. With my third we were using condoms and apparently one didn't do its job! By the time we got to # 4 we were using the rythm method, we had a slight miscalculation, but it resulted in my only son. I agree with you about not promoting teen pregnacy. But I must say that it isn't fair that teen mothers get put down so often and also get negative stereotypes. Yes there are teen moms that can't take care of themselves let alone another child, but on the other hand there are teens that do a better job raising there children the "adult" mothers.

I have been reading all of the replys about this topic, Youngest labor patient. My name is Niki and I am a 21 year old mother of 4. I had my first child at 15. While I do agree that teenagers in general may lack the understanding and maturity needed to be a mother, I also know of adults that also lack those same skills. I understand that teenagers having babies may not always be positive, but it isn't always a sad occasion. My husband and I have been together 6 years and as I said have four children. We have taken care of our children on our own from day one and continue to do so. I beleive it isn't the age that makes any situation sad, but the maturity level of the individual. I think that as nurses we can't be judgemental. I had nurses treat me pretty bad during my first labor. They assumed that because of my age I wouldn't know what my own body was going through. I had a nurse ask me what made me think my water broke, they also didn't believe me when I said I had to push, mean while my baby was crowning. I am a strong beleiver that a person at any age knows what they are feeling and no other individual has a right to tell them otherwise or dout them. You learn that in nursing 101;pain is subjective, only the patient can say if it exists. In conclusion, where I do uderstand some of your beliefs about teens maybe not being ready to have children, I don't always agree. You have to look at the individual and keep an open mind.