Youngest labor patient?

germain · May 21, 2005

I thought that the teen pregnancy rate has been steadily going down in each state the last decade or so?

sorry for the politics, but teen pregnacy is rising, and STD are skyrocketing, amoung teens in certain places. Sex ed isn't what it used to be, its now abstinence only if the school recieves federal funding for their sex ed- that means NO education concerning contraceptives!

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · May 22, 2005

sorry for the politics, but teen pregnacy is rising, and STD are skyrocketing, amoung teens in certain places. Sex ed isn't what it used to be, its now abstinence only if the school recieves federal funding for their sex ed- that means NO education concerning contraceptives!

Everything I have seen recently is that the teen pregnancy rate is going down. Now, the STD thing... I have seen that it is leveling off or slightly increasing. Girls are using more birth control (pill), but they aren't really using protection from STDs (condoms / abstinence)....

I did see a stat that said that girls who were taught abstinence and who did the pledging of abstienence were no less likely to have sex, and they were actually MORE likely to engage in sex without a condom.

Scary.

nancimarie · May 24, 2005

I live in a small town in the UP of MI. The youngest patient I've had in labor in 17, and I thought that was young, I even think 20 is young. It is common for kids to marry young around here and have 10-20 kids, we have patients that come see us every year.

I can't imagine having a 12 year old in labor, they are just kids themselves. I have a 12 year old son, you bet I'll be talking to him again.

:nono:

What is the youngest age patient you have taken care of or has b een on your L&D unit?
I was floored the other week when we had a 12 year old in labor. Yes, 12 years old. Merely a baby herself, having a baby. That was the same day I was caring for a laboring 14 year old who was having her first baby (a 33 week demise at that).
So very very sad.

RPN_2006 · May 24, 2005

I had my first son at barely 18, by 24 I had three sons. I was older than many mentioned here, and I was married, and I was eager be a good mother, but I was woefully unprepared.

I just wanted to mention a home health nurse who worked out of our local health unit when I had my first son. I had memorized a prenatal nursing textbook while pregnant but oh I had soo many questions. This particular nurse came to our home to do a wellness visit. I don't know how to say..I mean I'm crying right now just thinking of her...so many were jugemental ..but her..

This woman made herself a lifeline to me. She encouraged me always. She took phone calls from me constantly, she was always supportive. In retrospect I can see that she would have been in a place to see how dim my future might have been, but neved once did she convey that to me. She told me I was better informed than most of her 30yo mothers. She built me up when I needed it most.

I wish I could tell her.

I will tell all of you,

Thank-you.

mom2dacl · May 26, 2005

What is the youngest age patient you have taken care of or has b een on your L&D unit?
I was floored the other week when we had a 12 year old in labor. Yes, 12 years old. Merely a baby herself, having a baby. That was the same day I was caring for a laboring 14 year old who was having her first baby (a 33 week demise at that).
So very very sad.

We had a 10 year old who had been raped by an uncle, who was in prision, btw. The pregnancy was discovered far to late to do anything about it. The child was in foster care with a wonderful foster mother who did the best she could. The original plan was to do a C-section under general to reduce any further emotional trauma. turns out that when the time came, the girl and the foster mom decided to scrap that plan. girl delivered a 6-10 baby girl who was healthy, and The foster mom ended up adopting both girls. Last I heard, they were being raised as sisters. The girl has been getting lots of couseling to handle all that has happened, but i have to give my kudos to the foster mom who also took on this burden. Talk about turning the most awful of situations into something better. This young girl was most truly a child in every sense of the word, including bringing her teddy bear into triage. The nurse who had her had to do all the vag exams because the OB felt his checking her would be too much, given her hx. Poor nurse said she felt like she was molesting her all over again, it was so strange. But the little girl never complained, and seemed to have a quick, yet not-so-painful delivery. Breaks your heart, though.

hillaryd · May 26, 2005

Very interesting reading.

I see both sides...the teen mom in me wants to scream out that it isn't all about trying to feel loved, or just wanting a baby, etc.

The future nurse in me is shocked and apalled and can't believe that anyone who still shops at Limited Too can possibly be come a mother.

As mother of a 9-year-old, I'm scared to death of what my daughter might go through.

The fact is, no one at any age is ready to have a baby before giving birth. You can read every book in the world on pregnancy, childbirth, and "Your Baby, Age [insert number here]" and not have the first clue.

Another fact is no one should be judged for being excited about the birth of a baby. Babies are miracles, no matter what age the mother. There is no reason a young mother can't talk about how fun a baby will be. How many 25-year-olds come in bemoaning their pregnancies because the baby is going to keep them up all night? I would be more worried about those moms than the ones who are excited. Again, age is not a factor here. I am not accusing anyone of doing this or condoning this behavior, but berating a young mother is NOT going to help. In fact, she may grow to resent the child she is carrying and be less likely to care for it properly.

Now, the root of the problem (according to my problematic self, I suppose?) is a severe lack of sex-ed. We learned about STDs in health class. Abstinence was the only birth control taught. Yes, it is the only 100% fail-proof method, but the fact is few teens (none that I knew/know) actually planned on having sex. It just happens. When I conceived my oldest daughter, was I thinking about anything except (and excuse my humor) "Oh baby that feels good!"...? Nope...I wasn't thinking about feeling loved, or wanting security, or STDs, or anything except how I physically felt at the time. No one inserts the warning "Hey, it'll feel good" before the obligatory "don't do it!!" Certainly no one told us where we could get birth control or even what was available.

I plan to earn my CNM; my dream is to open a birthing center especially for young and unmarried moms so that I may help educate them on childbirth and parenting options. For example, no one spoke to me about breast-feeding. I had to ask the nurse when I could bf my daughter, and she gave me the most incredulous look, stating that she assumed "the" (not my) baby would be bottlefed. I hate to think of anyone else having to deal with this kind of prejustice. I'd also like to put together a sex-ed course for parents to attend with their children. Dry facts and scare tactics don't work...I feel that sex ed would be best presented as any other class--information laced with true-life examples and a touch of humor, as well as open discussion and a Q&A session. Knowledge retention would be much higher, and perhaps a more light-hearted, frank approach would help open the lines of communication between parent and child.

I've typed long enough; I apologize if I wandered near incoherancy; 12-hour graveyard shifts will do that to you. Take care!

DZcarrie · May 31, 2005

I visit a number of NICUs in my position, and one of them had 2 12 year old moms last year. A few years ago, they had an 11 year old. The father was 20, and in jail when the baby arrived. What was very sad was that when the social worker asked one of the 12 year olds what she would like for Christmas, the new mom's response was that she'd like a doll. She had just had a baby, and she wanted a doll!

:crying2:

Schmoo1022 · May 31, 2005

This thread makes me so so sad. I had a 13 y/o girl during my OB rotation and a week and a half later I had her mom as a patient.

I am 32 y/o and just had my first baby in October 04, even being finiancially stable,and having a wonderful supportive husband, I was still totally unprepared for the amount of work and time a baby needs. I mean, I knew that babies were hard work, but never imaged to what extent until I had my own.

I could not imagine ME having a baby at 13!! I am not saying that all teenage mothers are bad, because their not. But they have soo much to experience and enjoy. I know that the victims of rape did not ask for this to happen, but there are many young girls out there that think having a baby so young is great