You may have heard it from your parents, grandparents, older siblings or teachers: Enjoy your teenage years because they will be gone before you know it.

For some young women, those teenage years may already seem over because of an unplanned teenage pregnancy. If this describes your situation, understand that being a pregnant teenager is more common than you might think, and there is plenty of help out there.

The following is a list of suggestions in handling your unplanned teenage pregnancy.

1. Make Good Choices for Yourself and the Baby

As a pregnant teenager, you likely haven’t ever had to deal with this amount of responsibility. So, moving forward, it is important to realize that your choices affect not just yourself but also your baby.

Whether those choices involve drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, using drugs, eating unhealthy, not getting enough exercise or taking certain risks, it might be necessary for you to evaluate your current lifestyle and eliminate any activities or habits that don’t promote a healthy pregnancy.

This also includes making sure you are surrounded by positive friends and family members who will be a support to you during your pregnancy.

2. Build a Support System to Help with Your Pregnancy

A good friend who listens to you and truly tries to understand what you are going through can be an essential component to a healthy teenage pregnancy.

What does this person look like? He or she will…

• Be available when you need a favor or someone to talk to.
• Not tempt you into making a bad choice.
• Make you feel good about yourself and your situation.

The more people you know who exude these qualities, the better. They can be friends, parents, grandparents, siblings, fellow students, school counselors, teachers, pastors or anyone else who brings positivity to your life and your pregnancy.

3. Continue Your Education

Just because you are a pregnant teenager doesn’t mean your education is any less important. You actually have several options to continue your education while pregnant.

• Continue at Your Own High School – In most situations, this is probably the easiest way to receive your high school diploma. Be sure to inform your high school teachers and school counselor of your pregnancy so they can tend to your needs and schedule.
• Pursue Independent Study – Independent study classes allow students to complete classes from home and earn high school and junior college credits. Talk to your school counselor for any available independent studies.
• Attend a Special School – Most communities offer daytime or nighttime high school classes for people who have alternative needs that require a flexible schedule.
• Obtain Your G.E.D. – The G.E.D. is a test that measures your general educational accomplishments. Once you have passed the exam, you will have earned the equivalent to your high school diploma, which opens up many doors to continued education.

4. Know Your Options

While the previous steps are necessary for all pregnant teenagers, this step is only applicable to women who are unsure if they are ready to parent.

Raising a child is one of the most important and challenging jobs around. An unplanned pregnancy is particularly challenging for young women because they don’t always have the resources to care for the child.

You must ask yourself: Am I ready for this responsibility? Do I have the necessary support of the father of my baby? Do I have the necessary support from my family? Do I even want to be a mother at this stage in my life?

These are questions that only you know the answers to.

If you are unsure about parenting as a teenager, or if you have already decided that you are not ready for this responsibility, know that adoption is always an option for your unplanned teenage pregnancy.

Be sure to fully educate yourself about the challenges and benefits of both parenting and adoption before making a decision. And remember, this is your decision, and yours alone.