Pregnancy and Adolescents
Pregnancy and AdolescentsThe article "The Pregnant Adolescent- A Group Approach" from the journal Adolescence was written by Barbara N. Adams, R.N., M.S., Carol A. Brownstein, M.S.W., and Madeline H. Schmitt, R.N., M.S. The aim of the paper is to get the readers to understand how the Rochester Adolescent Maternity Project (RAMP), a group for pregnant teens, came to be.
The group was created to help pregnant teens deal with all of their concerns. Being a teen mother-to-be is much different from being an older mother-to-be. There are many issues that pregnant teens must face, such as fitting in with their peers, dealing with their changing bodies at a time when hormone levels are already high, working through questions about parenthood, pregnancy, labor and childbirth.
During pregnancy is a time when most adolescents need to rely on adults for help, which collides with what most teens are trying to do; break away and become independent. Teenage mothers are usually trying to figure out how they will be able to support their child, how their friends will react, how the baby's father will take the news that he's going to be a dad, and how a new baby will fit into her life.
The group (RAMP) wanted to help teenagers deal with some of these issues. It seems most teenage fathers can still go on with their life plans, whereas most teenage mothers must change their plans, or at least take things slower than if they didn't have any children. Many teen moms have a low self esteem, especially if she knows or suspects that others are referring to her as a "bad girl."
Having the support of other peers in her situation can only make things easier for the teen mother. Sometimes the only person who can truly understand what the mom is going through is someone who has been there at one time, or someone who has worked with other teen parents.
Hospitals, schools, clinics, other people, etc referred the teens that are involved with the RAMP program. They range in age from twelve to eighteen years old, with the average teen being sixteen. The majority of young women were black; (blacks accounting for 73%) followed by Caucasian women (26%) and Hispanic women accounting for 1%.
Teen mothers join the group when they are in or around their 24th week of pregnancy. The group meets once a week for approximately one hour, and continue until everyone in the group has delivered their child. The teens feel free to discuss such things as health issues, emotional concerns, financial concern, and anything else she feels relevant. Being in such a group surrounded by other young women in the same situation can only benefit the young mother-to- be.