Health Upp Teen Pregnancy – Pregnancies are difficult on the body, even for adults. Teen pregnancies can be even more troublesome, though. If you’re worried about your teen becoming pregnant, you’ve got to learn the signs first. Learning them should make it easier for you to get involved. Plus, you should also know how to respond if something like this ever happens. Here are the most common signs of teen pregnancy.
Missed Periods
Periods are a normal part of life for females. They happen whenever the body sheds its endometrial lining. Missing a period could indicate a fetus has been implanted in the uterus. However, some pregnant teens still experience a period.
Light Flow
Pregnant teens might still have a light period. Most of the time, there will be much less bleeding than usual, though. If you’ve noticed a lighter flow, it could be a sign that you’ve gotten pregnant.
Tenderness of the Breasts
Have you noticed increased sensitivity around the breasts? If so, it could indicate your body has gone through hormonal changes. Breast tenderness occurs whenever there’s an increase in prolactin. Everyone has some of this hormone, but it increases a lot during pregnancy. Prolactin stimulates the breast tissues, preparing them for milk secretion.
Morning Sickness and Vomiting
Morning sickness is another direct result of hormonal changes. Pregnant teens become much more likely to vomit in general. But, it’s even more pronounced early in the day. If you’ve felt sick after waking up, it could be a sign that you’re pregnant.
Increased Bodyweight
Changes in body weight are very common during pregnancy. Higher levels of estrogen make your body hold onto calories more easily. So, you might not even change your diet while gaining weight. However, these changes also make a lot of people feel hungrier than usual. As a result, pregnant teens might start eating more often. This further increases the likelihood of weight gain.
Abdominal Swelling
As the fetus develops, it’ll exert pressure on the abdomen. Also, pregnancies make your body want to store more weight there, too. Ultimately, this all manifests as a small bump around the abdomen. The further along you are, the more noticeable it’ll become.
Fainting and Lightheadedness
Plenty of teens experience feelings of lightheadedness while pregnant. When there’s a baby in your body, it draws some of your blood. That makes it easier to faint whenever you stand up. Even if you don’t faint all the way, you might feel lightheaded.
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in your red blood cell count. Often, pregnant teens have more issues with anemia. Even people who’ve never dealt with it before could start struggling. Plus, if you’ve been bleeding more than usual, your risk could be even higher.
High Blood Pressure
Hyper eclampsia is a type of elevated blood pressure. Pregnancies demand a lot from the body. You’ve got to supply enough blood to the developing fetus. As such, your heart must work a lot harder than it did before. This could increase your blood pressure by quite a bit.
Heightened Emotions
Often, pregnant teens might seem like they’ve become way more emotional. This is a totally normal reaction. Pregnancies change your body’s hormone levels, substantially. Higher levels of estrogen have been associated with increased emotions. So, you might notice you’ve been crying a lot more easily. Or, you could start feeling angry about things that never bothered you before.
Risks During Teen Pregnancy
Most of the time, teen mothers can carry a baby to term without any problems. Taking prenatal vitamins could help to bridge any nutritional gaps. Also, you should make sure to visit an experienced doctor, regularly.
One of the biggest risks of teen pregnancy would be isolation. A lot of teens feel ashamed about what’s happened. Isolation could make you feel even worse, though. If you suspect your teen has gotten pregnant, reach out to them. Working together would make things a lot easier on them. And, you’ll be able to develop a game plan together.
Regular doctor visits should be enough to prevent the worst outcomes. Usually, teens don’t have too many health issues as a result of pregnancy. However, you might want to consider preventative options anyway.
Preventing Teen Pregnancy
Education is the most important factor when it comes to preventing teen pregnancies. Make sure your children understand how these things happen. Then, educate them about potential methods of birth control.
Intrauterine devices have become one of the most popular methods of birth control. These get inserted into the uterus. Once there, they’ll provide a steady supply of hormonal birth control. Compared to the pill, there’s a lot less to manage. So, they tend to be more effective.
Hormonal birth control pills are still quite effective, though. The biggest issue is using them correctly. You’ve got to make sure they’re taken according to a schedule. Otherwise, they won’t work as well.
Noticing the Signs of Teen Pregnancy
Guiding your children through pregnancy might sound like it would be a nightmare. However, it’s much better if you’re working together with them. A lot of pregnant teens try to hide their condition. So, it’s important to understand the signs of teen pregnancy. That way, if you notice them, you can take positive steps.