Pregnant and hopeful

Having a baby doesn’t have to hold you back

No-one can argue that being pregnant isn’t huge. It’s life-changing. But it doesn’t mean you’re not still you. Having a baby can be a new beginning for you as well.

A scary start
Angel never expected to be pregnant at 15. At first she thought her education was over. She felt her chances of getting a good job and good life were slipping away.

She lay awake at night and sleep-walked through her days. She didn’t tell anyone because she couldn’t say it out loud - but she wrote her feelings out in her diary.

Opening up
It wasn’t until Angel’s best friend pushed her to share what was wrong that things started to change. Her friend called the clinic right away, and later went with her to an appointment.

The nurse not only checked her health but let her know where she could turn for support.

When she wrote her diary that night, Angel was struck by how simple it had been to feel a little better.

Step by step
Angel carried on, seeking all the help and information she could. Bit by bit, as she read about parenthood, or watched mothers play with their babies, she started to feel like there might be things in this new future to look forward to.

Giving back
One night, as she finished writing her diary and glanced back through the pages, Angel decided to do something brave. She felt so grateful for the people who had helped her over the weeks, she decided to share her story.

She hoped if there was someone like her out there, that she could help them. So she wrote up her diary entries and published a blog.

She was amazed at how quickly other girls started to get in touch to say they’d been through the same. People thanked her for sharing her story - she knew she’d done what she set out to do - help.

Finding new positives
When Angel had her baby, it was hard work, but because she could share through her blog she felt less alone. She felt more proud each day that her baby was growing well.

She was even asked to visit a young mothers’ group to talk about her experience. It was scary but afterwards she realised it was something she wanted to do more of.

She still worried about her education suffering, but Angel also realised she was still learning, just in different ways, and developing new skills and passions along the way.

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