14-year old says being pregnant is fashionable

[dragynm]

I know that we have some members here on CafeMom who had their kids while they were younger.  I do not think, however, that getting pregnant at 14 is a "fashion statement"!  My oldest is 11 years old.  We've had the discussion about sex and babies and all that, but she knows that it is in her best interest to wait to have kids when she's older!  There are the obvious health risks involved with babies having babies -- to both the moms and babies -- but there's also the mental problems associated with having kids too young.  <sigh>  This article just made me want to first hug this young lady, then bend her over my knee and spank her for this!

-Marie

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Pregnant 14-Year-Old Says Having a Child Is the Newest Fashion Among Teens

Saturday, February 24, 2007

LONDON —  The newest fashion among schoolgirls is getting knocked up, according to one pregnant 14-year-old whose four friends are also expecting.

British teen Kizzy Neal says she's been approached for advice from other pregnant girls her age ever since she conceived, reported London's Daily Mail.

"When my friends see my bump they say they wish they could have a baby, then three weeks later they're pregnant and don't know what to do," Neal said.

"It seems to be fashionable to get pregnant. ... Teenage girls think babies are cute, but they forget the physical side of being pregnant, then having to give up your own childhood to look after a baby," she told the paper.

Neal says she got pregnant the first time she had sex with her 13-year-old boyfriend.

Click Here to Read the Daily Mail's Story

Family campaigners say her comments show how current sex education policies leave teens with the "ridiculous but extremely worrying" idea that having a child is comparable to buying a new handbag.

Neal's comments come as figures show England and Wales have the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Europe — with the biggest growth among girls under 16.

[punkymama]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 6:44 PM being a brit myself I don't like how that makes england and wales look but w/e...soon enough they will realize that its not its all cracked up to be..unfortunately a lot of their parents are going to be parents all over again..very upsetting article

[AprilAnney]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 6:47 PM AHHHHHHHHHHHH!  I'm so glad I have a boy!  ...not that fathering a kid is acceptable at age 14.  But...oh my god...if I had a girl and she told me at 14 that it was fashionable to have a baby...I'd flip.  I don't know what I would do!  When I was in 8th grade (12 years old, maybe???) and we had to do the egg baby project, I failed the first day because I left my baby in the restaurant.  Luckily grandma grabbed the egg and gave it back when i realized a half hour later that I had forgotten it- but she made me feel like HELL about it!

[MamaNaeole]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 6:48 PM Oh dear God, they need to bring those baby belly aprons back and make these girls walk around wearing them for a week.  Then, give them the screaming robot baby that they have in Mexico.  I doubt they'd ever open their legs again after that.

[lyndabree]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 6:57 PM

I am willing to send pictures of my fat butt over there to let them in on the reality that not all ladies are lucky enough to just get a "bump". I'm a personal trainer and know very well how to stay in shape, but my body INSISTS on gaining weight in all the wrong places with every baby I have. Me, pregnant in a bikini, might just help scare the "fashionable" crap out of them.

Oh, and that's not even mentioning the obviously deeper issues. That would take way to long as all of us moms know.

[BubbiesMom]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 8:32 PM these girls have no idea what is all involved in having a baby ..... and there chyances of staying with their childs father...... at 14 not very well. we all prepare as mothers-to-ba and even the best of the best are not ready for all that lies ahead. when these girls are graduating high school they'll be signing their kids up for kindergarden!! this is insane.... i wish they didnt have baby fever so bad... i guess theyll be growing up a little too fast

[Ange0305]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 9:37 PM I'm am soooooo glad I do'nt live in england. These are babies having babies.(yeah i know I was 18 but thats not 14).There parents need to be shot. I wasn't even allowed to date at 14. I couldn't even go anywhere alone intill I was seventeen.They have a VERY rude awakening comeing when they relize just how UN Fashionable and how extremely hard it can be to raise a baby.

[HAPPYHEARTS]

Feb. 24, 2007 at 10:31 PM WELL I KNOW ITS VERY  SAD  TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS GIRLS ARE THINKING I HAVE A 14 YEAR OLD  AND JUST HELPING ME OUT WITH THE BABY IS ENOUGH I HAD HER WHEN I WAS 16AND I TELL HER I LOVE HER BUT MAN SHOULD I HAVE LISTENDTO MY FATHER  AND FINISHED SCHOOL I TRY TO MAKE ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO SO THEY COULD THINK TWICE BEFORE  GETTING PREGNANT

[jlarreola]

Feb. 25, 2007 at 7:47 PM

It seems like girls are too anxious to have babies cuz they DO NOT know what it's all about being a mother, especially when you're in school still.  HELLO!!!  It is a great thing having a child, but you need to make sure that you can give your child(ren) everything that they need and when you're in school with no job...how are you going to be able to provide for them?!  Mom and Dad aren't always going to be able to help you out. 

Yesterday, my sister and I went to Cub to get some food cuz I was going to spend the night at her place and when we were there, we saw a teenage girl doing a school project with an actual toy baby.  You can tell she was kind of embarrassed cuz she was like walking really fast with the cart.  Her father and friend were a little embarrassed also...I could tell by the way the were acting.  I think schools should EMPHASIZE more on teens having children.  I really wanted to make her feel more embarrassed, but I figured I shouldn't cuz if I was doing a project like that, I wouldn't want someone else coming up to me to make me feel more of an idiot.  I told my sister that I should go up to her and ask her how old her "baby" was just so she would feel what's it being a mother getting asked questions all the time regarding the child.  I decided not to do that cuz that would have been mean....fun to do, but mean.  I hope she learns what it's like being a mother when you're in school and hopefully she won't get pregnant.  I would say she was probably 16 or 17 years old....that's what she looked like, but nowadays, you can't tell cuz girls look older than their ages.

I just hope the 14 year old in England learns what's it ALL about being a mother at a young age and hopefully her parents will have her work at being a parent and not help her out that much.

Anways, thank you very much for sharing with us!

Love,

Jess

[addysgurl]

Feb. 25, 2007 at 8:23 PM This is so depressing.  God willing they have parents who at least talk to them about this. And God willing they have parents who will help them if they do get pregnant. I got pregnant with my first at 19 and feel like I gave up alot. I can't imagine at 14. God bless them.