This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Teen mom.
Most girls think that those two words are code for “my life is over with,” but that’s not the case for Jessica Brown, who graduated this past spring from Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio. When she heard the news that she was pregnant, her whole world changed.
“I had so many thoughts running through my head. I had no clue what my parents were going to say and I was extremely worried about disappointing them. I also wasn’t sure what my boyfriend’s reaction was going to be.”
For Jessica, some of the most difficult parts of her journey were ones she had to deal with in front of her peers at school. As the news about Jessica’s pregnancy spread like wildfire among students, people became extremely judgmental.
“Once everyone found out I was pregnant, I wasn’t even able to walk down the hall without being stared at. People were extremely rude and girls became nasty. I even had my guidance counselor ask me if I was sure I wanted to change my classes because most teen pregnancies end in a miscarriage! Which isn’t even true. I think most of [my peers] thought of me as being “trashy” even though I have been with the same guy for three and a half years! But it was my senior year and I knew I just needed to push though it.”
Put into perspective, anyone going through a tough situation knows that support from friends and family is crucial if you plan on overcoming the obstacle at hand. Not only did Jessica learn her pregnancy had been no exception to this, but she also learned the hard way when she lost friends in the process.
“The reaction of my friends was interesting. When you get pregnant you really learn who your true friends are. My family on the other hand was pretty easy to tell and they all accepted it.”
Fortunately, after graduating, Jessica grew thicker skin and dealt much better with the negative attention of her teen mom image; nothing nor no one was going to change her mind once she found out she would be delivering a baby daughter, Kayleigh Marie, whom she loved immediately from that instant on. Adoption was out of the question.
Although pushing past judgments of others gradually became easier, the physical side of the situation didn’t.
“My third trimester was definitely the hardest. At this point my feet and ankles were swollen and I couldn’t see them! Towards the end of the trimester all I did was eat and sleep. I had zero motivation, which made everything a lot more difficult.”
From her incredible journey to motherhood, Jessica has had one true-blue supporter every step of the way− her own mother. She helped Jessica every step of the way.
“I truly don’t think I could have done it without her. She went to [the majority of] my doctors’ appointments and helped me pull through the last few weeks because they were definitely the hardest.”
Most importantly, Jessica encourages young mothers like her to continue pursuing their ambitions in life, rather than throwing them away.
“My advice to other moms would be that a baby shouldn’t stop you from completing any of the goals you have for yourself. I worked up until I was 38 weeks pregnant and I am going to continue working sometime after Kayleigh arrives. I also am still planning on going to college to get my degree like everyone else! Although starting in August wasn’t the right time for me to start, I begin in January. You need to be willing to grow up and realize that your “partying days” are pretty much over! At this point in life, you don’t come first anymore. You have to do everything in your power to make a good life for your child. And no, looking back now I wouldn’t change a single thing. I could not imagine life without my daughter. I am very excited to be a mom!”