Sitting in the restroom waiting. Waiting for her life to change. It took two lines to make her feel like a different person, to instantly think like an adult. There were many and different options, but she knew the right decision for her. She knew if she had chosen the other options that she would be miserable her whole life, wondering. Lots of changes to her body, mood swings, aches, and pains. Months changed to weeks, weeks to days, days to hours, hours to minutes, minutes to seconds. There she was, her baby girl came into the world.

September 1, 2021, the Heartbeat Bill, a bill banning abortions once a heartbeat is detected in a fetus, took effect causing many to debate and weigh options. Legally, women in Texas now have the two options to give birth and raise the child or adoption. While many hope the abortion ban will be overturned, others are thankful for the resources in place and hope to see them expand.           

Before, according to the CDC, Texas had a teen birth rate of  25.3. In other words, for every 1,000 girls aged 15-19 in Texas, 25.3 will give birth. This places Texas at number seven among the top 10 states with the highest teen birth rates.  Teen pregnancies are not easy for anyone, but thankfully there are different resources available to help. The Pregnancy Resource Center, Parent as Teachers- Bluebonnet Trails, Family Connect, WIC, Any Baby Can, and Medicaid (even if they didn’t have Medicaid before pregnancy) are all helpful resources for prenatal and postpartum care needs anywhere from diapers and formula to physical therapy. 

If you want to give your baby up for adoption there are two accessible resources in the Pregnancy Resource Center and American Adoptions. You can contact them at (512) 409-3400 or visit https://www.bastropprc.org/ (PRC) and (800) 236-7846 or visit https://www.americanadoptions.com/ (AA). 

What matters the most in tough situations is what we as a community do for these teenage mothers. Please help by donating to Pregnancy Resource Center,  (512) 409-3400 or visit https://www.bastropprc.org/ , Texas Diaper Bank, (210) 731-8118 or visit  https://www.texasdiaperbank.org/ , Bastrop County Cares (512) 581-4013 or visit https://www.bastropcares.org/ , Heart of Texas Pregnancy Resource Center, (512) 704-7876 or visit https://greatnonprofits.org/org/heart-of-texas-pregnancy-resource-center?express=1 .   

For my teenage moms, don’t let anyone tell you what to do or what not to do with your body or your baby. Only you know what’s best for you two. Life happens and no matter what you’re going to have support. You may lose friends but at the end of the day, that won’t matter.