How did having a child change your life, what are your stories? Did anyone experience a drastic change?
This is how my life drastically changed:
When I was in high school I was at the top of my class, had absolutely perfect test scores and grades. I was accepted to Harvard when I was 17 and was all ready to leave my small town in Georgia. But I ended up getting pregnant that summer just before I was going to start in the fall. I was on birth control but it failed. I wanted an abortion at first but I didn't go through with it in the end and had the baby and never went to Harvard. My daughter is 15 now. She's an absolutely beautiful girl, and sweet and smart. But she was born with Cystic Fibrosis (a genetic disease that causes her to have severe lung and digestive problems). Caring for her and all her medical needs, being very devoted to her, plus working just took up so much time that that was all I did, and didn't go to any university.
I know my life would have been totally and completely different in every way now if I had never gotten pregnant that night, but then I would never have the one and only person I love unconditionally, she's become my whole life.
I'm currently working on writing a book about her and I and the whole experience, she's helping me with it.
How did having a child changed your life?
You have a great story!
I'll share mine, at risk of getting judged! (I am ashamed of who I was, but not of who I am now).
I was 19, a 'party girl', had dropped out of education 3 times, didn't have a job, every single night of the week I spent clubbing and taking class A drugs, I was completely hooked on them, I got everything for free because I had 'friends in high places', I was on my way to uni later that year but I have no doubt in my mind that I'd have dropped out again, really I was the ultimate loser in life, headed nowhere fast.
Then I fell pregnant. Amazingly that gave me the push to quit drugs overnight, completely cold turkey. I grew up very fast. Got pretty boring, in fact! After a few weeks of being sober, I realised that all my 'friends' were losers just as I was, and bad influences, trying to persuade me to get an abortion or trying to get me back on the drugs, so I basically ditched the lot of them.
I made a lot of new friends through bumps and babies groups, and rekindled old friendships with girls I went to school with who thankfully allowed me to come crawling back and didn't judge me for my past. I pulled out of university, well I had no choice because the apartments I'd spent my deposit on said I couldn't come with a baby, and I lost the deposit and couldn't afford a second one. I took on four jobs for the rest of my pregnancy up until the week I gave birth, working day and night seven days a week, I virtually crippled myself but I was living at home and spending nothing and earnt a pretty good nest egg over that time.
I had my son and fell totally in love with him. My life instantly revolved around him, and being a parent. I had 9 months of maternity allowance from the jobs I'd been doing (I live in the UK), so I didn't work for that period of time. Then I toyed around with what I should do next, work or study or both, dabbled around for a bit and eventually signed up to do a distance learning degree in History. I'm just finishing the first year now and this is the longest I've been in education since I was kicked out of school, and I'm loving it and doing very well, and I hope to go into teaching at the end of it. I'm doing a part time job some evenings in a bar just to earn some money, and I spend the days at home with my son (madly trying to juggle parenting and study!)
My son is just coming up to 19 months now and he is my world. I've raised him alone as his dad has declined to be involved with him, nor does he pay me any money. But I'm loving being a single mum, it's lonely at times but having all the rewards to myself makes it more than worth it!
My past seems to me like it was a different person. I couldn't be any more different if I tried. I always thought I would hate doing 'kids stuff', and would hate to give up my social life and doing my own thing in the daytime, but I absolutely LOVE taking him to playgroups and play centres and things, I love seeing the delight on his face as he runs about doing something new and watching him interact with other kids. He's a pain in the bum sometimes and I would be lying if I said he wasn't a handful... but he is just the most wonderful and beautiful person in the world to me and the best thing that could ever have happened to me!
Good luck with your book!!
How did having a child changed your life?
They gave me a reason to work my hardest. They jus made me see what's most important n life. I mean yeh I was getting things done before they were here but I do moreso now. They taught me how to truly love and filled an empty space n my life.
I'm 17 years old and I found out I was going to have my first child in April. At first I was very upset and I didn't think being a mom was for me. I was really into drinking, and sex, i even tried drugs once. However, now that my belly is getting big and i'm starting to really prepare for her I have completely changed my life. I try to be a better person and live life as the good Lord would want. My grades are up and i even raised my act score 7 points.
I'm living life daily for her and I'm whole heatedly trying to be the change I wish to see in the world.
When my baby girl gets here and is older I want her to be proud of her mommy and I want her to know that I love her more than anything and i'd do absolutely anything for her :)
