Hey guys, i hope this is an acceptable place to ask for advice. I'm 17 years old, and today i found out i am pregnant.

As someone who also got pregnant at 17 in high school, I can't definitely relate. You're going to have plenty of people pull you and tell you different things. YOU know what's best for you. Every situation is different. While I was scared to tell anyone or even think what my life was going to be like, there was never a moment when I imagined my life without my child. I knew I had a good support system and that was only confirmed once I confided in my parents. My boyfriend and I took the pregnancy test together. I was open with him from the get go. He knew my feelings and I knew his.

He and his family wanted adoption, while I didn't. As hard as it was I told him just because we had a baby doesn't mean he has to stay with me. I was extremely realistic with myself and knew the odds of us staying together were very small if at all. If I had thought for one second I couldn't do it on my own I would have chosen differently. I didn't just chose to "woman up and be responsible" I chose to become a mother. So many people think well I got myself into this mess I guess I need to deal with it. You aren't just making a choice for you. You're making a choice for that baby.

I went out and got a job and have worked full time ever since/gone to school full time. I'm not going to lie. It's no skip in the park. While years later my story has a happy ending... We ended up together and now married with baby #2 on the way, that's not always the case. It has been hard. He went to school 5 hours away for 4 years while we had an LDR. I did all the work and he acknowledges that.

Even with all that being said, again, you need to figure out what is best for you. While I have never believed in abortion I am not in the business of telling others what to do with their body. So, if that's something you think you need then you know that best. If you want to give someone the chance to be a mother who otherwise couldn't then you are stronger then I could have been. You would be surprised the people who confide in you. (I had a teacher approach me and tell me how a few years back she lost a her baby at 2 months old and had not been able to conceive since. She had been debating adoption when I started showing and offered to take the necessary steps for an open adoption)

I truly wish you all the best, my heart goes out to you because I know that whatever you decide will change your life forever. Just know that family and friends are more resilient than you think. Don't be afraid to confide in them. They will be hurt, they will be upset, but in the end they will still love you and the decision you make.

If you need to talk further don't hesitate to pm me.

/r/BabyBumps Thread