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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Teen with sen pregnant

253 replies

allthingsred · 23/08/2025 09:02

My 17 yo dd is pregnant.
& I don't know how to support her.

She has autism adhd severe social anxiety & is very niavee for her age.

She met the father on line & they have only known each other 2 months.
He too has anxiety & depression.
The relationship already worried me with how intense it got (he would cry when leaving after visiting her etc)

She wants to keep the baby but
Her sensory needs around noise smells, she has repeated episodes of autistic burnout makes me worried.
We will support her as much as we can but
I work & have a toddler as well as 3 other children, so it will be hard & limited.
I've looked online and there seems to be a family nurse service which sounds great but not in our area.

We are planning a conversation with her today which will be a reality check.

Does anyone have any advice or positive stories from teen pregnancies with similar issues

OP posts:
MolkosTeenageAngst · 23/08/2025 11:59

Ignoring the baby for a minute, does she even understand what being pregnant and giving birth will mean, even just from a sensory and social point of view? The cravings and nausea and aches and pains, heightens senses including smell? The midwife and hospital appointments with scans, blood tests, measurements and endless questions. Vaginal examinations, cervical sweeps. Potential tears, forceps, stitches, injections, c-sections. Maybe having to stay in hospital post birth, bright lights, shared wards with other noisy mums and babies, monitors beeping. Hormones causing an increase in anxiety, depression etc. Obviously you need a very real conversation about the realities of raising a baby but she needs to know the realities of pregnancy and birth as well and she needs to decide if she thinks she can cope with it right now from a sensory perspective.

Comedycook · 23/08/2025 11:59

It’s amazing how many on here are so strident about “my body my choice” but think they could force someone else to get an abortion. How would that work exactly

You can't force someone that's true...nor should you. But my body my choice is all very well until you're basically expecting someone else to raise your child and financially support them.

Adarkandstormynight · 23/08/2025 12:01

I’ve been in this exact situation (I was the teen) whatever you do DONT push termination. She needs to make her own choice even if you think it’s the wrong one. SEN massively complicates things and you could end up with more issues if she develops PTSD from feeling forced one way or another. I’d advise getting urgent psychological help / counselling so she can make her own decision.

Id also sit down with her and go through how things would work in all scenarios so she has a clear plan relating to each possible decision.

CharlotteRumpling · 23/08/2025 12:01

Adarkandstormynight · 23/08/2025 12:01

I’ve been in this exact situation (I was the teen) whatever you do DONT push termination. She needs to make her own choice even if you think it’s the wrong one. SEN massively complicates things and you could end up with more issues if she develops PTSD from feeling forced one way or another. I’d advise getting urgent psychological help / counselling so she can make her own decision.

Id also sit down with her and go through how things would work in all scenarios so she has a clear plan relating to each possible decision.

Did you have the baby? If I may ask.

Adarkandstormynight · 23/08/2025 12:04

CharlotteRumpling · 23/08/2025 12:01

Did you have the baby? If I may ask.

No I was forced to have a second trimester termination , ended up having a breakdown then deliberately got pregnant again 3 months later and continued. It devastated the relationship with my family and I have PTSD from it. It was awful . I wish so much that each choice had been presented as equally valid and been able to talk through how each option looked for me and how it would work depending on what I chose. I wasn’t allowed to choose though.

FlatWhiteExtraHot · 23/08/2025 12:04

Comedycook · 23/08/2025 11:59

It’s amazing how many on here are so strident about “my body my choice” but think they could force someone else to get an abortion. How would that work exactly

You can't force someone that's true...nor should you. But my body my choice is all very well until you're basically expecting someone else to raise your child and financially support them.

Edited

I don’t disagree. However it’s either “my body my choice” or it’s not. You can’t be selective with an absolute.

Adarkandstormynight · 23/08/2025 12:14

To add as well in case it helps , if your dd chooses termination you can request to be seen and have the procedure at a hospital rather than a clinic, this is often reserved for those with other medical or psychological issues who can’t access care through bpas etc (it is also more helpful as you don’t seem to get anyone nearby with any kind of images / saying things). If she chooses to go ahead you can get reasonable adjustments for antenatal care / appts etc

CharlotteRumpling · 23/08/2025 12:16

Adarkandstormynight · 23/08/2025 12:04

No I was forced to have a second trimester termination , ended up having a breakdown then deliberately got pregnant again 3 months later and continued. It devastated the relationship with my family and I have PTSD from it. It was awful . I wish so much that each choice had been presented as equally valid and been able to talk through how each option looked for me and how it would work depending on what I chose. I wasn’t allowed to choose though.

I am sorry it turned out that way.

I do think grandparents are allowed to say they won't be raising children or supporting them. I have made that crystal clear to my DC.

elliejjtiny · 23/08/2025 12:16

So sorry you are in this situation. I have a 17 year old with similar needs to your daughter but mine is a boy. He couldn't look after a baby, he wouldn't be able to cope when it cried. Mind you he can't make physical contact with anyone either so the chances of him making a baby would be close to zero.

i honestly don't know what the solution is. If you try and force her to have a termination she could well end up with ptsd. But if she has the baby then i would think she would need a great deal of support.

Pinkissmart · 23/08/2025 12:25

Maybe she needs one of those old fashioned doll/ baby/ experiment things?

Autumnsprings · 23/08/2025 12:33

Once you figure out what to do( ideally termination) you need to think about contraception (probably an IUD or something that doesn’t require them to remember to use).

marzipanpan · 23/08/2025 12:35

I had a baby at 19 and have met other teenage parents, most were completely capable and brilliant mums.

However, your DD’s situation seems very different. Even much older adults with similar challenges would likely find it extremely challenging to deal with the responsibilities of a baby.

I don’t have much helpful advice but hopefully other posters will be useful, it’s a shame you can’t find some decent outside support services to help you navigate this.

Anewuser · 23/08/2025 12:41

I’m amazed OP is even contemplating the situation.

OP, how on earth do you think your child can raise a baby with her significant needs? it’s hard enough for any teen parent (or any new mum) without factoring in SEN.

You do realise there’s a high probability of the baby having autism? How would you all cope with a severely disabled child?

I say this having one child who became a teen parent and another child with is severely disabled. Albeit, they are adults now.

Anewuser · 23/08/2025 12:42

And, don’t bank on any help from social services or professionals, as they is no help.

SlashBeef · 23/08/2025 12:44

You seem very chilled about it all.
She wants to keep the baby but have you asked her who she expects to finance all of this? Who will be getting up in the night? How will they support the relationship with the baby's father as you surely won't be letting him move in?
I think I'd be absolutely livid.

PinkCampervan · 23/08/2025 12:47

Does the dad have SEN too OP? Crying when he leaves her isn't remotely normal, even for someone with anxiety and depression. I'm sorry for sounding predudiced and I don't mean it that way, but this kid is maybe going to have a huge change of having SEN too. So she won't "just" be raising a baby, but a baby with additional difficulties.

She'll be doing it as a single mother too, because let's face it, he's likely to bugger off when the going gets tough. He can't cope with saying goodbye to his girlfriend (who he's using as an emotional crutch, no doubt, a role she won't be available for with a newborn), who he also couldn't be bothered to ensure he didn't get pregnant. When men don't care about a pregnancy, it's because they don't see it, or the resulting baby, as their problem. There's no way he's going to be a responsible father, realistically. And I doubt their relationship will last once she's not pandering to him but to a newborn instead.

She's going to have to move out. If she doesn't she'll basically get no help from social services, they'll expect you to do it all. And she's realistically going to need a huge amount of support, essentially respite from parenting on a very regular and frequent basis, for this to have any chance of working at all. You already have a toddler. If she stays, you'd be taking on another baby, probably with SEN, plus the extra care and emotional turmoil of your DD, a teen who can't even look after herself without getting burnout.

There's no way she's looking after herself, her baby and a home, plus navigating the benefits system. It just isn't going to happen. There won't be enough support out there for her to make it work. So if you don't want to raise this baby as your own, it's going to end up in care due to neglect. If she goes ahead with the pregnancy, you're going to have to face the reality of the likely outcome and protect yourself emotionally, by detaching from her and the baby a bit. It's the only way you'll be able to remain your best self for your toddler, who doesn't deserve second best just because their sister got herself pregnant and made a foolish decision to keep the baby.

I think the best thing you could do right now is to tell her you don't support this pregnancy, she'll need to move out and go live in the councils homeless accommodation - because you'll give her notice to leave the house - and you'll give her what support you can, but you've got your own young child so you won't be able to help much at all. She'll hate you for "forcing" her (how she'll see it when she has to choose that to remain living at home) to have an abortion, but that's surely better than playing a part in bringing another life, a new baby, into a situation where nobody has capacity to adequately look after it.

The care system isn't a great place for a child to be. Even adoption at birth can affect people who are otherwise healthy and they can grow up with issues. If it's apparent the child has SEN early on, their chances of being adopted go right down. Nobody wants to take on trouble. Unless adopted at birth, this kid could easily end up in the care system for life. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

TheSandgroper · 23/08/2025 12:52

I haven’t read the full thread but the only autistic teenager I know to have a baby now doesn’t have it. They started off living with teens parents. Baby is now with baby father (I think) who lives 50km away, teen lives with her own father and her mother with her own disabilities has left the family through sheer exhaustion.

Charlize43 · 23/08/2025 12:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

DemBonesDemBones · 23/08/2025 12:58

@TheSandgroper’alphabet diseases’?

DemBonesDemBones · 23/08/2025 12:59

@TheSandgroperapologies, meant to tag @Charlize43

Charlize43 · 23/08/2025 13:00

Slang umbrella term that gets used at work.

Cakeandusername · 23/08/2025 13:00

Realistically if she proceeds then you will be parenting the child. Are you willing to do that? If not you need to be clear with her now.
I knew someone who had a dd with learning difficulties who had a baby, they only found out late in she was pregnant. Grandma parented the little boy, the girl was like a sibling to him but couldn’t care for him safely even to babysit. They were worried baby would have additional needs so he had a lot of checks/appointments but was ok.

CluelessAboutBiology · 23/08/2025 13:00

OP, are you satisfied that your DD consented to sex in the first place?

Catwalking · 23/08/2025 13:05

What do the father-of-the-child’s parents think?

Fourlovelychildren · 23/08/2025 13:07

She only found out two days ago but has already decided she doesn’t want to terminate? Then frankly she hasn’t thought about it long enough and taken time to consider the reality.

You certainly can’t force her into a termination but, all this talk of working PT to support her etc, it sounds like you’re going to make keeping the baby too easy for her.

What about the impact this would have on your other children?

SEN or otherwise, it’s simply not a good idea, and I would be doing everything I can to help her realise this.