Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Teenage daughter pregnant. Disappointed, upset, angry WWYD?

625 replies

Downnotout · 18/11/2011 13:57

My 18yo DD has told us she is pregnant. She has just started a 2 year course which would have set her up for life.

Her BF of all of 4 months is in the forces and will be going to Afghanistan next year, although he says he will stand by her. She was on the contraceptive injection but was ill a few weeks ago, had lots of anti biotics and ended up having an operation. Somehow in amongst all that she managed to get pregnant.

I feel so disappointed. For her, for him, for us as a family. It isn't good news. She is living away at college, we have signed a lease on the house. She will have to leave college and the house and we will have to continue paying til next September for it. As well as next terms fees of £4000. We have been killing ourselves to pay for all this as it was her lifelong dream to do this course/ job and now it's all for nothing.

I think she has rose tinted glasses on about life with a pretty house and a cute baby gurgling away in the background. Join me here in shaking your heads and thinking about the reality of being alone with a baby, not having slept for weeks, your partner away at war and having to spend your last ten quid on a packet of pampers.

There is no way we can have her back living with us at home. Call me selfish, but I have brought three children up. My youngest is still only 9. Somewhere along the line me and DH were starting to think about having a bit more time to ourselves.

Yes she's 18, an adult. Old enough to make her own decisions. But I am filled with dread about it all. I am only too aware of the pitfalls, what might go wrong, if they split up etc. and I know she will need me to be there for her, to support her. But I just don't want it. I don't want the responsibility of it. I don't want to be tied to another baby and I wish so much that she wasn't throwing her life away and maybe ruining his. A baby is forever and at her age she has no concept of what that means.

OP posts:
Thumbwitch · 24/11/2011 21:53

realhousewife - you seem to have missed some points here - the OP's DD chose the course herself, it was something she always wanted to do, the OP and her DH have facilitated her to go on this expensive course. The OP's DD has now decided that it wasn't quite what she thought and doesn't fancy continuing with it - the OP and her DH have not tried to force her into continuing, they are saying "fine, if you want to drop out, that's up to you, but we're not continuing to give you money if you're no longer in education" - which is perfectly reasonable.

So it's not really comparable with what you were saying about your siblings. No one is trying to make her do anything that "forces her down the wrong tracks". She's making all her own decisions - we might think they're pretty stupid ones - and she will have to live by them.

Jacksmania · 24/11/2011 21:56

"i take it the boyfriend knows he's getting married" :o

Thumbwitch · 24/11/2011 22:02

That made me laugh too, JM. One does wonder...

DamselInDisarray · 24/11/2011 22:09

Looking on the (marginally) brighter side, this latest twist is much less worrying than a pregnancy would have been. It's far easier to move on from a foolish marriage decision and get on with your life.

Downnotout · 24/11/2011 22:13

Considering he is in Kent and she is in Somerset .... they have managed to set a date and plan a wedding in 24 hours.

I might hazard a guess that they have been planning this all along.

OP posts:
Thumbwitch · 24/11/2011 22:15

Do you think he was lying to your DH when he spoke to him then, Downnotout? Although I can't see for the life of me why he would want to get married so quickly (stereotypical thinking, sorry)

starryeyed1 · 24/11/2011 22:17

Is your DD 18, how have you got access to her medical records? Shock

I can't imagine ever treating one of my DDs like this and splashing all her life over the internet.

Loshad · 24/11/2011 22:19

oh starryeyed - don't be so unkind, the op is having a really hard time with a very difficult daughter. She needs the support of mumsnet right now.

VivaLeBeaver · 24/11/2011 22:20

When you arrange a wedding do you not both need to be in the same place? Me and dh had to both go to the registrars office as we had to be interviewed separately.

starryeyed1 · 24/11/2011 22:20

Bloody hell, its her DD I feel for.

Thumbwitch · 24/11/2011 22:31

Viva, yes you do but not for the original booking of the date - I did that while my DH was overseas, but when he came back we had to go for "the chat" with the registrar.

Starryeyed - presumably you are responding to the opening post only. POintless.

starryeyed1 · 24/11/2011 22:44

No thumbwhitch have skimmed through and read all OP's comments.

Can someone clear up for me why OP can access her adult daughter's medical records, I've missed that bit?

Thumbwitch · 24/11/2011 22:46

She can't and hasn't. Her DD has been telling her the medical stuff, apart from a very brief chat with a GP from her DD's surgery who hasn't told her anything apart from "there were no concerns of that nature".

starryeyed1 · 24/11/2011 22:51

Oh I see, thanks for clearing that up thumbwhitch I thought OP had access to the records. Shock

OP your DD seems to be in a bad place at present. Please don't turn your back on her and stap blabbing her business on here, thats really not on.

Downnotout · 24/11/2011 23:16

What is mumsnet for? No one knows who we are or who she is.

Really "blabbing her business on here"

Actually it's my business too. Thanks.

OP posts:
Jacksmania · 24/11/2011 23:40

Starryeyed, do you think everyone on MN who needs to vent about another person should "stop blabbing their business on here"? I think you're not being fair to downnotout.

DamselInDisarray · 24/11/2011 23:49

There'd be very few posts on MN at all if no one was allowed to 'blab other people's business'.

empirestateofmind · 25/11/2011 00:08

So is the boyfriend really keen to get married do you think or is he being railroaded? He told your DH he wasn't ready yet is rushing into it.

Downnotout · 25/11/2011 00:11

He seems to be going along with it from what I can gather. Maybe it's all his idea.

OP posts:
Thumbwitch · 25/11/2011 00:13

Which then could be worrying in its own right - what 19/20yo male wants to get married after 4m? Unless he's one of those EA types...

empirestateofmind · 25/11/2011 00:14

Unless you are very close to Downnotout and know what she is going through you wouldn't know it was her here on MN. Plenty of people have 19 year old DDs who are at college.

Starryeyed if Downnotout wants the thread deleted at any point then that will be done. In the meantime she gets support and advice while going through a difficult time. What's the problem?

Downnotout · 25/11/2011 00:34

Actually nothing has ever offended me on here before. Disagree with me all you like. Thats why we're here. Everyone's entitltled to their opinions.

But you know what starryeyed1. Jog on.

Anyone want to discuss the price of mince?

OP posts:
piprabbit · 25/11/2011 00:37

Both your DD and her BF will have had to give notice of their intention to get married to the registrars in the districts where they live - he in his are and she in hers (I think you said somewhere that they don't live near each other?).

Then there is at least a 16 day wait before they can get married, although 8 weeks notice is more usual.

I'm pretty certain that during that period, the details of the couple getting married are publicly available (so that people can object). Presumably you could contact your DDs registrar and ask if your DD has given notice of her intention to marry on the 19th December - just in case she is trying to pull a fast one.

empirestateofmind · 25/11/2011 00:44

Price of mince? No idea Grin.

Maryz · 25/11/2011 00:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.