-You're Not Alone- If you're a pregnant teen, you're not alone - in fact, about half a million adolescents give birth each year. Though you're not the only one, chances are you may feel alone - or a range of other feelings. Most teens who have babies didn't plan on becoming pregnant. You may have been surprised when you found out or hoped it wasn't true. You may have been terrified to tell your parents. You may have worried how this might affect your relationships with your family, friends, and the baby's father. Sharing the news of your pregnancy can be one of the most difficult conversations to have. Whether you feel confused, worried, scared, or excited, you'll want to know how your life will change, what you can do to have a healthy baby, and what it takes to become a good parent. The most important thing you can do is to take good care of yourself so that you and your baby will be healthy and safe. A teen who gets the proper care and makes the right choices has a very good chance of having a healthy baby. Prenatal Care If you are pregnant, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible to begin getting prenatal care (medical care during pregnancy). The sooner you start to get medical care, the better your chances that you and your baby will be healthy. If you can't afford to go to a doctor or clinic for prenatal care, there are social service organizations that can help you. Ask your parent, school guidance counselor, or another trusted adult to help you locate resources in your community. During your first visit, your doctor will ask you lots of questions including the date of your last menstrual period. This is so he or she can estimate how long you have been pregnant and your due date. Doctors measure pregnancies in weeks. It's important to remember that your due date is only an estimate - most babies are born between 38 and 42 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period or 36 to 38 weeks after conception (when the sperm fertilizes the egg, which is the beginning of the pregnancy). Only a small percentage of women actually deliver exactly on their due dates, though. Another common term you'll hear throughout your pregnancy is trimester. A pregnancy is divided into 3 phases, or trimesters: the first trimester is from conception to the end of week 13, the second trimester is from week 14 to the end of week 26, and the third trimester is from week 27 to the end of the pregnancy. The doctor will examine you and perform a pelvic exam. He or she will also perform blood tests, a urine test, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including a test for HIV infection, which is on the rise in teens. If you are sexually active while you are pregnant, you must use a condom to help prevent getting an STD. Some STDs can cause serious medical problems in newborns such as blindness and meningitis, so it's very important to protect yourself and your baby from these infections. The doctor will explain the types of physical and emotional changes you can expect during pregnancy. He or she will also teach you to how to recognize the signs of possible pregnancy complications. This is especially important because teens are more at risk for certain complications such as anemia, high blood pressure, miscarriage, and going into labor prematurely. Your doctor will want you to start taking prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid, calcium, and iron as soon as possible. The vitamins may be prescribed by the doctor, or he or she may recommend a brand that you can buy over the counter. Folic acid helps to prevent neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are a group of birth defects that involve abnormal development of the brain, the spinal cord, or the coverings of these organs. Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect. It's also essential that teens get enough calcium during pregnancy - for their own growing bodies and for the healthy growth of their babies. Ideally, you should see your doctor once each month for the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy, then every 2 to 3 weeks until 36 weeks, then once a week until you deliver the baby. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes that needs careful monitoring during your pregnancy, your doctor will probably want to see you more often. During visits, your doctor will check your weight and blood pressure and will perform tests such as ultrasounds to check the development of your baby. One part of prenatal care is attending classes where expectant mothers can learn about having a healthy pregnancy and delivery and the basics of caring for a new baby. These classes may be offered at hospitals, medical centers, schools, and colleges in your area. It can be difficult for adults to talk to their doctors about their bodies, and even more difficult for teens to do so. But remember that your doctor is there to help you stay healthy during pregnancy and have a healthy baby. Don't be afraid to ask questions - there are probably few questions that your doctor hasn't already heard. Think of your doctor both as a resource and a friend who you can confide in about what's happening to you. And always be honest when your doctor asks questions about issues that could affect your baby's health.