I know that being a teen and/or single mom can be difficult and scary because of all the new things that are constantly appearing and changing in your life. You are in the right place if you are a single/teen mom or are pregnant and have already made the decision to keep the baby. If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant and still don't know what to do, you can visit my page about pregnancy.
There is some general information for young/single parents on this page. At the bottom you will find information for Moms in School More specific information can be found in the resources page.
All Moms
First of all I would recommend that you go and look at all the benefits your are entitled to. I go into detail on many of them on this page and on the resources page, but take a look for yourself to see if there is something I didn't mention that may interest you.
See how your baby develops during each stage of your pregnancy and through each milestone once he/she is born.
Babies Online's Free Week by Week Pregnancy Calendar - An indepth look at fetal development by trimester or week-by-week
Thinking about breastfeeding? La Leche League will provide you will all the information you need to know about breastfeeding your newborn. (It's the best thing you can do for your baby - and it's FREE!)
If you are going to have a baby shower make sure you register at a store like Babies R Us or somewhere else with a registry (Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) . This will help prevent getting doubles or things you will not need. If you do end up getting doubles or things you don't need take them back to the store where they are from (or you think they are from) and return them for store credit (it's not rude, you're just being resourceful). This way, you will be able to buy things you will truly need such as diapers and wipes.
Housing assistance is available almost everywhere. It will help you find affordable housing for you and your new family.
You can find information about child support enforcement and other services specifically in your own state here. If you are not sent to your state's main page, make sure you access that after you look at child support information because the main page will have a lot more information about VERY IMPORTANT services (such as child care assistance) for you to look at.
Look into WIC, they will provide you with free healthy food while you are pregnant/breastfeeding and free formula (which can get VERY expensive) & food for you baby up to age 5.
Contact your local Medicaid office to see how you can get free health insurance for your child and maybe even yourself if you qualify.
Looking for a job? Consider looking into daycare centers in your area. A lot of times they will allow you to take your child with you for free or with a discount. Also, you will be able to work right next to where your child is being taken care of.
This site has A LOT of information about Children & Families (child support enforcement, child care, adoption, child abuse, etc). Take a look around if you're interested.
Kid-to-Kid is a store that has second hand clothes, toys, shoes, and furniture for mothers-to-be and for kids of all ages. The great thing about it is that you can sell them anything you have that is in good condition. Cheap clothes and money for things you no longer need - it's great. Find a store near you on their website.
Baby Place: The starting point for information on pregnancy, birth and babies
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Moms in School
If you are pregnant and still in school, speak to your counselor, principals, teachers (whoever) as soon as possible. A lot of times schools will have programs where they can send you your work for the 6 weeks you need to recover after having your baby (the one at my school was called "Home Bound"). You will stay caught up with your classes, and be able to recover properly.
If you do not wish to stay in your normal school there may be an alternative school in your area. These schools are more flexible with schedules, homework, work load, etc. Speak to your school counselor for more information.
For the year after I had my son I filled out a "Waiver of a Full Day Schedule" with my school. My county actually gave me permission to take half the classes I would normally have to take so I could come back home around 11am every day and be with my son. Again, ask your counselor for more information.
*** Remember: If you are a high-school student it is very important you mention that if you are trying to get help paying for child care (search for child care assistance in your state's main site). You will most likely be put in the front of the list because you are still in school ***
If you are in college, or applying for college, take a look at their websites and see if they have assistance for parents. Penn State, for example, has on-campus family housing, on-campus daycares, the Child Care subsidy (helps you pay for daycare), and other services for parents. It is something to consider while looking for the right school for you.
GREAT COLLEGE SEARCH:
*To search for colleges that have on-campus child care centers click here and under "Special Services" click on "Add Criteria". Then select "Children's Daycare" and click either "Search Now" to find all colleges with child care centers or click on "View Search Criteria" to continue to specify what you want in your college such as location, size, areas of study, etc.*