Nearly 615,000 teen pregnancies occur each year in the United States while Mo. alone had 6,317 teens give birth in 2012, according to thenationalcampaign.org.
Junior Lexi Miller lives a regular teen life; she attends school at RBHS and spends time with friends. However, Miller is a teen mom.
Miller found out she was pregnant when she was 14, the summer before her freshman year, and gave birth to her daughter, Mia the following April after she turned 15. Before that, Miller was just a normal teenager.
“I was shocked but I was happy to be able to bring another life into this world,” said Miller. “My mom was disappointed, but her opinion changed, and she slowly accepted [the pregnancy] and now spoils my daughter.”
Teen parenting can often make it difficult for a mother to continue to receive an education. Only 40 percent of teen mothers graduate high school and fewer than two percent finish college by age 30.
Miller is a part-time student so she can continue to receive an education while still getting to take care of her daughter. She takes regular classes, as well as online classes during the day while her mom watches Mia. Once Miller arrives home to her daughter, her sole focus is Mia.
“Being a teen mom … is difficult. I deal with dirty looks and bullying,” Miller said. “When I was pregnant, people would say I was a wh*** or tell me to kill myself on Facebook. One person even told me to drink bleach so I wouldn’t bring another wh*** into the world.”
Miller gave birth a year and a half ago, and though the amount of bullying and rude comments has decreased since, she still deals with bullying every once in a while.
Although Miller is a mother, she still gets to be a teenager. Not only does she still attend school, but she also finds time to hang out with friends.
“My mom will watch Mia once a month on a night so I can go to the movies or go out for fun, but Mia’s with me any other time I’m out in public. I can have friends over and everything, but only kid friendly friends,” Miller said. “It’s been a struggle managing school and time for Mia. I don’t get my homework done until late at night or the morning it’s due.”
Teen moms like Miller need the support of others to help them continue to be a student while being a mother. Nurse Tammy Adkins said the school has group counseling for expecting mothers to help support them through their pregnancy.
“We talk about what to expect during the pregnancy and answer any questions the mom has,” Adkins said. “We’re here to support [them].”
RBHS also offers through the school expecting mothers support from other students, teachers and counselors.
“We don’t have many pregnant teenagers at Rock Bridge right now,” Adkins said. “Throughout the years the number of expecting mothers has decreased significantly.”
The 2013 teen birth rate shows that the number of teen pregnancies across America is decreasing. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics in 2013, teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. have decreased by 57 percent during the last 21 years.
But Miller is more than just a statistic. Becoming a mom at 14 has drastically changed her life for the better.
“Being pregnant was the best feeling ever … I had a constant reminder on why I should keep moving forward in my life,” Miller said. “I got to feel my daughter … grow and move slowly over time. When I gave birth, it was seven hours of horrible pain, but the minute I saw my daughter I had tears of joy and couldn’t stop crying … My daughter is my life.”
By Caylea Erickson
Junior Lexi Miller sits on the steps of her home with her daughter Mia. Photo by Caylea Erickson