Wow! Some crazy news on last night’s Teen Mom 2. I can’t believe that Chelsea’s friend Megan is pregnant! Since she used to live with Chelsea and Aubree you’d think she’d see how hard it is being a teen mom. 

Chelsea is pretty disappointed to hear Megan’s big news. Would you be sad to find out if a friend got pregnant? I think it would be hard to learn that a friend of mine was dealing with such a life-changing thing. That’s why friends should talk about birth control before they have to talk about babies! Everyone needs someone they can talk to about sex and protection.

The even bigger bombshell about Megan’s news is that she tells Chelsea she wasn’t even on birth control! Chelsea almost can’t believe it. She reminds Megan how she scared she was during her own pregnancy, and how she cried every night. Chelsea hoped seeing how hard it was for her would have shown Megan how difficult it is being a pregnant teen. It goes to show that so many teens think “it’ll never happen to me” but if you’re having unprotected sex, the chances are that you WILL get pregnant.

This episode was great because Chelsea really opened up about her own struggle with being a teen mom. She reminds Megan about how much money a baby will cost, how hard it will be if the baby’s father leaves her, how lonely it is being a teen parent. “I love you,” says Chelsea, “so I don’t want to see you go through what I went through.” 

Chelsea is absolutely right. Having a baby costs about $10,000 in their first year of life alone! Not to mention the uncertainty of the father’s presence. Megan has only been with her boyfriend for three months. She says he will take care of them financially, but it’s no guarantee. Eight of 10 fathers don’t stay with the teen mother of their child.

Chelsea says she wishes she waited until she was older to have Aubree. “Once you give up being young, it’s gone” says Chelsea. Having a baby with a teen is an end to your childhood. You are expected to act and provide the same way a full grown adult with a job and a partner could.

The moms always say that it’s not fun and games. They have huge responsibilities and not enough time to grow into themselves as adults. Talk to your friends about the show, about teen pregnancy, and your plans for the future. Having a goal to work for is a great way to keep your life on track.

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend about Teen Mom or about what it would be like if you got pregnant/ got someone pregnant?  

This post was written by Kate, an intern for The National Campaign. Kate is a senior at George Washington University, studying journalism and sociology. She loves theater and cooking, and eats mashed potatoes every single day. Have a question for Kate? Email us!