I was a very young teenage mother. I became pregnant at the age of 14 and gave birth at the age of 15. I proceeded to have two other children by the time I was 19. I came from a catholic family background where birth control and dating was not something my family would discuss. These two issues would not be an option.

My first born was with a young man I had been secretly "dating" for 18 months.

My mother was always at work, my father not very involved and my brother who was not very close. I felt that I did not have much going for me and the only talk of college was directed toward my brother who was 11 months older than me and much smarter. I was constantly compared to him by family and other teachers.

I felt as though I was alone and the only person that would ever love me, unconditionally, was the one thing that had not yet come into this world. A baby. I thought a baby could never leave me and the baby (child) would depend on me for the rest of it's natural born life. I wanted so desperately for something to belong to me and for me to love and for it to love me.

I know this thinking is so ridiculous and insane. I would recommend counseling or some other type of intervention to help this child and her family.

I did, however, become pregnant by choice and I hid my pregnancy from my family for 4 months. I was embarrassed at school and my brother became more distant. My mother worked even more and my father cried but did not really give me support during these times.

My boyfriend ended up leaving to the Army the day I had our child and he saw the child once before the age of 1. He then saw our son when our son was 3 and then again in passing for 14 more years. He inevitably faded out of our lives and my son and I have had to live with the consequences of my decisions as a teenager.

I am now 33 years old, have 3 children, a bachelors degree in nursing which I just obtained last October, a great job and my first born will be 18 on May 3rd. My first born will also finish high school on May 22, 2007 and start his path to a bachelor's degree in criminal justice on June, 11,2007. My son has seen how hard it is to get an education and raise a family. I have always spoken of obtaining an education first and raising a family second. He says he will not make the mistake I made. He wants to give his wife and children the best. He also tells me I did a good job raising him.

I talk openly about sex and protection with my children. I also talk

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