Personal Growth

Coming to terms with the realisation that life will change dramatically, whilst knowing that you will still be you, can be a challenging process. Your priorities and way of thinking will most likely change as you start to think about what a parent means to you. However, your own personal likes and dislikes will not change, you can still enjoy all the things you loved before becoming pregnant. It is important to maintain friendships and develop your social network (family, friends, work colleagues) who will support you and your child in the future. Establishing a good relationship with the other parent/father, before the baby is here will support all involved in preparing. It will allow for yourself to feel better prepared and secure.  Talk openly if you can with your parents and family about what you want for  your baby. It is okay for them to have opinions, but try to be assertive and help them see that you are now going to be a parent and you also have views and opinions on what you want as a parent and for your child. This may take time, as your parents start to really see you as an adult capable of making decisions. Try not to feel overpowered by family, it can be easy for them to persuade you that you made a poor decision in becoming pregnant before you were ready and therefore they need to make decisions for you. If your pregnancy was unplanned, help them to understand that you are choosing to parent and in that you are choosing how to parent. Over time they will learn to trust and respect your decisions. Parent Education Course (Rotunda)