So this was after one of my classes today and I walked out with my lab buddy/friend, R. I had a class with her last year and she’s very book-smart, but occasionally will blurt out things in Chinese that would be considered rude if it had been in English. She spotted a man who was carrying a backpack, holding onto a textbook and pushing a stroller which had a baby in it. And she immediately says (not in English, mind you – luckily she has more tact than that…):

R: I can’t believe someone our age* would have a baby.

It was at this point that I mentioned that the man could a) be a rather young-looking professor (although, with the textbook and all that school stuff, it was kind of doubtful); b) a graduate student (likely); or c) an older undergraduate student (also likely). Which she agreed with (at least for the possibility of being an older undergraduate or graduate student). And it was at that point that we went our separate ways (her to her other biology class, me to my psychology lecture). I get home and turn on my laptop to input my organic chemistry answers to the homework (the website finally decided to not crash on me!) and she’s on MSN and I get asked this gem of a question:

R: So what would you do if you found out that you were pregnant?

Well, if I learned anything from Juno… I’d probably drink a giant bottle of Sunny-D and then proceed to take about a half dozen drug-store pregnancy tests. Which is what I told her and I got this great little “Hahaha, you’re so funny, Michelle :D” for a response. I thought about it for a while longer and gave her a slightly less pop-culturally related answer. Something regarding going into a panic mode, probably crying (especially if I’m still in school – or if it’s around the time for final exams), probably madly phoning the boyfriend and going “Waaaaaaaah” and mumbling things that can’t be deciphered.

What I found odd was that I also recently had a conversation regarding pregnancies and babies with J while it was during one of our breaks at first aid (and that conversation was just yesterday, and then another one today). And I’m pretty sure I gave two different answers to two different people regarding the two not-so-different questions.

And the thing is… It’s incredibly easy for me to say what I would or would not do right now. Mostly because I’m not thinking that I’m pregnant and I’m not frantically gulping down litres upon litres of water or juice and emptying out all the home pregnancy tests from my local drugstore. I’m sure if I was in the position where I was lining up tests on the bathroom counter and shoving it into my best friend’s and/or boyfriend’s face going “Is that one line or two? PLEASE TELL ME IT’S ONLY ONE.” I’d be giving a much different answer than “Oh, I’d just, you know, panic a little, cry, eventually come to terms with it and then have a cup of tea.”

Personally, find it kind of strange that I somehow ended up in conversations regarding people around my own age being pregnant/having children with two different people on two different days… But, I did. Which makes for some musing to do.

For my teenage/early 20’s/still-in-school-and-living-at-home readers: What do you think you would do in the event that you or your significant other thought that you/they were pregnant?

And for everybody else: Have children? Plan on having more? Thoughts on teenage pregnancy?

* Our age being 19/20 (19 for me, a newly-turned 20 for her).

4 Responses

  1. Oh, good questions =)
    I don’t think I’d go to the Juno route.
    Probably panic a lot. Tell the bf. Plan out an abortion.
    Also, I have scraps of fabric from a dress I got hemmed. Red and white polka dot. Remind me to give them to you, I think they would make good dresses for your Blythe dolls.

  2. Hm… well, this girl in high school got married like two years ago? At 18/19. Yeah. And from what I heard, she has a shit marriage. No kids, though. Luckily.

    Hm… if I found out I were pregnant, I’d go crazy. Call Royce to let him know, call a few of my friends, freak out, then plan for an abortion. Yep. Sad, but… yep.

  3. He’s only around five years old. We have some autistic children who attend the centre; the parents fully aware of their child’s disability and was able to notify us of it. I am thinking this boy is just not too good at English. If I remember correctly he was born here. Yes, the parents are Asian… it might be a case of them teaching him some of the language and getting confused. O_o

    Hahahha. Juno is such a great movie. The character Juno was one that I really liked.

    I have never actually thought about what might happen should I become pregnant at this age or even soon, but there would be the case of my parents being extremely, undeniably disappointed in me. I’m sure James would stay with me, but the main thing would be the parents. For myself, I would probably have the baby and keep it, but I would be disappointed because I know it would get in the way of work, uni, etc. 🙁

    I would love to have children though. :3

  4. Well…If I got pregnant I’d be more freaked out about HOW it happened. I mean I don’t have a boyfriend for one.

    If I did have a boyfriend and was pregnant I don’t know what I would do.

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