By Brizeyda Esqueda
It’s a sunny Friday afternoon. I’m sitting in my dark room writing this essay, thinking about a topic nobody really likes to talk about. I’m nobody to judge, but teen pregnancies usually happen due to lack of parents' attention. My focus goes more into why do teens experience a lot of depression during and after their pregnancy. In my opinion, teens experience a lot of depression because of the relationship they have with the father of their baby and their parents. They also experience depression because of the lack of confidence they have in themselves. You may ask, “Why did you choose to write about this?”. Well, I’m currently living it.
My sister is 4 months along in her pregnancy. Before she was pregnant she was pretty skinny, but now when I see her at family gatherings I see her more skinny and that worries me. I know it’s not normal and I know she has fallen into depression, but she doesn’t like to admit that. Her boyfriend and her live together, about 15 minutes away from where we live right now. They are not economically stable because her boyfriend just spends money on his black low trailblazer truck and himself. My sister always complains to me and my mom that he goes partying at night with his cousins and leaves her alone at home, and she waits for him sitting in their dark room playing with their german shepherd dog until he gets home, because she worries for him. This relationship she has going on with him is so unhealthy and I’m 100 percent sure this is one of the main causes of her depression.
As to the relationship she has with my parents, my parents have always been her big supporters. They would let her go out because they knew if they didn’t let her she would sneak out. Well, when she got pregnant she had told my parents through the phone because she was scared for what my parent’s reaction would’ve been. I clearly remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was a Sunday afternoon during summer, I was heading out to go to dinner with my cousin, aunt, and uncle, until my mom called me crying, and so angry she could probably destroy a whole city if she was a superhero, telling me that my sister is pregnant. I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock. My dad was calm and supportive but since my mom was pretty disappointed, I believe that’s when my sister began to feel fault. My mom did eventually calm down, and I congratulated my sister, because although it wasn’t supposed to happen this way, I knew she needed me more than ever, like a kid needs their mom when they’re sick. When she moved out my parents told her that if she didn’t want to move out she didn’t have to. Their wise words were “Whatever you do mija, whatever you choose, whatever you want, we will always be here to help you and guide you through it”. My sister chose to move, out of course, because the fault she was caring was making her feel very uncomfortable living with my father, but she wasn’t ready. I know this is another cause of her depression, because not only was she not ready, but she feels like a disappointment to my parents, who have always been there for her, always!
Lastly, a pregnant woman experiences the most depression on her last trimester. They spend all of their time thinking “I’m not going to be a good mom”, which I understand because they are new mommies and they don’t know the things waiting for them. In case anyone who is actually struggling with this reads my essay, always think about how things will be when your baby is here, when you adapt to their schedule, and when you start understanding what they need and what they want. Think about how good things will turn out in a couple of days after birth and you’ll start feeling relaxed, because you put yourself to overthink when deep inside you you know you have all the support you need and everything will turn out just fine naturally!
As I’m finishing my essay, a couple days later, still in my warm dark room, which I hope it was helpful to you, I want to tell you you’re not alone and it is never too late or too “embarrassing” to seek help, do it for you, for your baby. Remember all of the people who are there for you, that your situation is not the first one in the world, look at other people’s life as a motivation for you. I suggest you go by “The sun always shines after the storm.”, because although you suffered you gained a little angel that will shower you with motivation for the rest of your life. Consider yourself Lucky!
My sister, Andrea, inspired me to write this essay. Andrea inspired me because she is experiencing teen pregnancy depression at the moment , and as much as I want to help her I also want to help others if I can too!
In the essay “Teen Pregnancy”, Brizeyda states the reasons why teenagers develop depression while they are pregnant. She strongly believes this depression is caused by the relationships the teenager has with her significant other, her parents, and herself. The phrase “ ..he goes partying at night with his cousins and leaves her alone at home…” supports part of her main message because it’s an example that the father of your baby could cause you depression if he’s not acting as he should. A guy who knows that he’s becoming a father should assume full responsibility and be there with his significant other always, in other words, make mature decisions.
The essay begins describing the narrator “sitting in her dark room on a sunny Friday afternoon”. The essay continues by having the narrator state an opinion, “I’m nobody to judge, but teen pregnancies usually happen due to lack of parents attention.”. After the narrator set her main message straight, she began to further develop her main message by providing three reasons, “the relationship they have with the father of their baby and her parents…. lack of confidence in themselves”. By having the narrator provide these reasons and support them with her sister’s experience, the text structure for this essay is description.
For example, when Brizeyda begins to further explain her sister’s relationship with her parents she explains how supportive her parents were since the beginning,¨Whatever you do mija, whatever you choose, and whatever you want we will be here to help you and guide you through it.”, which is an example of Anaphora, but she also explains how it was not always beautiful and pink. When Brizeyda’s parents found out about her sister's pregnancy she said “...until my mom called me crying, and so angry she could probably destroy a whole city if she was a superhero”, using hyperbole.
Brizeyda also mentioned how “The sun always shines after the storm”, using hyperbole.
This phrase is also important because it summarizes a pregnant teenagers situation. Although things are hard at the moment, it doesn’t mean they’ll continue to be bad in the future. The tone for this essay would be empathetic, supportive, motivational, and a little bit of neglectful. I chose empathetic and supportive because Andrea’s parents are supportive and understanding of her situation, and they’re also the only “hope” she really has that pushes her to do better. I also chose neglect because Andrea’s partner is very careless and is not there for her the way he should be, so he is neglectful to the situation, to the pregnancy.
Brizeyda ends her essay giving out advice and motivation to those who are going through the same situation. She begins her advice and motivation by saying “I want to tell you you're not alone and it’s never too late or too “embarrassing” to seek help, do it for you, for your baby.”, and she ends her advice and motivation with another hyperbole, “..a little angel that will shower you with motivation”. I believe she ended her essay that way because the whole purpose of her essay was to be aware of a situation nobody really talks about, and how we can help those who suffer.
When I saw the title it reminded how I went through with my son I was only 15 when I had him and I've been feeling down and depressed but I still love him very much he's my world I know when I told my parents that I was pregnant my dad wasn't happy but everything changed when my son came into this world my family loves my son Jeremiah but this writing I read is amazing.
--Samantha Garza
This memoirs is perfect, I like everything about it, its super detailing and that's what keeps the story alive. My favorite details of this story was the ending the way she gave us advice and was being positive. Their writing seem so sad to write about but hopefully they all come back to normal and be a happy family with the baby.
--Melissa Castro
I chose Read ¨Teen Pregnancy¨ by Brizeyda Esqueda, I think this Writing is really interesting because she is talking about something that we had seen one or more times in our life, close to our family or maybe in TV. Teen pregnancy should not be something common in life and It´s a theme really difficult to talk with our parents or parents to their teenagers, they experiment a lot of hard times during that period of time as depression, stress and anxiety that could put in dangerous the mother and the baby. Also a lot of them not have the conditions to live and their economy it´s really low. I think parents should have more communication with their children and let them know the consequences of that to try to prevent it.
--Maleni Puente
I like how much detail Brizeyda goes into with her memoir. It shows how much a teen mom goes through, most teen moms aren't financially stable. I like how she includes that most teen moms go through depression because it's true. Teen moms will overthink about how they're going to be able to to take care of their child while not being financially stable, not having any physical or emotional support, and questioning her motherhood. I love that she gives advice in the end to show support and letting it be known that in the end it'll all be worth it.
--Nelinda Gallegos