How you react to the news of your partner’s pregnancy will depend a lot on your own personal circumstances. If you are in a loving relationship, and have planned to have children at some point, you might be happy about the news – however, the majority of teen pregnancies are not expected. You may have failed to take precautions or been let down by contraception – you may not feel ready to be a dad. You may not even be in a relationship with the mother, and feel trapped. Whatever the situation, you need to face the facts. This means stepping up to responsibility – looking after yourself, and making grown up decisions which will make a difference to the rest of your life. Remember that it took both of you to create this pregnancy, and now you both need to stop and think clearly about what happens next.
You are likely to feel a wide range of powerful emotions – these are normal, and it is going to be important to talk these through with someone. If you have a good relationship with the mother, she may be the best person to discuss things with – even though you both have to confront uncomfortable feelings and difficult choices. You will both be feeling the strain of hearing the news however, so you may want to sound things out with a trusted friend. If you find yourself angry or anxious it is probably best that you find a friend to help you get your emotions in check before talking to the mother. If you don’t feel you can talk to those close to you, seek out help from one of the many organisations who offer free and impartial advice.