Welcome to the World
A teenage mother explains her story as she is adjusting to a new life and the challenges she faced along the way.
Photo by Ava Wilson
Wilson and Greyson celebrate their first Christmas together, a little over a month after he was born.
Receiving a drivers license, practicing for the ACT, and obtaining a job all have one thing in common. It usually takes place around the time that one turns 16-years-old. Although this is the societal standard, not every individual has the same experience. Ava Wilson, a current junior, has had anything but what many call a “normal life” for a 16-year-old.
“November 11, 2022, at 7:20 a.m.,” said Wilson.
It was the day that changed her life. A once regular teenage girl turned into a mother over night.
“The night before I took the pregnancy test, I knew in the back of my head. I was just denying it. Deny. Deny. Deny. I took it [the pregnancy test] the next morning and it showed up immediately. I was in shock to the point of tears,” she said.
According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children (ASPCC), three in ten women become pregnant before the age of 20. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, birth rates fell seven percent for girls aged 15 to 17. Wilson was in an accidental situation. She understood that it was not going to be easy, but knew she wanted to what was best for her child.
“My mom was the only adult that I told. She had just gotten back from her Alaska trip. I made her guess because I was sobbing. She guessed and told my dad. I told my sister and she looked at me like I was crazy. My brother didn’t believe me. Now, they’re all obsessed with him.”
After informing her family, Wilson had a decision to make. Having the child would alter her entire life, but terminating the pregnancy was a moral dilemma she quickly had to face.
I was really nervous and did not know how I was going to do it by myself. I even went to a clinic and they told me I had to go to a doctor for an abortion. I feel like I would not like myself if I went through with it.
— Ava Wilson
After deciding to keep her child, Wilson had more even more people to tell. She talked to her counselors and informed the school about her situation.
“The counselors offered if I were to come back and if I was breastfeeding, they would give me a room to breastfeed him in. They worked with me,” said Wilson.
Wilson attended in-person school until October of 2022, then her online learning began. She participated in virtual education until her contractions began.
“I was in labor for 12 hours. The contractions hurt really bad. It was a really weird experience overall.”
On November 21, Wilson welcomed a 9 pound 7 ounce baby boy into the world named Greyson Lee. Also known as baby Grey, he is now over two months old and
figuring out the way of life. Baby Grey knows how to smile and coo, and is thriving with a teenage mother and supportive family. The future is always uncertain, however, Wilson knows what she is wanting to do in terms of high school.
“I’m for sure coming back fully senior year since I have missed my entire junior year. I have no clue what I am going to do that after that,” she said.
According to the ASPCC, teenage pregnancy is the leading cause of high school drop outs in females. Although that statistic true, Wilson is determined to get back to
in-person school to retrieve a piece of her life before having Greyson. Until her senior year begins, she will continue a routine of juggling virtual learning and everything there is to know about being a first-time mother.
“The cuddles [are my favorite part] and watching him smile. He’s the cutest thing ever,” she said.
