FIGURES revealed this week show a small rise in the number of teenage pregnancies in Worcestershire, despite national figures being at a 20-year low. As reported in your Worcester News this week, the most recent figures show there were 33.6 conceptions per 1,000 girls under-18 in Worcestershire in 2009, compared with 31.2 in 2008.

However, this is still a decrease of 4.3 per cent since the baseline year of 1998.

Robin Gormley, aged 18, and her mum Sarah Lane were both teenage mums. Miss Gormley, of Meadow Green, Droitwich, found out she was pregnant with Brooklyn-Mae, who is now seven months old, when she was already 20 weeks into her pregnancy.

The teenager said she didn’t experience much prejudice because she “looks at least 10 years older”.

“People didn’t look at me as a teenage mum,” she said.

“Everyone was very supportive. I think it’s fine as long as you’ve got your head screwed on and you’re not stupid. I think it’s quite good to have children young because you’re closer to being young and you can understand what it’s like to be young.”

Miss Gormley admitted she did not seek professional help or support throughout her pregnancy.

The then 17-year-old had recently split up with her boyfriend, but told him about Brooklyn-Mae when she was born.

“I gave him a chance to be part of her life, but he decided he wasn’t going to be involved,” she said.

“I don’t regret having a baby so young, but what I would say is wait to be in a stable relationship.

“I wish I had someone to share the excitement with the first time she crawls or talks or walks.”

The horse-mad teenager graduated from the Northern Racing College in Doncaster and still hopes to fulfil her ambition to train as a riding instructor.

In fact, the day she found out she was pregnant, the teenager had been riding racehorses, something she has had to give up since becoming a mum.

“I found out I was pregnant almost as soon as I came off a horse,” she said.

“I’ve been riding for years, but I’ve had to stop now. I’ve always been quite an outdoorsy person, but I don’t want to constantly ask my mum to look after her. I’ve got a lot of people helping me so I do get to go out and have a life, but I know that ultimately she’s my responsibility.

“I’m actually seeing someone at the moment. We’ve only just started seeing each other, but it’s quite hard because he has to come to mine rather than me go to his.”

Miss Gormley, who is claiming benefits, currently lives at home with her mum and her three-yearold sister, while she looks for a place of her own.

Being around the toddler gave her some experience, but said nothing prepares you for having your own child. She said: “It was a bit easier for me than it might be for others because I had changed nappies and things, so I was expecting what was to come. But everything is really nerve-wracking when it’s your own, it’s completely different.

“Some things are so hard. You think it’s hard at the time, she can be crying for hours on end, but as soon as she stops, you ask yourself why did I get so stressed over that?

“Once it’s over it’s much easier than you thought.”

Mrs Lane was also a teenager when she found out she was pregnant with Miss Gormley. She said she was shocked when her daughter announced her pregnancy. Mrs Lane said: “I was a bit disappointed because I thought she would be older than a child of 17, but obviously I supported her whatever her decision.”

Mrs Lane, aged 38, found out she was pregnant aged 19, but said she was relatively old compared to many of her school friends who were also teenage mums.

She said: “When I was pregnant a lot of people I went to school with were having kids. In fact, I was quite a lot older compared to a lot of people, but I was still a bit paranoid being as young as I was. I hadn’t really lived.”

Mrs Lane said the one difference she had compared to Miss Gormley was the support from the father and his family. The couple split up when Miss Gormley was eight months old, but Mrs Lane said he played an active role in his daughter’s life.

“Although we split up, he has always been part of her life,” said Mrs Lane.

“All of his family were there, I did get a lot of support from them.”

􀁥 For information on services on offer for teen mothers and pregnant teenagers, visit worcestershire.gov.

uk/cms/education-and-learning/behealthy/ teenage-pregnancy-andparenting.

aspx.

THE COST OF A CHILD

The cost of raising a child is increasing faster than inflation and now totals more than £210,000, according to an annual study.

The figure is up 4.5 per cent in the last year, ahead of the official inflation rate of four per cent, with 78 per cent of parents making cutbacks to cope with financial pressures, the Cost of a Child Report from insurer LV= found.

The planned cuts to Child Benefit and rising university tuition fees are set to increase the pressure on parents, the survey showed.

The total £210,848 cost of raising a child until their 21st birthday equates to £10,040 a year, £836 a month or £27.50 a day.

Today’s cost of raising a child is up 50 per cent from the insurer’s first report in 2003.

Childcare and education remain the biggest expenditure, costing parents £67,430 and £55,660 respectively over a childhood.