Birth Control Allowed Me to Become a Mom When I was Ready, Not a Moment Before
03.10.2022 - 13:57
/ glamour.com
of some . (Some days, I just wanted to call in sick to school and lay in bed with a heating pad.) The birth control worked, thankfully, and my pain gradually lessened and my period became super predictable. But over time, I came to see birth control less as a way to control pain and more of a way to protect myself from an .When I started having sex with my high school—and then college—boyfriend, I knew the last thing I wanted was to get pregnant.
I was in my late teens, and getting pregnant was just a non-negotiable for me. I knew I wanted to finish college, find work that I was passionate about and do all the things young people can do without feeling tied down to a baby I wasn't ready for. Don't get me wrong: I knew that I 100% wanted to be a mother—one day. But a teen mom? No way.I wanted to travel the world and explore things that I had never seen, eat foods I had never tried, and meet people and discover cultures I was interested in.
In my 20s, I traveled alone to beautiful places—Thailand, Italy, Spain, and China—with all the freedom in the world. I was able to work, pay off student debt, and live in apartments alone because I could afford it. Had I been able to do this with a baby if I was a single mama? I really doubt it! I was able to do as I pleased.
I was able to enjoy my full freedom and youth. I could go to the movies or on dates whenever I wanted. I could stay up as late, or go to bed as early as I wanted.
I could book a weekend trip to Las Vegas with my friends—all without having to think twice. Now, at 34, I'm older, wiser, way more mature. I live in a home my husband and I purchased. We have financial security I wouldn't ever have had in my 20s straight out of college.