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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 24 out of every 100 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 became pregnant in a single year. Though teen pregnancy rates actually dropped over the last few decades, the United States still has a higher rate of teen pregnancies than other developed countries do. Some women become pregnant at a younger age because of pressure from their friends and boyfriends, but other young women simply do not have access to birth control. When you learn that you are with child, you’ll notice some big changes happening in your body over the coming months. Social Changes Whether you decide to keep your child or put the baby up for adoption, you should expect to see your social life change. As much as your friends love you, they may not want to hang out and do all the things they did with you before. Many pregnant teens find themselves spending more time at home and more time with their family than they do their friends. Even if your friends want to spend time with you, you may suffer from symptoms that make hanging out hard. Emotional Changes Mood swings are a normal part of any pregnancy, but these emotional changes can wreak havoc on your body and minds. The odds are good that you’ll find yourself crying more than you did before and suffering from mood swings. These mood swings can make you feel happy and elated one hour to sad and depressed a few hours later. Until your body adjusts to your new hormone levels and learns how to regulate those hormones, emotional changes and mood swings are common. You may even find that you prefer sitting at home with a movie or curling up in bed with a book instead of going to a party with your friends. Physical Symptoms The symptoms that you experience vary during each stage of your pregnancy. Some of those early symptoms may include morning sickness, tender or swollen breasts, changes in the way food tastes and the need to urinate more frequently. Women of all ages may experience nausea and vomiting early in the morning or right after they first wake, but other women experience morning sickness that lasts all day. Other symptoms include muscle aches, constipation, hemorrhoids and chronic headaches. Improving Your Health Teen moms are more susceptible to some medical conditions, which is why you should speak with your doctor and look at ways you can improve your overall health. Your doctor may recommend that you change your diet and eat foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals like lean cuts of red meat, fresh vegetables and oatmeal with fresh fruit. You’ll also want to cut back on your consumption of both junk foods high in sugars and calories and caffeinated drinks. The doctor will also give you prenatal vitamins that provide nutrients for your unborn baby and increase your chances to giving birth to a healthy baby. Changing Your Environment Changing your environment can also help you have a healthy pregnancy. You’ll want to make sure that someone in your house cleans up after your pets to reduce your exposure to pet urine and feces. Installing an air purifier that removes toxins and impurities from the air can help you breathe easier too. Other ways you can change your environment include hiringcarpet cleaners to remove dirt and irritants from your carpets, washing your bedding at least once a week and opening the windows to let in some fresh air a few times a week. Going through a pregnancy as a teen is hard because you’ll notice some big changes in your body and with your emotions. Improving your health and changing your environment can help you better handle your symptoms and feel more confident about the general health and well-being of your baby.