Her son became her motivation to live as she healed from trauma, depression and anxiety during her teen years. Motherhood inspired her work as a doula, and she is in the process of becoming a midwife.

16-year-old Andi had been dating her then-boyfriend, Carlos, for about a year when an unplanned pregnancy shook their relationship, changed their lives, and turned them into mom and dad at a very young age.

“It was very scary. I was a teenager. He, at the time, was 18 years old, so he was going to college,” Andi recalls.

‘I’M GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS’

Andi was terrified to tell her parents about the pregnancy since they were Christians and they had certain expectations for her. Her parents were emotional and disappointed once they found out.

“It definitely came across my parents’ minds to terminate the pregnancy because I was so young. But the more we talked about it and the more they were making plans for me, like this is not where your life should be headed. The more people kept telling me their opinions, the more I felt, no, I’m going to take responsibility for my actions and keep this baby,” Andi says.

Choosing life would come with changes and sacrifices, but Andi knew it was the right thing to do. She pictured her life with a child and only saw positives.

“When I would picture myself as a mom, I felt very at peace about it. And whether I was 16 or 25, I always pictured myself as a mother,” Andi says.

MOTIVATED TO ENDURE

When extended family, friends and church members found out about the pregnancy, Andi received pressure to get an abortion. People thought she was too young to be raising a child.

“My parents’ first reaction was, ‘you can’t keep this baby.’ And then they eventually, through prayer and hearing my decision, felt that it was the right thing for me to keep this child. But our extended family was not on board with the idea. A lot of people, even from our own church, were telling my parents that it would be OK to terminate the pregnancy or put the baby up for adoption,” Andi recalls.

Andi felt disappointed and heartbroken receiving that pressure from her family and community. She didn’t expect Christians to react in that way regarding her pregnancy, or even offer abortion as an option. It made her feel that she would have to prove that she can be a good mother.

“It kind of lit a fire in me to prove to these people that this is a good choice, that this is the right thing to do. But it also made me feel very alone,” Andi says.

That fire inside Andi motivated her to finish high school in three years. She finished seven classes in a month so she could graduate early and focus on caring for a newborn baby. Andi was four months along when she graduated.

Andi tried to hide her pregnancy as much as she could while finishing high school. But word got out, and she felt judged and ostracized by her peers. She lost many friends during her unplanned pregnancy.

“A lot of people stopped talking to me … A lot of people were calling me all of the names. It definitely hurt me a lot,” Andi recalls.

Andi and Carlos on their wedding day.

It was an extremely emotional time for Andi, but she did everything she could to graduate and move forward. She didn’t receive a lot of emotional support, aside from her then-boyfriend. They endured that unplanned season together and leaned onto each other for support. They got married when Andi was four months along.

“We were in our own little bubble of happiness between us two … I feel like I’m one of the one in a million lucky girls out there. He has been my rock through everything,” Andi says.

Her husband went above and beyond to support her. Carlos was there for every prenatal appointment. He stopped going to college so he could work full time and financially provide for his family. 

“He was just so in love with the idea of being a dad and so excited,” Andi says.

‘THAT LITTLE BOY SAVED MY LIFE’

Being a teen mom motivated Andi to get help and deal with her trauma, depression and anxiety. She wanted to heal and better herself so she could be the best mom to her son, Noah, who is now 11 years old.

“Yes, I was dealing with all of those things while having a child, but I sought the help that I needed. Even without support, I knew I needed the help, and I wanted to be better for my son. That’s what I did, and it is possible. It is doable. There are resources out there for everybody who is dealing with those things, even while you’re pregnant. You can get the help you need — you just need to ask for it,” Andi says.

The depression Andi experienced during her teen years was debilitating, and she would not be alive today if not for her son.

“That little boy saved my life … I could have ended my life if he wouldn’t have come. I knew that I wasn’t going to live very long, just dealing with a lot of depression. He gave me a reason to live, and I love him so much,” Andi says.

‘IT’S NOT THE END OF HER LIFE’

Andi and Carlos have been married for 12 years. They struggled to get pregnant after having their first child and experienced miscarriages early in their marriage. But they have been blessed to have three rainbow babies.

“I’m so grateful that this is the path that I chose. I feel like I was meant to be a mother. I was meant to be a young mother. I’m 28 now and we’re done having kids, and I couldn’t be happier,” Andi says.

Andi’s husband sacrificed college to prioritize his family but went back to school three years ago. He has been working as an electrician, while Andi has been working as a doula. Motherhood inspired her to support moms during pregnancy and postpartum, and she plans to start online midwifery school this fall. 

“I want to create a world and a place for young mothers who can come in and feel safe and feel like they are accepted and providing resources they need. I want to be there for them,” Andi says.

To the young mom who’s facing an unplanned pregnancy, Andi wants you to know that you are stronger than you think are.

“This is not the end of her life. It’s the beginning of her life … There’s so much goodness coming your way. I know that you’re clouded by the negatives and the what if’s, and it feels very dark. But as soon as you hold your baby, all of that is going to go away, and you’re going to want to do everything possible to keep your baby safe, to keep yourself healthy, to move forward, to have a good life. It’s possible,” Andi says.