Women of ages 20 to 24 give birth more than any other age not just in Shelby County, but through Tennessee.
Katie Woodling ended her shift and walked toward the entrance of the restaurant.
Before the 22-year-old waitress could open the door, her 18-month-old son was waddling inside.
Woodling’s parents watched the baby while she worked, but were dropping him back off to her before she had even left her workplace.
Women in Shelby County, Tennessee, are becoming mothers earlier in life compared to women nationwide.
At the same time, a higher percentage of women in the United States give birth in their thirties, when they are likely to be more financially stable, than women in Shelby County.
A little more than 17.1 percent of women nationwide gave birth in their twenties, while 17.7 percent of women in Shelby County became mothers, according to the 2015 U.S. Census Bureau.
When it comes to women giving birth in their thirties, only 11.1 percent of women did in Shelby County compared to 16.1 percent nationwide.
Young women who have unplanned pregnancies can struggle with financial aid, emotional support and life-long partnerships.
“I never planned on when I was going to have a baby, but I always knew I wanted one young,†Woodling said.
She got pregnant at the age of 20. She and her boyfriend Chris did not plan on having a baby so soon into their relationship.
Woodling does not having many complaints about having her baby boy early in her life, other than a few personal reasons.
“I did miss out on my 21st birthday, and that’s something I think everyone looks forward to,†Woodling said. “I was six months pregnant and had a glass of red wine.â€
Aside from missing social outings, Woodling has not completed her college career.
Balancing motherhood and school is the hardest part thus far into her life. Studies show that women having children in their early twenties can have healthier pregnancies and babies.
There are higher risks to both mother and baby when women get pregnant in their thirties. Women of ages 20 to 24 give birth more than any other age not just in Shelby County, but through Tennessee.
Memphis’ free birth control foundation, A Step Ahead, helps provide women within Shelby County addresses with free birth control.
The foundation was started almost five years ago by judge Claudia Haltom. Haltom found in her 17 years of being a juvenile judge that none of her clients took the pill on time and lead young mothers to having to give up their children.
It was never intentional. Reasons like the insurance being cut off or domestic lence situations would sabotage it and would basically set the women up for failure.
“They are young and didn’t have the financial or family support,†Katy Langston, the Director of Marketing and Development of the foundation said.
Langston said A Step Ahead covers all costs of clinical visits, pap smears, STI check-ups, pregnancy tests and IUD birth control injections.
Free transportation is provided to and from clinics if patients need it. Birth control pills are not included, only intrauterine devices.
The foundation reported that women are 20 times more likely to become pregnant in one year if they are using contraceptives like pills, patches or rings rather than the IUDs.
Langston said the foundation will cover costs for any woman with a Shelby County address.
“The teen birth rate has declined for the last seven years,†Langston said. “Ages 20-25 has been historically the age group where we see the most patients.â€
Savannah McBroom was 21 when she got pregnant.
“My friends weren’t on the same level as I was so I felt alone,†McBroom said.
McBroom and her boyfriend at the time, now husband, were slightly nervous when they got the news of being pregnant.
But the young mother-to-be was looking forward to being able to keep up physically with her baby and grow together.
While attending the University of Memphis while she was pregnant, she faced difficulties. Attendance was a challenge because she was sick for almost half her pregnancy.
Going to class was hard because McBroom “didn’t feel like getting up and going to class.â€
McBroom, now 23, likes being able to work from home and spend time with her 9-month-old daughter Everley. Financial troubles do not cause much threat to the McBroom family yet because Everley is still breastfeeding.
“Breastfeeding is free. But when you add up diapers, clothes, and doctor bills, babies get expensive,†McBroom said. “One good thing about having my daughter young was that I could handle things,†McBroom said. “My body bounced back pretty quickly.â€
Langston said women of 20 to 25 are at a very fertile age. Most clients have had a previous pregnancy, and therefore bringing in another child can induce even more issues upon the mother.
These situations are factoring into poverty rates. Langston and her co-workers want to aid women of all ages to allow them to plan a safe, smart life for their children.
They provide to women whether they just want to wait a year or have a baby and then get back on birth control to space out births. A Step Ahead foundation is promptly promoting planned-parenthood and safe sex.
The foundations workers want to help women live a successful and meaningful life without having to worry about motherhood before they are stable enough to do so.
“Our main goal to creating a more successful life for all women, no matter their situation. We want women to be as happy as they can be and have a family when they are ready to,†Langston said.
