a. Reasons for Single Mothers.

(1) Unmarried. Several reasons contribute to the woman being unmarried. There may have been an unplanned pregnancy and a decision was made not to marry the father of the child. Pregnancy could marry the father of the child. Pregnancy could There may have been an unplanned pregnancy and a decision was made not to be the result of a rape and the patient decided not to terminate the pregnancy. A patient just may desire a child without the commitment of a marriage.

(2) Widowed.

(3) Divorced. There may have been a planned pregnancy in an effort to save a marriage and it did not work. It may have been totally unplanned and the patient decided to continue with the divorce and the pregnancy.

(4) Separation. The father may be imprisoned, may be on military duty, or just separated from the mother.

(5) Surrogate mother. A woman who carries the fetus of the infertile woman’s husband and then relinquishes the child to the couple for rearing. This is usually done for couples that have difficulty with delivering a viable fetus.

b. Counseling. Most single patients need counseling regardless of their age.

This counseling is done to:

(1) Aid her to make realistic plans for her child’s future.

(2) Provide assistance to help her cope with emotional stress especially during labor. If at all possible, have the patient find a friend to go through labor with her.

(3) Provide sources of counseling to include whether to have an abortion, keep the child, or put the child up for adoption.

(4) Inform her of community agencies that may help her financially with childcare and other responsibilities.

(5) Provide mechanisms to help her cope with loneliness.

c. Pregnant Teenager–Married or Not.

(1) The teenager is still growing. She needs a specialized nutritional nursing care plan. The diet should be adjusted to what and where she normally eats.

(2) There is a high mortality and morbidity for mothers under 20 years of age and their infants. Because of the lack of prenatal care, she may try to hide the pregnancy.

(3) The teenager lacks compliance with instructions and lack of physical and psychological maturity. She has not yet achieved physical and psychological maturity.