I think it is safe to say, after watching Catelynn and Tyler (the famously cute couple from Season 1) who chose adoption for their daughter, it is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Catelynn and Tyler were 100% in support of adoption and it was still hard. So, now, imagine that only one parent favors adoption. What happens then? Well, that is exactly what happened in this week's episode

Enter Kianna, a 17-year old high school senior who is pregnant with her 15-year old boyfriend Zak. Here is the kicker though- they have only been dating for two months. It is great that even after such a short time of dating, Kianna is being responsible by taking birth control pills. But just having them is not enough. In order for them to be effective, they have to be taken every day. Kianna thinks she got pregnant because she missed three days of her birth control pills. The pill is a great form of contraception—it can be 99% effective when taken perfectly. However, missing even a day or two can put you at risk for pregnancy. Unfortunately, this was the case for Kianna, and she now will have many challenges to overcome as a teen mom.

As a former teen mom herself, Kianna’s mom understands the hardships of being a teen mom and is angry and upset with her daughter’s pregnancy. She thought her example had been enough to show Kianna how difficult life was for a young mother. Would you parents be upset if you got pregnant or got someone pregnant?

Since Zak and Kianna both grew up single parent households, they both had to deal with instability. Kianna strongly favors adoption so he can grow up in a stable home, like she never did. But boyfriend Zak looks forward to being a father, so he can be like the father he never had. Both parents want their son to have a better life than they did-they just have different ideas on how to provide that. Zak tells Kianna that “adoption is the easy way out.” What do you think? Is choosing adoption easy?

Eventually deciding to keep the baby, the two are quickly thrown into parenthood when Kianna needs a C-section 3 weeks early because of the preeclampsia (dangerous high blood pressure) she develops. Medical risks are heightened with pregnant teens—most cases of preeclampsia happen to teen mothers or women over 40. Unprepared for the baby, the two struggle to financially support Kayden while remaining unemployed, and with declining help from Kianna’s mother. Did you know it costs about $10,000 to take care of a baby in its first year of life? It’s pretty impossible for teens to make that kind of money, especially if they’re also trying to go to school AND supply childcare.

By the end of the episode Kianna says she’s glad she decided to keep Kayden, but had no idea how hard it would be to raise a baby alone. She decided to switch schools so she could have free childcare for Kayden. What would you have to give up for a baby? Think about giving up school, friends, or sports. One in six girls will have to make that decision this year. Remember, the only way to stay 100% baby-free in high school is to wait to have sex!

This post was written by Kate, an intern for The National Campaign. Kate is a senior at George Washington University, studying journalism and sociology. She loves theater and cooking, and eats mashed potatoes every single day.