EMILIJA GOT PREGNANT AT 15, DECIDED TO KEEP BABY: ‘I Stayed Awake at Night Because of Colic and Went to School in the Morning!’
‘I got pregnant at 15! I immediately knew I was going to have the baby. I was sitting in a café with my boyfriend, whom I loved more than anything in the world, and we imagined being together, loving each other, and raising the child. I would go to school, the two of us would love each other, and there would be a lovely baby with us. Everything would be wonderful and easy. Oh, what did I know about life back then... A child was expecting a child!’
This is how Emilija Vesić (20) from Kruševac begins her story for Kurir, who gave birth to her daughter Anđelija at the age of 16.
Every year in Serbia, around 500 teenage pregnancies are registered, and in 2020, Emilija was one of them, and that's when her life took an unusual turn.
First Boyfriend
"Jovan was my first boyfriend. The greatest love in the world. Everything was a first with him, and after 5-6 months of our relationship, I got pregnant," she says.
EMILIJA GOT PREGNANT AT 15 AND DECIDED TO KEEP THE BABY: ‘I Stayed Awake at Night Because of Cramps and Went to School in the Morning!’
Her period was regular the first month, and when she missed it, she went to the gynaecologist.
"He told me I was six weeks pregnant. I was in complete shock. The first thing I thought was how to tell my family."
She first told her boyfriend Jovan, who was 20 at the time. He was overjoyed, saying it was what he wanted.
"His parents also reacted well. They were happy about the grandchild but insisted that I tell my family," Emilija recounts.
However, this was particularly difficult for Emilija, especially since her mother was seriously ill. Eleven years ago, she was diagnosed with cancer, had both breasts removed, but there were metastases. When they told her, Emilija was 16 years old and five months pregnant.
" ‘What month are you in?’ she asked. When she realised there was no turning back, she just said, 'Let me gather myself, I have to inform people. How will I tell your father?' "
But after the initial shock, her mother supported her. Her father took it the hardest. He cried for two nights with his brothers.
Support from Family and Teachers
Emilija was a student at the First Technical School in Kruševac, studying to be a mechanical technician for computer design. Her mother informed the homeroom teacher about the situation, and fortunately, he was understanding. Her schoolmates also reacted well. She gave birth naturally on 27th October 2020. The labour lasted nine hours and was gruelling. But Anđelija was born...
Despite the immense joy, Emilija also felt great fear. Initially, she didn't know how to raise her, what to do with her... She soon got the hang of it and returned to school.
"It was exhausting when the baby woke up, and I had to go to class the next day. My mother took care of her while I was at school, and when I returned, I looked after her. There were many sleepless nights, and the teachers noticed I looked tired. My studies were also disrupted, but I tried hard and was a good student. I was an ‘A’ student in the first three years, and ‘B’ in the fourth. I even participated in some school competitions..."
Emilija's biggest trauma was when her mother passed away shortly after her 17th birthday. At that moment, she says, her world fell apart.
"I don't promote teenage pregnancies at all and think everyone should be careful, but for me, everything turned out well. If I could turn back time, I would do everything the same. When my mother died, I thought I wouldn't be able to cope with everything, but Anđelija was my strength to keep going. There were many sleepless nights, crying - colic, teething... But there were also first steps, the first introduction of solid food, lots of love, cuddling, and care. She is my greatest treasure, and I know we will succeed. She and I."
