Finding out you have an unplanned pregnancy can bring on a whirlwind of emotions. I had one of those unplanned pregnancies. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH! Afraid I’d lose my boyfriend, that my parents would kill me J, what would my extended friends and family think of me, could I finish high school and my church family…oh how I hated disappointing them. So, I hid my pregnancy 6 months in fear until one day my mom asked me if I was pregnant.
Are you carrying the burden of an unplanned pregnancy?
Afraid to tell anyone?
Are you fearful that someone will want you to get an abortion?
Please know that you have a voice regarding your pregnancy. The hardest decisions aren’t always the easiest.
A woman recently came into our pregnancy center and she shared a little of her life story with us. When Beth* was a teenager living with her grandparents, she found out she was pregnant. They were very upset with her and told her she had to get an abortion. This wasn’t what Beth wanted to do. She stood up and told them she wanted to have the baby. Her grandparents kicked her out and she was placed in foster care. Beth stated that her foster mom was “a gift from God.” She ended up having a little girl and her foster mom helped her throughout her pregnancy.
The decision to carry her baby wasn’t easy, but she made it and if she had to do over again, she would make the same decision.
It is important to know, “family members cannot force someone, even if they are under the age of eighteen, to have an abortion”.
If you find yourself in this situation there are pregnancy resource centers and other organizations to help educate, provide guidance, and offer assistance to help navigate you during your journey.
Every woman has a right to make decisions about her own body and future.
NOTE:
*Name changed