The potential impacts of an unplanned pregnancy are often influenced by your stage of life and the support you have around you. The experience is likely quite different for a married woman in her 30’s compared to a single teenager. In either circumstance, however, these women may experience both new challenges and new opportunities.
Here are a few areas of your life that may be impacted by an unplanned pregnancy…
In a perfect world, the people we give ourselves to romantically would always be there to support us. Sometimes that proves true with an unplanned pregnancy, sometimes not.
Your partner may indeed embrace the idea of your pregnancy. After all, unplanned doesn’t necessarily mean unwanted. The odds of this increase quite a bit if you’re in a committed relationship, like marriage. Even with new relationships, however, you may find the news actually draws your closer together and you’ll choose to raise your child together. So long as it’s a safe and respectful relationship, it’s worth having the conversation.
Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes, we have to part ways from the baby’s father. And while that can feel devastating in the moment, it may be just what you need to become your best self and the best possible mother for your child.
Some women have the luxury of a close family who dearly love them. Family can be a great source of support and guidance when dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. While if you’re particularly young or unmarried, telling your family you’re pregnant may feel like a big hill to climb, if the bonds are strong, an unplanned pregnancy is unlikely to disrupt that.
Sadly, some women don’t have family support they can rely on. And a particularly unstable family life can become even more tense when introducing an unplanned pregnancy into the mix. In these moments, friends may be your best source for love and support. Choose your friends wisely, however, as some may not be mature enough to handle the news or may not actually have your best interests at heart. You need friends you can truly trust with your feelings, hopes and fears.
Adding a baby to your life can certainly have a disruptive effect on school and/or work, but it doesn’t have to derail either one. There are numerous programs designed to help pregnant women and new mothers continue through school or maintain a job or career, and many of these programs are free.
That’s not to say it will be easy. Parenthood never is. But it is doable.
The key is finding the right support. Some high schools and many colleges have counselors who can point you in the right direction. If you’re working, your company’s human resources department may already have guidelines and policies in place to help working mothers.
You can also seek out guidance from a pregnancy options counselor at places like Sira in Gainesville. Sira’s counselors are truly client advocates, helping women find the resources they need to continue their educations, maintain their livelihood, and successfully raise their babies.
Your future may suddenly seem uncertain when you learn you’re pregnant. But you are strong enough to see through that uncertainty to the hope that lies ahead. Your future, and your baby’s future, are what you make of them.
At Sira in Gainesville, we’re here to offer women help for today and hope for tomorrow. If you’re dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, we’re here for you, and our services are 100% free.
Contact Sira today at 352-377-4947 to talk with one of our pregnancy counselors and get the support you need.
