Contents
Crisis Pregnancy
Crisis Pregnancy – An unplanned or crisis pregnancy can be an emotionally difficult situation for any woman. Finding out you are pregnant when you had not planned on becoming pregnant can come as a huge shock. You may feel scared, anxious, overwhelmed, ashamed, or alone.
A crisis pregnancy often involves difficult decisions around continuing the pregnancy, adoption, or abortion. There may also be concerns about how a pregnancy could impact your education, career, finances, health, or relationships.
It is important to know that support and options are available. Reaching out to loved ones, counselors, medical providers, and pregnancy resource centers can help you work through this challenging time. You do not have to go through this alone. (Crisis Pregnancy)
Understanding Your Options
The first step after a pregnancy test confirms you are pregnant is determining if you want to continue the pregnancy or terminate it. Thinking through the options fully, without pressure from others, is vital.
If you choose to continue the pregnancy, you must decide if you want to parent the child yourself or make an adoption plan. Parenting obviously involves taking on the full-time responsibility of raising a child for 18+ years. Be realistic about whether you are in a position to provide for a child’s financial, emotional, medical, educational, etc needs.
Adoption involves carrying the pregnancy to term and then placing the newborn with adoptive parents. There are open, semi-open, and closed adoptions to consider. If adoption interests you, contact an agency to understand the process and profiles of hopeful adoptive families.
Terminating a pregnancy or having an abortion is also an option to consider seriously. First-trimester abortions (up to 12 weeks) are safest and can often be done with a pill rather than a surgical procedure.
Second-trimester abortions may involve a more complex dilation & extraction procedure. Make sure you understand exactly what is entailed medically and the risks involved if considering an abortion. Also, reflect deeply on whether terminating is aligned with your personal beliefs. Seek spiritual guidance if needed.
No matter what option you pursue, it may bring up much emotion and require coping skills. Give yourself grace on this journey. Connect with supportive people you trust who will listen without judgment. Seek professional counseling if needed to help work through how you feel. (Crisis Pregnancy)
Exploring Your Feelings and Finding Support
Being pregnant when you had not planned on it or when circumstances make it very complicated can spur many difficult feelings – shock, denial, fear, anxiety, shame, anger, sadness, regret, or guilt. You may even feel somehow betrayed by your own body.
Know that these emotions are very normal, albeit unpleasant. Getting in tune with exactly what you feel and then finding healthy outlets for those feelings is critical.
Journaling, talking to a close friend, or making appointments with pregnancy counselors are all smart ways to process emotions. Joining a local or online support group with others going through unplanned pregnancies can also make you feel less alone.
If religious or spiritual, speaking to a pastor or praying may bring comfort, too. For some women, creative outlets like writing poetry or making art can be cathartic ways to express challenging emotions.
Even after the initial shock wears off, pregnancy hormones can exacerbate feelings throughout carrying to term or terminating. Mood swings are common.
Make self-care and stress management high priorities during this turbulent time. Do not isolate yourself if you are feeling depressed. Seek professional mental health support if needed.
Considering Your Circumstances
In addition to reconciling your emotions, you need to objectively reflect on your circumstances to determine the best path forward with an unexpected pregnancy. (Crisis Pregnancy)
Carefully considering the following factors can guide your decision-making process:
Health: Do you have any underlying conditions that could impact pregnancy or childbirth? Are you on medications contraindicated for pregnant women? Do you have health insurance coverage for prenatal care and delivery? What is the condition of your physical and mental health currently?
Finances: Can you afford medical expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth? If continuing pregnancy, is keeping the child financially realistic regarding costs for basic needs plus childcare, medical bills, education savings, etc? Consider loss of income if needing extended maternity leave from school or work. Evaluate your budget honestly.
Housing: Is your current housing suitable to raise a child in? Is there room for a nursery? Can you afford rent/mortgage if you are no longer working? Would you need to find new housing accommodations abruptly?
Education & Career: How far along are you in your educational studies or career path? Would a pregnancy derail the completion of a degree or training program? Are you in a stable job with maternity leave benefits? Would being a mother right now prevent career advancement goals?
Relationships: Will the father be involved positively in the pregnancy and raising the child? If not, are you prepared to be a single parent? How would pregnancy impact other family relationships or friendships? Do you have a strong network that could support you during pregnancy and motherhood? Would continuing the pregnancy or adopting cause relationship strains?
These big-picture considerations should weigh heavily when deciding your best path forward. Be realistic about what a pregnancy and baby would mean for your circumstances at present in life. Consider short-term and long-term impacts. (Crisis Pregnancy)
Seeking Medical Care
If determining you want to continue a pregnancy, obtaining prompt prenatal medical care is vital for both your health and the health of the developing baby.
Ask your primary doctor for referrals or search online for highly rated obstetricians (OBs) covered by your insurance in your geographical area. Contact OB offices explaining the unplanned pregnancy and the urgent need for an appointment. Ask what they require to establish care there.
They will likely want confirmation of the positive pregnancy test, bloodwork, urine tests, and an early ultrasound. Most insurance plans cover a standard series of prenatal visits, ultrasound scans, and lab tests when expecting.
Be completely open with your OB team about your full medical history, medications you take, and any exposures to substances that could impact pregnancy, like alcohol, recreational drugs, etc. Follow all prenatal care instructions closely regarding diet, exercise restrictions if applicable, and over-the-counter medications that are safe.
Take prenatal vitamins containing folic acid daily to prevent congenital disabilities. Managing preexisting conditions like diabetes or depression is also crucial while pregnant. Maintaining open communication with your healthcare providers makes for the healthiest pregnancies. (Crisis Pregnancy)
Conclusion
Discovering an unplanned and unexpected pregnancy can truly be a crisis moment in a woman’s life. The shock of getting such life-changing news and facing big decisions often brings up very intense emotional reactions. Feeling scared, anxious, angry, depressed, or ashamed is completely valid.
Do not discount your feelings or let others minimize them. The best way to move forward is to tap into available support systems to help you thoughtfully reflect on all options now available to you.
Speak to someone – a close friend, loving family member, pastor, therapist, or even your physician – about what you are going through. Contact a pregnancy resource center to understand your options in depth. And give yourself grace; you do not have to have all the answers immediately.
While the path forward may not be clear yet, understand that women have navigated crisis pregnancies before and found peace in their decisions after careful consideration of circumstances.
You have the power to take things slowly, seek wisdom from others, listen to your heart, and ultimately choose the course that is personally right for you. This pregnancy crisis will not define you but rather empower you. (Crisis Pregnancy)
Thanks for visiting Teenage Pregnancy Feel Free to Give your valuable comments in comment section, and do not forget to share our website.
