It’s a lot to decide on and I’m sorry you’re in this position. You sound like a thoughtful person so approach it thinking about the logistics of having a child like an adult would because you’re being thrown into the adult world. Will you work? Continue school? What exactly will child care look like? What will your life look like in 5 years? Do you want siblings, if so, how much of a gap would you be comfortable with? Are you comfortable not having the biological father in the picture? What social programs can you qualify for to help you?

Pregnancy is very hard physically and emotionally, but motherhood is even harder and not something that ends after 9 months.

Real talk about that feeling of it’s happening for a reason…The reason you are pregnant is because you were ovulating when you had unprotected sex. I know that’s crude, but that’s literally why. The first time I got pregnant I was like “why me?!” and I had to be truthful with myself and the situation- it’s because I was fertile and had unprotected sex.

If you choose to terminate the pregnancy and need someone to talk to, please feel open to contact me. I was 27 when I had an abortion - I got pregnant with a poorly inserted IUD, the fetus was developing abnormally, I was in a post-grad program, and my fiancé supported an abortion (I didn’t want to raise a child alone). Now I’m in my mid-30s and my now husband and I are having children on our own terms and timeline. It still hurts that I got pregnant unintentionally, but I’m grateful for the life I’ve been able to lead. The decision is not an easy one to make and I hope you can lean on your mom for support. She sounds wonderful!