Whenever my family gathers for a dinner or a celebration together, there is inevitably lots of good-natured teasing, joking around, and hilarious storytelling. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 years old or 50, everyone is welcome to tell a laughter-inducing tale. A story shared could be full of embarrassing moments or comical misfortunes. But sometimes we have more serious stories, with twists and turns through tough times. These stories tend to be more difficult to tell, if we even share them at all. It can be hard to face a challenging story with our loved ones or within ourselves. What if your story is an unexpected pregnancy? Do you share your story with others? How do face your pregnancy decision?
If you’re facing an unexpected pregnancy, take the first steps of your decision at Avenue Women’s Center. We offer free pregnancy consultations at each of our five locations in the Chicagoland area. Learn accurate information about your pregnancy options (parenting, adoption, or abortion) in a confidential and private atmosphere. Contact us today for your free appointment!
Everyone’s Pregnancy Story Is Different
All of our stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We live much of our lives in the “middle” part of our story, where much of our victories, adventures, and learned lessons take place. Our stories aren’t all the same. Not everyone gets married and then has children. Life doesn’t happen in a straight path, or the way we think and hope it will. Our “middles” are full of surprises, and the unexpected can be positive, negative, or even both all at once. These surprises can be ones we never saw coming or never dreamed possible. Our stories are our own, and no one’s is picture-perfect.
The same can be true with an unexpected pregnancy. Each pregnancy situation is unique, filled with its own details, and has its own story. And how you initially feel about unexpected pregnancy news can change as your story unfolds. What are the pieces of your pregnancy decision that are the most challenging? Are you having mixed emotions and thoughts about your pregnancy options?
Sharing Your Pregnancy Story
You just learned you’re pregnant. Do you share your pregnancy story with others? If so, who do you tell? Much like your pregnancy decision, choosing to tell anyone about your pregnancy is up to you. You might wait until you know more about your pregnancy options to share your news with loved ones or your partner. You might also want to confide in a trusted family member or friend about the options you’re considering. Their feedback might offer insight you hadn’t yet considered. They might have emotional reactions to your news as well. Whatever comes up as you tell your pregnancy story, the decision is still yours and should be made without outside pressure.
Your Story, Your Pregnancy Decision
There are stories we tell ourselves through our memories or our hopes and dreams for the future. Details of our memories might become fuzzy as time goes on, and our hopes and dreams can change as our lives take shape. Your hopes and dreams might feel challenged if you’re unexpectedly pregnant. You probably didn’t envision a pregnancy as part of your story right now. Maybe it’s not the right time, you don’t have support, a relationship is complicated, or you have difficult hardships and tight finances.
A number of reasons can lead you to consider different pregnancy options of parenting, abortion, or adoption. How do you decide? Many women find it helpful to first gather information about all of their options. Educate yourself on the different types of abortion procedures, adoption options, or ways you might handle the option of parenting through local or family support systems. Whatever your decision, whether abortion, adoption, or parenting, make sure it’s a decision you feel secure about making. An unexpected pregnancy decision might change your story, but it’s your story to live out, and your pregnancy decision.
It is your pregnancy story, but you don’t have to face your pregnancy decision on your own. For nearly 40 years, Avenue Women’s Center has come alongside women facing unexpected pregnancy decisions. Our free services include private and confidential pregnancy consultations with expert client advocates knowledgeable in all of your pregnancy options of parenting, abortion, and adoption. Learn accurate information and share your unique pregnancy story in a safe, secure, understanding, and judgment-free environment. Call, text, chat, or email to make an appointment at our locations in Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn / Lombard, Naperville, West Chicago, or Wood Dale, Illinois.
The information provided here is general in nature. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a medical professional. Before any medical procedure, it is imperative that you discuss your personal medical history, risks, and concerns with your doctor. If you have questions during or after a procedure, your doctor should be immediately contacted. Avenue Women’s Center is not an emergency center. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, such as bleeding and/or pain, seek immediate medical attention. Contact your physician, go to an emergency room, or call 911.