If this question is echoing in your mind today, you’re probably feeling about as blindsided and overwhelmed as you’ve ever felt. Perhaps you graduated from college a couple months ago. Or, maybe you have another year or two to go, but graduation is still on your radar. You and your partner may be together or separated. It’s possible that you’re in two completely different locations at this time. Whatever specific circumstances you’re facing, your mind is sure to be flooded with difficult questions. Know that you don’t have to find the answers and take your next steps on your own.
Avenue Women’s Center is here for you, no matter what challenges you’re confronting or which options you’re considering. We’re a limited medical clinic that’s all about equipping women with reliable pregnancy information and unconditional emotional support. The first-step pregnancy services we offer at our five Chicagoland locations are all free and confidential!
Reach out to speak with a caring helpline professional. We’re available to answer your questions!
A Healthy Support System is Key
If you’re pregnant by your college boyfriend and wrestling with questions about the future, ask yourself if sharing your pregnancy news with him would be a healthy next step. This may be a helpful (although challenging) conversation to have whether the two of you have broken up or stayed together. Every person’s set of circumstances is completely unique. So, maybe you don’t feel that it would be safe or appropriate to confide in your partner (or ex-partner). That’s okay too! You get to choose who to include in your support system as you navigate this pregnancy. Just make sure that you have a support network of caring and trustworthy individuals to lean on as you face the challenges ahead. Here’s why this is so important:
- Processing your pregnancy situation and decision with others may trigger valuable self-insight regarding your next best steps.
- Hearing someone else’s perspective may help you look at your circumstances from angles you hadn’t considered before, which can also provide insight. Try confiding in someone who will offer honest (but sensitive) feedback while respecting your decision-making autonomy.
- Building a support system will likely create opportunities for you to receive both practical and emotional support.
Whether you’re leaning toward abortion, adoption, or parenting, it’s critical to feel as though you’re not alone. Avenue Women’s Center is here to be a part of your personal support network while helping you build upon it in other ways.
If a Part of You Feels Drawn to Parenting
If you’ve recently graduated from college or are planning to soon, you’ve probably started to undergo some major lifestyle changes. Maybe you’re facing significant college debt while trying to launch your career. You may or may not be living independently. Perhaps you and your college boyfriend aren’t together anymore. So, if parenting is an option you feel drawn to, you may be wondering how you could possibly afford this or what co-parenting might look like. Choosing to parent would likely mean shifting your plans again. It would almost certainly be a challenging adjustment. However, this doesn’t mean that parenting is the wrong choice for you or that it should be taken off the table. It’s always worth it to listen to your gut and explore the options and resources available to you. Sometimes, unexpected challenges represent some of the most significant (and positive) turning-points in life.
All pregnancy options include potential difficulties… emotionally, relationally, practically, etc. However, you’re capable of rising above these challenges and making a decision that’s rooted in strength and confidence rather than fear. Our goal at Avenue Women’s Center is to help you feel empowered to make your own best pregnancy choice. In addition to providing free first-step pregnancy services, we’re here to help you access valuable resources in your community. There’s no better recipe for a healthy decision-making process than knowledge and support.
Call, text, chat, or email to connect with our expert staff today! After 40+ years, we’re as passionate as ever about supporting women in their pregnancy journeys.
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.