Maybe you’re a free-spirited person who’s recently broken out on her own. Perhaps you’ve been living self-sufficiently for years. No matter your background, if you’re afraid of being pushed into a different, more “dependent” living arrangement, you’re probably someone who values her autonomy. Your independence may offer you a sense of freedom and accomplishment. It’s probably something that you take pride in, possibly even something that strongly influences your self-esteem. Are you experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, and scared that an option like parenting would force you to move in with family? Avenue Women’s Center has your back. We’re here to help you understand your options, and equip you to make a confident pregnancy decision.
Avenue has been a trusted provider of free first-step pregnancy services in Chicagoland for over forty years! We offer lab-quality pregnancy tests, limited medical ultrasounds, pregnancy consultations, and more to help you know where you stand.
Learn more about Avenue Women’s Center! We’re all about empowering you to make the most informed pregnancy choice possible, by providing the practical and emotional support that you need and deserve.
Contemplating Your Options (and Their Potential Outcomes)
Every woman facing an unexpected pregnancy has three options available to her: abortion, adoption, and parenting. Perhaps parenting is one possibility that you’re interested in exploring. If you’re concerned that this particular path could result in some significant lifestyle changes, that’s understandable. Many women facing situations like yours are afraid that continuing an unexpected pregnancy would push them to their limits- financially, interpersonally, emotionally, etc. And parenting would stretch you, probably in many different ways.
If you do choose to parent, moving in with family (at least, temporarily) may or may not be one course of action you’ll consider down the road. That may be impossible to predict, for now. This potential change would require a lot of flexibility and acceptance. However, it’s important to consider that all your pregnancy options come with possible risks and challenges (both emotional and circumstantial). Any one of them could be life-altering. And there are many other components woven into your pregnancy decision that are vital to consider, like your instincts and gut feelings, your values and beliefs, and your desires. Your healthiest pregnancy decision will be driven by influences like these. They should not be overlooked!
Leaning on Resources and Strengths to Make an Empowered Choice
When you find yourself starting to base your pregnancy decision on fear of a specific outcome, it can be helpful to take a step back and re-evaluate all of your options, including the risks and processes involved with each. It can also be beneficial to take inventory of your personal strengths and resources. Are you genuinely interested in the possibility of parenting? If so, maybe you owe it to yourself to at least explore the resources that are available to you. One of these supports may equip you to step into a parenting role, if that’s what you eventually feel drawn to do. Some of these resources may empower you to continue living independently too- whether you choose abortion, adoption, or parenting.
Our expert pregnancy consultants at Avenue are available to educate women on community resources like these:
- Housing help
- Financial assistance
- Affordable medical care
- And more!
Avenue provides a safe, comfortable, confidential space to talk about practical supports like these. We’d love to help you explore your personal strengths and emotional supports as well, so you have all the backing that you need to pursue the option that you feel is best.
Schedule an appointment at one of our six limited medical clinics today! We’re located in Darien, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn / Lombard, Naperville, West Chicago, and 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.