Facing an unplanned pregnancy? It’s not unusual to feel like everyone has an opinion about what you “should” do. But how do you make a decision that you know is right for you?
You can decide wisely for yourself by following four steps:
- Pause the voices
- Gather complete facts
- Weigh each option
- Honor your values
In a safe space like Choices Pregnancy Center, you’ll find caring people who are willing to listen and to sit with you while you process all the options before you, without dictating what you “should” do. We’re committed to seeing you make decisions that leave you feeling confident and proud of yourself.
So, let’s talk about how those four steps help you get there.
Pause the Voices
Some people mean well when they tell you what to do. (Others are just afraid of how your choice might affect them.) But as you make a decision about your own unplanned pregnancy, you need to hear yourself think. You need to make your own voice heard. Otherwise, you will always wonder if you made the choice, or they did.
So, kindly but firmly, step away from those voices to a place where you can listen to your own thoughts and make your own decision.
At Choices Pregnancy Center, we will make sure you have a safe and supportive space to think things through without undue influence or coercion from others. That’s because we believe women are fully capable of making wise choices when they have all the information and support they need.
That takes us to Step 2.
Gather complete facts
An unplanned pregnancy involves your body, but it also touches your lifestyle, your beliefs, and your relationships. So when we say, “complete facts,” we’re talking about several things:
- medical facts about your health
- ways your current life situation might be impacted
- your feelings about your different options, based on your personal beliefs
- the health of your present relationships
There may be more to consider, of course. You know that best. We are here to help you by laying out all the information you need, so you can think through the whole picture of this pregnancy and its place in your life.
Our professional staff will provide you with complete medical information through a lab-grade pregnancy test and an early-pregnancy ultrasound. These two pieces alone can tell you a lot about the status of your pregnancy. That, in turn, will shape the options you have available.
We know your unplanned pregnancy is more than just medical facts. That’s why our team takes time to listen to your concerns about your living situation, finances, relationship health, and everything else that is part of your life. We have lots of helpful connections in our communities, so we’re happy to link you to other sources of support if needed.
Once you have gathered all the facts about your medical status, your pregnancy options, and the other types of support your community offers, you’re ready for Step 3.
Weigh Each Option
Think of putting your different pregnancy options on a scale. One option carries more weight than another if it brings greater rewards and/or less loss. By contrast, an option that is not as rewarding or costs you something valuable carries less weight.
The tricky part is weighing the parts you can’t touch or measure today.
This is where it’s important to check in with your values. Do you value things like courage or persistence? Do you value being cared about in a healthy relationship? Do you value a particular set of moral standards?
Do you value preserving a relationship status or a living situation? Is that your highest value, or is your own sense of self-worth even more important to you?
This can be a challenging step—this ranking of things that matter to you (“values”). At Choices Pregnancy Center, our advocates have developed some great questions to help you with this process.
In the end, a decision about your unplanned pregnancy will feel satisfying if it lines up with your values. And that leads to Step 4.
Honor your values
Deciding what to do about your unplanned pregnancy will impact your future. This chapter will always be part of your life story. No matter what decision you make next. So it makes sense that you want to make the best decision possible.
In the long run, you are likely to feel the best about your decision when it aligns with what is most important to you. When it matches what you know inside to be right, not wrong.
Will honoring your values be easy? Not always. Sometimes honoring your values takes courage. But making your own best pregnancy decision according to your personal values will minimize the risk of regret and second-guessing yourself as you walk forward into the rest of your life.
Good Decisions Happen at Choices Pregnancy Center
When you need a quiet place to make your own best decision about your unplanned pregnancy, come see the caring people at Choices Pregnancy Center. We have offices in both Redwood Falls and Marshall, Minnesota to serve you.
We commit to serving you at no charge, with no pressure, and no judgment.
Let today be the day you get your questions answered and begin making a decision you’ll be proud of. Text or chat with us to get started.