Some of us at Life Choices Center have faced unplanned pregnancies ourselves. Our stories are different than yours, of course, but we have faced similar challenges and felt some of the same pressures and fears. No matter what your situation, you can always find a listening ear and caring support here. You do not have to face this decision alone. You have options. Below are stories from three women who work or have worked at Life Choices Center. Names have been changed to protect their privacy.

When I got pregnant my husband and I were having a lot of problems. I waited until almost the end of my first trimester, half hoping that things would work out and we could have the baby. But things didn’t work out, and I thought abortion was the best solution for my problem. In a way, it did take care of the problem. I wasn’t pregnant anymore. Afterward, I felt relieved. I thought I was fine. But I wasn’t fine. The abortion affected me more deeply than I ever could have imagined. One of the worst effects was with my daughter who was born three years after my abortion. Until she was a teenager I wasn’t able to connect with her. I even hated her at times. After many years, I finally found healing and freedom from my abortion, and now my daughter and I have a great relationship. But it took a long time to get there. Too long. If I had known all the emotional pain that would result from my abortion, I never would have made that choice.

I was 17 when I learned I was pregnant. I felt total fear. I was raised in a very strict religious home, and you just didn’t go out and get pregnant. It was a bad, bad thing then. I was so scared. I had a fiancé but he left me. I had to leave school and stay home with my parents. They told me they couldn’t take care of the baby, and neither could I. At first I agreed with them, but when the baby was born I went through a lot of emotional turmoil and I wanted to keep him. However, I signed the adoption papers. It’s been many years and there’s not a single day that goes by that I don’t think about my son. It was so, so hard, and I miss him a lot. But I know that for my son it was the best decision. I was not prepared to be a mother. I thought I was. But soon after he was born I had two other children, and I made a lot of mistakes with them. I was just too young. For some people, I believe adoption really is the best decision they can make for their child.

I was 18 when I found out I was pregnant. I guess I was in denial at first. But then more days went by and my period still didn’t come. I didn’t know what to do. I was in nursing school at the time and there were doctors at my school who told me they could “take care of it.” I knew they meant an abortion, and it scared me. I didn’t want to have an abortion. I wanted to have the baby. But I knew my family and my boyfriend would not be happy with me. Two months later I married my baby’s father. Three weeks after that, he left me. So I had no one. My parents were very helpful, but during the pregnancy they pressured me to place the baby for adoption. I guess everyone was thinking about what they thought was best for me. But as soon as my son was born, it was like a miracle—everyone’s mind changed and they were glad I kept the baby. And so was I. I believe there is a bond between baby and mother quite early in conception. It becomes yours. Being a single mom wasn’t easy. I know that God really sustained me through that time because I didn’t have anyone else. And I never had any doubt that I made the right decision to keep my son.