Hearing the words "You are pregnant", can drive spears of ice into your stomach when you were not planning on becoming pregnant. Perhaps you are very young, or you are in the middle of school or career, or you are not in a committed relationship...or any number of other reasons. I will be completely straightforward and honest with you...I would be completely derelict in my pledge to be informative and to educate if I did not. Let me start by saying, that as scared as you are...the very first thing you need to do is breathe. Just take a minute and quiet your mind; cry and scream if you need to...and breathe.
When we are afraid we tend to make knee-jerk reactions without gathering all the information we need. I know you are scared, and I can certainly understand...but you need information so you can make the best choice for yourself and your future. The absolute worst thing you can do is make a split second decision based on fear, rather than fact.
I am three things on this subject: 1) I am pro-medical freedom of choice - that means I strongly disagree with anyone who would force you to do something with your body you do not want to do, 2) I have a strong background from my work at a Pregnancy Hotline - so I have LOTS of information to share with you on all of your options...and you have many...and 3) In the interest of full disclosure, I personally value all life so strongly, that unless it is a carrier of disease, or I simply cannot catch it to release it, I generally do not kill even bugs if I can help it.
I love your baby...and I pray you will choose life for your child...it is, after-all, part of you. Life is a miracle and a gift from God, no matter what circumstances led to its conception. God already knows your baby...
Despite my personal convictions on the matter - I really just want to help you.
I could have been aborted...my birthmother had two other children, by two other men when I was born. She was poor and uneducated...she never finished high school. My father was in high school...and 8 years younger than her. My maternal grandmother really pressured my mother to give me up; I can easily imagine, she may even have pressured her to abort me.
The decision to give me up for adoption was an agonizing one...I know this, because my adoptive mother shared with me that my birthmother changed her mind so many times during that first week of my life outside of the womb, that the social worker did not have the heart to tell them every time she changed her mind. She would call the social worker to come get me, and by the time she made it to the hospital, my birthmother would change her mind. I was five days old when I made it home to my family.
I cannot imagine just how hard that decision was for her...but I am eternally grateful to her for it! I owe her so much! Life has not always been easy...don't even get me started on my high school years...yeesh! But, I have lived...because she chose to let me. Because she chose life for me, I have gotten to experience friends, sleepovers, boyfriends, parties, love, marriage and hopefully soon...children of my own. All the things that make life - I have experienced, because she did not abort me.
You can argue semantics...is it abortion? Is it murder? Is it just a blob of tissue with no feelings? But no matter what you believe...it is a potential life. And yes, that life could grow up hard - but it would have the chance and, I would be willing to bet, it would CHOOSE the chance, if given.
Setting aside my passionate plea...I do want you know what options you have, what help there is, and what would be involved. Then I would ask you to prayerfully consider beyond the moment...beyond the here and now. Especially if you are the victim of rape or incest - you have help needs beyond this decision.
On this page about Unplanned Pregnancy...you will find all the information you need to make an informed choice. You will find information on keeping your baby, adoption and abortion. You will find resources for help if you choose to keep or adopt - I do not have resources for abortion. IF you choose to have an abortion - you will also find aftercare resources for the instance that you, or the father, or other family members suffer any negative emotional or physical side effects.
My prayer for you is lengthy - but, I pray that you can calm your mind enough to hear all of your options. I pray that you will make a choice that you can live with, free of regret. And I pray that you will feel God's love for you, His forgiveness and His compassion for your circumstances.
Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.