Unplanned pregnancy - what now?

An unplanned pregnancy can certainly be a shock! If you have just found out that you were pregnant, and you were not trying to conceive, you are likely to face all kinds of conflicting feelings. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute in New York, up to 49 percent of all pregnancies were unplanned. If you are pregnant but were not trying for a baby, one thing is certain: you are not in this alone. The big question is, what now? We are not going to write about the "options" available to you if you have found yourself unexpectedly expecting. Every woman knows that carrying on the pregnancy and becoming a parent, terminating the pregnancy, or placing the child up for adoption after giving birth, are among the routes to take.

But there are no two ways about it if you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, that sucks. Whether you are in a loving and stable relationship and have a great, financially rewarding job, are a student, or became pregnant after a one-night stand, an unplanned pregnancy is going to shock you. An unplanned pregnancy does not necessarily have to be an unwanted one "surprise" and "accident" are not synonyms. Whether you are happy to be expecting despite not having planned the pregnancy, or your pregnancy could not have come at a worse time, you have every reason to be sad, confused, and disappointed. Being gentle with yourself, and letting the news sink in for a few days, might be the best approach to an unplanned pregnancy.

Counseling can also help you come top terms with your pregnancy, and provide a way to assist you in coming to a decision about how to proceed with the future. Feeling guilty is probably not productive and remember, almost half of all pregnancies were unplanned! Also see Baltimore pregnancy crisis center ordinance declared unconstitutional and MTV's "16 & pregnant" causes abortion controversy.