ONE TOO MANY?
Do you already have children and are you considering abortion?
Are you thinking things like:
- I just don’t know if I can go through another pregnancy.
- Do I have enough energy to take care of another one?
- What will my boyfriend think when I tell him?
- Will I have enough money to support another child?
- I was just beginning to feel more free again and now I’ll be back to having another infant.
You are not alone in those thoughts. Actually, many women considering abortion already have children. It’s not surprising given the amount of energy and commitment it takes to raise children. The thought of adding another one can be overwhelming to say the least.
Many of the women in this situation never thought abortion would be an option for them; they never believed in it for personal reasons, but now, well, life is different. One more child added to the family feels like too much to handle and now the thought of abortion as an “easy” way out is starting to look appealing.
But consider for a moment that when you first became pregnant with your other children, it was overwhelming wasn’t it? Perhaps unplanned? Scary? Short on money? Maybe you had some of the very same thoughts you’re having now about this one. But you figured out a way to navigate it and you did it. And you can do it again.
Life is like that – there are always unplanned events that change our lives. But women have an amazing ability to adapt. Women see the situation and the needs, figure out a plan and move forward – often doing it very successfully.
This pregnancy may be unexpected but it is not an end. A delay, yes, but you can do it if you put your mind to it. You’ve done it before and you can do it again. You are more knowledgeable now than when you had your first child, and at this point you could probably parent with your hands tied behind your back! You may have family and friends that will lend a hand and there are always community supports in place for you to parent and to do it well, even if you are a single mom.
