“I have to tell you. I almost had an abortion with this pregnancy,” Taylor* confided to our nurse manager during her ultrasound.
Taylor was a patient in our clinic a couple years ago. She was considering abortion that time – but made a decision to carry to term. Now she has a beautiful two year old at home.
“I didn’t know how I could care for another baby,” Taylor continued. “My husband wanted us to have this baby but I was overwhelmed.”
“I made an appointment at an abortion clinic. When I got there, I just sat in my car in the parking lot. I couldn’t go inside.”
After I got home, I told my husband that I had gone to the abortion clinic but that I could not go inside. He said, “Let’s have this baby. I’ll get another job. We can do this!”
“Now, I’m excited about having this baby.”
We are grateful that Taylor made a life-giving decision. She has a supportive husband who encouraged her in that decision even though life circumstances may be difficult.
We hear, “I don’t know how I can care for another baby,” over and over again in our clinic. Young moms who are already overwhelmed, and then find themselves pregnant, often see no way out other than abortion.
In fact, contrary to popular belief, more than half (59%) of women who have abortions already have at least one other child.
The woman who has an abortion also is likely not a teenager. 60% of women who have abortions are in their 20s and another 25% are in their 30s.
The “typical” woman who has an abortion is a lot like Taylor, although most often not married. She is a twenty-something mom caring for a toddler. Finances are tight and she has plans and dreams for her life. She’s already struggling to care for her son or daughter and get dinner on the table each night. She has no idea how she could add caring for another baby to her life.
Taylor needs the support of her husband or boyfriend. And this “Taylor” has it. But many women do not. We are encouraging husbands and fathers to join their expectant wives and girlfriends at our clinic. We offer them an opportunity to meet with a male mentor and to take part in education about being a dad. We are equipping young men to step up and step into fatherhood.
Unintended pregnancies can occur in the midst of very messy circumstances. When they do, we want to be there to help untangle the mess.
We empower and support women to make life-giving choices. We equip fathers to be the dads they never knew how to be. And we encourage couples to consider marriage, when appropriate, as the best and healthiest option for their child. Thank you for making this possible.
* Name changed to protect privacy.