Dealing with an unplanned planned pregnancy can be emotionally daunting. I received the biggest shock of my life two years ago when I found out that I was pregnant. Back then I was still a student in law school reliant solely on my financial aid meal allowance to get myself by. How was I going to raise this child?. I was a full time student and what money was I going to raise it with as a broke university student. I have formulated a list of five steps that could help anyone deal with being pregnant unexpectedly.

Be aware that you are still in shock.

After you have just become aware of your unplanned pregnancy, a lot of things will not make sense to you even the pregnancy itself. I stayed in the shock stage for a couple of weeks. It is so important to not make any impulsive decisions that may result in a permanent change in your life during this stage. There were a lot of thoughts running through my mind. Some of my thoughts I actually ended up regretting later on in my pregnancy. Try to process the news and get used to the idea of being pregnant.

Allow yourself to feel.

There are a lot of emotions and thoughts that can run into one’s mind during such a time. I felt disappointed, angry, confused and I had never felt so overwhelmed in my life. I allowed myself to feel however I was feeling and didn’t beat myself for how I was feeling inside. As depressed as I was, I spent most of my time alone just to weigh out my options and ensure that whatever decision I take wouldn’t be influenced by anyone else. When we confide in people, some tend to influence our decisions or to make us feel guilty for how we may be feeling about certain situations. I would advise that you pass this phase first before confiding in anyone unless you feel like your life may be in danger then you can seek relevant assistance.

Weigh out different options.

Every choice you make will have a major consequence on your life in the future. There are three known options you can choose if you are pregnant unexpectedly. You can choose to terminate the pregnancy, Give the child up for adoption at birth or choose to raise the child personally. No decision between the three is easy taking. First look at the advantages and the disadvantages of each option before choosing an option. Abortion has often been stigmatised as unethical and unbiblical. However it has been one of the best options for certain individuals. We need to acknowledge that our circumstances aren’t the same. We as women fall pregnant under different circumstances not to mention our different backgrounds.

Prepare yourself for the decision you have taken.

I decided to keep and raise my child. The next decision for me was to prepare for her arrival. Try to fix what you can before your little one comes into the world. Start being more cautious with money. It’s not all of us that will choose to become mothers and that’s totally fine. Terminating the pregnancy needs you to seek medical health care. You also need to seek therapy to assist you and to ensure that you go through this process as safely as you can. If you decide to give the child up for adoption then you need to familiarise yourself with the adoption process and if needs be contact adoption agencies.

Accept and learn to live with the decision you have taken.

This is the time when your mind starts to settle after a very hectic phase of constant worry. Try to cope and learn to live with your decision. For any decision you take. Therapy is recommendable. If it’s not accessible, joining support groups and social media groups with people going through the same thing will be a great help . There is so much comfort when you are surrounded by people who understand what you are going through. To anyone who is feeling overwhelmed right now I am sending my love. Please contact me or leave a comment for further commu