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Home › Articles › Life Circumstances and Challenges During Pregnancy › Alone

Alone

Facing an Unexpected Pregnancy Without a Partner

By Deborah C. Harding

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You are frightened, confused and you don't know what to do. Everyone will say you should have known better. Yes, you've just found out you are beginning an unplanned pregnancy and now what do you do?

mom with son First, calm down and try to think clearly. Don't make any rash decisions right now; there is time. Confide in a friend, your parents, or find an agency that will help you out. There are many others in your situation, and no matter how alone you feel, you aren't.

According to the Census Bureau, premarital childbearing has been on the rise, not only among teenagers but also in older women. In 1930 to 1934, the number of first births to women in the United States in a surveyed area was 2,037. Out of that, 5.9 were premarital births. In 1960 to 1964, there were 5,507 first births, with 10.3 of those being premarital births. From 1990 to 1994, first births totaled 6,324 and out of those, 40.5 were premarital births.

Lisa's Story
Lisa is pregnant at the age of 16. She was happy when she discovered she was pregnant. Several of her friends already had babies and she thought she would fit in with them better. She also was positive that her boyfriend, Todd, would want to get married. It was a big surprise when he told her he would pay for an abortion. To Lisa, that was not an option.

Lisa's mother, also a single mom, scolded her for not having used contraception. But Lisa didn't think she would get pregnant without protection just one time. Her mother was angry because there would be another mouth to feed, and told Lisa she could continue to live there as long as she went to school but after that she would have to find a place to live and take care of her own child.


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