The unthinkable happened. You thought you were careful. Your mind is spinning, and now you don’t know what to do.
At Willowbrook Women’s Center, we understand how shocking and scary it feels to become unexpectedly pregnant from an affair. Know that you aren’t alone, and many women have successfully walked this path before you. You can too!
Take One Step at a Time
You might be feeling more anxious than you have ever felt. It’s hard to stop your thoughts from imagining how multiple scenarios play out.
Take a deep breath and pause.
You are facing one of the most important decisions that will impact the rest of your life, and it’s important to make that decision from clarity and strength. So pause, and take one step at a time.
1. Get a lab-grade pregnancy test.
The accuracy of over-the-counter pregnancy tests varies. A lab-grade pregnancy test will give you 99.9% accurate results. However, it only tells you if the pregnancy hormone (HCG) was detected. If your lab-grade test is positive, the next step is to confirm your pregnancy.
2. Confirm your pregnancy.
Did you know that, according to the March of Dimes, as many as half of all pregnancies end in miscarriage? Eighty percent of those miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Before going through the difficulty of a “pregnancy or abortion” decision, you will need to confirm if you have a viable pregnancy. Viability is determined by ultrasound.
At Willowbrook Women’s Center, we provide many no-cost services including ultrasounds and lab-grade pregnancy tests, so you have the information you need before you weigh your options.
3. Weigh your options.
You have three options for your unexpected pregnancy: abortion, parenting, or adoption. It might help you to ask yourself, “Would I make a different decision about my pregnancy if I wasn’t pregnant from an affair?” This, and other questions, can prevent you from making a decision from emotion, which may cause you to live with secrets or regret.
Recent research reveals that carrying secrets is detrimental to your physical and emotional health. Imagine how difficult it would be to keep the secret that your child is not your partner’s, knowing that someday, the truth will be revealed. Or, imagine going through the emotional and physical process of a secret abortion without the support of your partner.
As you weigh your options, consider them carefully, ask questions, and never make a decision based upon pressure from another person. Pay attention to the quiet voice within you as it may give you insight to the choice that you can feel confident about.
Willowbrook Women’s Center is Here for You
Make an appointment at Willowbrook Women’s Center today. Our licensed medical professionals and trained advocates have walked through situations like yours with many women, and we will come alongside you confidentially and without judgment. Willowbrook Women’s Center is invested in providing you with unbiased and accurate information so that you are empowered to make an informed decision – apart from the fear that can prevent you from being your healthiest.
