Pregnancy Options: Helping Your Teen Make the Right Choice

It can happen to the best of us. When a young unwed daughter comes up to you, as her parent, and confesses that she's pregnant, you feel your world crumbling. You may feel startled, aghast, disappointed, even nauseous, especially when you never thought she was having intimate relations with her boyfriend. Your thoughts race to the problems she will be facing ahead - limited education, financial problems, alienation from immediate family members and peers, and so on. Gather your wits, and let it all sink in. Try not to judge your daughter. Nobody's perfect, people make mistakes, you rationalize. The best thing you can probably do is offer sensible pieces of advice. There are at least three major pregnancy options that pregnant teens, in particular, may consider: aborting the unborn child, setting the baby up for adoption, or taking on the responsibilities of parenting. Some cultures may frown on the first two, but hey, when all's been said and done, in the end it will be the mother who will face the repercussions of her decision.

As a parent, the best you can do is help enlighten your troubled, pregnant teen on the various benefits and downside of each one of the cited pregnancy options. The stand of the baby's father, if he's alive and around, may also matter. There are also family planning clinics with specially trained staff who may help elaborate on all other options that may have been missed out. It's ideal to hear out all views and veer away from individuals or centers that are offhand anti-abortion or anti-adoption. Online forums/support sites may also help. In the end, no one, really, ought to pressure or dupe your daughter into making a decision she's not comfortable with.

When your daughter finally arrives at a well thought-out decision, If parenthood is her preference, gather all pertinent information and have her consult a doctor as soon as possible. As for abortion, everyone knows the risks increase the longer a pregnancy progresses. Be there for your teenager, and keep the lines of communication open, whichever among the pregnancy options she chooses.