Sometimes, unexpected moments become some of our biggest surprises. Even in a house of love, when you find out that you are pregnant, it’s natural to feel various emotions. Can we afford a baby? How is having a baby going to affect our quality of life? Many questions might enter your mind during this time. Know that half of all pregnancies are unexpected, and it’s natural for us all to feel concerned about how we will cope. If you decide to continue your pregnancy, there are some steps that may help you, whether you are a single parent, or have a family unit.

Nonjudgemental Support

There are many thoughts and feelings that run through your mind with an unplanned pregnancy. Therefore, it’s important for you to find a support system of people who will help and encourage you, if and when you need it. Sometimes, we don’t know where to start but in the context of the church, a resource like https://embracegrace.com/ can provide professional and emotional support for single parents.

Don’t Think About the Finances

Most times we are purely concerned based on our financial situation. Finances are important, but they aren’t the only factor to consider. You’ve got to ensure that you first process the news healthily because stress can have a major impact on our bodies, which sometimes means we bottle up our emotions. It’s so important to process emotions, especially if you have concerns about your age or financial situation. As simple as it sounds, processing your emotions is essential; the resource https://tinybuddha.com/ has a guide on processing emotions to help you deal with this. Unplanned pregnancies can be shocking, and this is why you need to acknowledge that it is a shock and that it is okay to be shocked.

Address Your Doubts

Many women experience doubts about themselves and whether they would be able to deal with the pregnancy effectively. Some parents who have already had children would find that becoming pregnant a decade or so afterward is an incredible surprise that comes with its fair share of medical concerns. Getting pregnant after the age of 40 means you can have a higher risk of some of the following:

• Higher birth weight baby
• Gestational diabetes
• Gestational hypertension
• Risks of Down Syndrome

We have listed a few birth challenges as references since every pregnancy is unique. The biggest factor for people who give birth over the age of 40 is pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is when you suddenly develop high blood pressure or signs of organ damage.

Think About the Family Unit

There are many cases of people becoming pregnant and then the partner opts to leave. While there are plenty of children estranged from their fathers, opting to go through pregnancy and birth as a single parent is your decision, and is not something that should be influenced by other people’s opinions. An unexpected pregnancy is unexpected, regardless of the strength of the family unit. If you already have children, this could be a pleasant surprise that will naturally add more love to your home, but even those who are starting out on their pregnancy journey often find that they have more internal strength than they realized.