“Ten days ago, I found out I’m pregnant. It had been five weeks since I’d had my period. I had this nagging feeling when I bought that test that it’d come up positive. But, I’m not thrilled to be pregnant…

I walked into the living room, and my boyfriend paused the video game he was playing. I announced that the pregnancy test turned out positive. We then just sat in silence on the sofa together, not knowing what to say. To say this wasn’t the right time would be an understatement. I’m still going to school full-time, and my boyfriend is between jobs.

We didn’t mention the pregnancy until a couple of days later. We were both acting like the test was wrong. I told myself that since I didn’t take it first thing in the morning when my hormones were high, maybe it didn’t count.

Days went by, and the realization started to sink in: we were going to be parents. Since having that realization, I’ve been crying every day. Crying during everyday moments, like brushing my teeth or getting on the bus to work. And not happy tears either; ugly crocodile tears, that I couldn’t wipe away fast enough before more came.

I needed to talk to someone about this. I wanted someone to reassure me that everything would be okay. So I called my best friend, who always seems to know what to say. She asked me, ‘Are you so excited?’ I broke down in tears, and let her know that no, I’m not excited. I’m angry. I’m scared. Basically everything but excited.

‘I’m not thrilled to be pregnant. I don’t know if I want this baby. I should get it taken care of. How can I bring a child into the world when I feel this way?’

And then, when I felt so low, my friend offered another option besides abortion. Her loving and compassionate suggestion was adoption. OK, so my boyfriend and I totally weren’t ready to become a dad and mom. But there were thousands of couples that were, couples who couldn’t have a baby of their own. They wanted desperately to adopt so that they could become parents. That’s when I started to explore adoption…”

If you’re not ready to be a mom and don’t want to get an abortion either, there is a third choice: adoption. We encourage you to check out LifetimeAdoption.com if you’d like to learn more about this pregnancy choice.

Have you ever wondered how becoming a mom will change your life? It’s crazy how much things change when you have a baby. And it can be even crazier if your pregnancy was unplanned and you’re not ready for this huge change.

Going to School Will Be Tough
Becoming a mom when you aren’t ready makes continuing your education really difficult. Since babies obviously can’t just be left on their own, you’d need to decide who can watch your baby while you’re in class.

If your parents are willing to help out, then that’s great. But, this might put stress on your relationship. Daycare is expensive, so money will be tight if you’re going to school while trying to pay for daycare and babysitters.

Career Plans on Hold
An unplanned pregnancy can get in the way of your career. If you’re climbing the ladder of success, it might feel disappointing to have to miss work and stay at home caring for your baby.

You’ll probably be very tired at work and then stressed out once you get home. After all, there are only so many hours in the day! If you don’t have support at home from the baby’s father or family members, then you’ll be responsible for a lot.

Way Less “Me Time”
Right now, you might feel like babies are just cute, tiny versions of adults. But ask any mom and they’ll tell you that babies are tiny dictators who take every ounce of your energy.

“It always seems like he gets hungry as soon as I sit down to eat. And long, relaxing showers were a thing of the past for the first few months. There just wasn’t any ‘me time’ between all the feeding, burping, rocking, and changing his diapers!” shares one mom, Jessica. Right now, you only have to think about yourself. If you become a mom from an unplanned pregnancy, you might get bitter that your ‘me time’ disappears.

Losing Sleep
You’d lose sleep in the early months, no matter if your pregnancy was planned or not. Moms of newborns don’t get to sleep much because most babies just don’t sleep for long stretches. It can be difficult for new moms to get used to waking up at all hours of the night.

All this can be super-overwhelming, especially if you didn’t plan on becoming a mom. You might feel a little resentful of being so tired if you didn’t plan for this change.

Money Will Be Tight
Babies get expensive. There are lots of little expenses that add up, like diaper cream and baby wipes. Oh, and lots and lots of diapers!

Be prepared for money to be tight, especially if you need to take time off work or if you have to pay for childcare when you start working again.

Relationships Will Change
An unplanned pregnancy puts a strain on a new relationship with a boyfriend or husband, especially if he wasn’t ready to become a dad.

Your friends might be supportive now, during your pregnancy but later distance themselves after you have your baby. This is especially true if they don’t have kids yet and are still out partying. They might not understand that you don’t have time to spend with them like you used to.

It’s smart to think about these things when you find out you’re pregnant. If you’re worried about how an unplanned pregnancy might change your life and want to talk to someone, you can connect with Lifetime Adoption at
1-800-923-6784 and have a private convo. The pregnancy coordinator you talk to can help you answer questions about your choices and give you resources for finding out more about adoption if you’d like.