Her fears were confirmed by the appearance of an extra blue line on the pregnancy test. Juanita had seen information about assistance with unplanned pregnancies at an abortion center. She decided to schedule a visit.

At the facility, an ultrasound confirmed that she was six weeks pregnant. The medical assistant explained the procedure for medical abortion: She was to take a single abortion pill (RU-486 or mifepristone) and follow it the next day with another pill (misoprostol).

The clinic staff told Juanita that the side effects of misoprostol were limited to mild cramping and bleeding. She was skeptical about how the side effects were minimized but felt like she had to
end her pregnancy. She swallowed the first pill quickly and would take the rest the next day.

Abortion Pill Reversal is Possible

Juanita told her husband as soon as she got home, and she began to regret her decision almost immediately. Her husband had seemed excited that she was pregnant and was disappointed to learn she had taken the abortion pill. Juanita felt awful. She desperately wished she could somehow turn back the clock.

She called the abortion provider about reversing the effects of the pill she had taken. They told her there was nothing they could do.

Her mood changed from regret to anguish. Lord help me, Juanita prayed silently. There must be a way.
She Googled “abortion reversal” and found Abortion Pill Rescue. The website offered her the assistance she was told wasn’t possible only moments before, along with a toll-free, 24-hour phone number.

Juanita called, and within 20 minutes, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. Kelly, one of the hundreds of volunteer nurses in the Abortion Pill Reversal Network (APRN), quickly conveyed the key details of
Juanita’s story, her phone number and when she’d taken the first abortion pill.

I phoned Juanita and told her that I was one of the network’s physicians. I confirmed the facts of her situation, reviewed her medical history and asked additional questions. Then I explained the reversal process, arranged for her to obtain the medication she needed at her pharmacy and set a time to meet with her at my office.

I saw Juanita and her husband a few days later. While she had experienced some light spotting and cramping, a bedside ultrasound confirmed her baby’s heartbeat and as well as fetal movement. She decided to continue prenatal care with me in my practice, and she successfully delivered a healthy baby boy just a couple of months ago.

Having a Choice – Abortion Pill Reversal

Many women agonize about the decision to abort a child. Frederica Mathewes-Green, a researcher and author who once identified as “pro-choice,” summed up the feelings of many on both sides of the debate: “No one wants an abortion as she wants an ice cream cone or a Porsche. She wants an abortion as an animal, caught in a trap, wants to gnaw off its own leg.”

And yet Juanita’s story is increasingly common in an age where it is estimated by Guttmacher that over 50% of abortions are now chemical rather than surgical. The abortion pill, after all, seemingly simplifies the process. Instead of a surgical procedure, a woman only has to take a single mifepristone pill followed by additional medication to cause cramping and the evacuation of the now-dead baby. These pills can be used up until nine weeks of pregnancy. A research study claims that the regimen is 98% effective in ending a pregnancy.

Mifepristone works by blocking the receptor sites for progesterone – a naturally occurring hormone that typically rises rapidly in early pregnancy and is critical for the sustenance of a developing fetus in the first trimester. The antidote, therefore, is to provide enough additional progesterone to the mother to overwhelm the abortion pill and keep it from successfully blocking the hormonal support necessary for the baby.

While many women and health care professionals are unaware of the option, the abortion pill reversal strategy has been in place for almost 10 years, and the network has grown to more than 1,000 health care professionals around the country who volunteer to assist women who’ve changed their minds after an initial decision to have a chemical abortion.

Additional Resources:

• Overlooked Dangers of Mifepristone, the FDA’s Reduced REMS, and Self-Managed Abortion Policies: Unwanted Abortions, Unnecessary Abortions, Unsafe Abortions
• The Evolution of “Self-Managed” Abortion: Does the Safety of Women Seeking Abortion Even Matter Anymore?

Reversal is both possible and safe

How well does the reversal process work? Since Dr. George Delgado first started APRN, more than 4000 babies have been rescued from a death initiated through chemical abortion. Initial studies show that 64-68% of women who take progesterone within 72 hours of having taken the abortion pill are able to continue their pregnancies.

Of course, this means that some 35% of women won’t be as fortunate as Juanita and will lose their baby. For perspective, approximately 20% of normal pregnancies end in miscarriage even if the mother never takes an abortion pill. That makes the impact of the abortion pill reversal protocol even more significant.

Whether or not a woman who changes her mind after beginning a chemical abortion is able to carry the pregnancy to term, she ought to at least be offered the choice. Yet many doctors who claim to be
“pro-choice” are opposed to offering this information to women.

Supplemental progesterone has been used safely during pregnancy for more than 40 years and is a critical treatment offered to women who have inadequate hormone production from their own ovaries
during the first trimester. Moreover, there is no evidence to date linking mifepristone or progesterone to an increase in fetal birth defects.

Simply put, abortion reversal for medical abortion is both possible and safe. When the proper protocol is
followed, it is successful in about two out of three pregnancies when given to a woman who has changed her mind after taking an abortion pill. Explaining this option is a simple matter of matter of open, honest and informed consent.

To hide the option from a woman or deny her access to this treatment is unethical. Thankfully for Juanita and her baby, she found the Abortion Pill Network in time.

If you or someone you know has taken the first dose of the abortion pill, only to regret the decision and wish to reverse the process, visit www.AbortionPillReversal.com or call their 24-hour helpline at 877-558-0333. Time is of the essence.

The post When it’s Not Too Late: Can the Abortion Pill be Reversed? appeared first on Focus on the Family.

Real Healthcare

Crisis Pregnancy Center Services

A crisis pregnancy center (CPC) is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides medical and compassionate support to women facing a difficult pregnancy decision. They began in the 1960s when abortion became legal to provide immediate and ongoing care to empower women and reveal the truth about abortion. But they have evolved since then. Now, they tend to go by “pregnancy medical clinics” or “pregnancy resource centers.” The services they offer are also more robust. 

About 80 percent of staff at CPCs are volunteers, which is how most centers can run without charging women for their services. Those free services include:

• Ultrasounds
• Pregnancy tests
• Medical screenings
• Abortion pill reversal
• STD/STI testing and treatment
• Women’s counseling
• Men’s counseling
• Parenting resources
• Adoption referrals and resources

Quality Healthcare

Despite claims that crisis pregnancy centers don’t abide by medical regulations, CPCs have a high standard of care when serving women. Most centers affiliate with a national network – the three most prominent being Care Net, Heartbeat International and NIFLA. All affiliates have training, resources and services subject to an overarching national code of ethics instituted in 2009, “Our Commitment of Care and Competence.” This also requires all affiliates to have the following:

• All medical services are under the supervision and direction of a licensed physician by applicable medical standards (like HIPAA)
• Truthfulness in all communications
• Client information confidentiality and protection (as guided by federal, state and local law)
• Rigor in screening volunteers and staff
• Nondiscrimination
• Kindness to and compassion for clients
• Compliance with all legal requirements regarding employment, fundraising, financial management, taxation, public reporting and financial disclosure

Real Choices

You’ve probably also heard that crisis pregnancy centers are anti-choice. They insist CPCs only exist to coerce women out of abortions. Then, those abortion providers will claim to offer comprehensive healthcare through their services. But the numbers tell a different story.

The nation’s largest abortion provider performs abortions as 95% of their pregnancy services (and the number is only growing). This leaves little room for any other healthcare. In addition, they only provide one adoption referral per two hundred abortions. It reveals a lot about what “choice” they’re pushing.

Abortion Clinic Stats

Abortion-Focused

Sadly, it makes sense. After all, abortion clinics make an average of $580 for medication abortions and $1,500-2,000 for surgical abortions. It is their second most significant financial contributor. The first biggest? Taxpayer dollars. They made $633.4 million last year – or $1.74 million per day – through government funding. If they were about genuinely filling a need in healthcare, that money would instead go to supporting women in whatever pregnancy choice they make. Rather than helping women, they overcharge for harmful procedures and only funnel the millions of dollars they receive into the same procedure they charge for.

But again, why wouldn’t they coerce women when they make thousands of dollars on one choice and zero on the others?

Crisis Pregnancy Center Stats

In contrast, CPCs offer their services completely free. Data from 2019 shows that CPCs served close to 2 million people, with their free services and material assistance amounting to over $266 million. Only 20 percent of centers receive government funding. And yet, they put every dollar they have toward empowering women and supporting them before and after pregnancy with no charge to them. In fact, in the same year, centers gave away over 2 million baby outfits, 1.3 million packs of diapers and 30,445 car seats. 

So, while abortion clinics are taking, CPCs are giving.

Women-Driven

Something conveniently left out of anti-CPC articles is every center sees women who leave and choose abortion. And whether or not they choose life, centers still serve them with all services and even post-abortive counseling – something abortion clinics don’t offer.

Another thing that abortion clinics perform much less than CPCs are ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are one of the most crucial things to a pregnant woman: not only does it confirm her pregnancy isn’t ectopic, but it’s also inherently unbiased. Ultrasounds show her exactly what is happening in her body – there’s no way to lie about it. No way to pressure her into thinking it’s just a “clump of cells.” It shows her the whole picture and allows her to make an informed decision.

CPC services have become even more urgent as the FDA has dramatically changed access to abortion pills, allowing them to be prescribed without a doctor’s visit. Through an ultrasound, women should get confirmation of pregnancy, location of pregnancy (could be ectopic) and gestational age of the baby before taking the abortion pill. All these factors could lead to severe complications or even death if a woman is unaware and takes the pill. We need more pregnancy medical clinics with expanded services, not less.

Danielle Pitzer

Another service unique to CPCs is abortion pill reversal (APR). It allows women to change their minds after taking the first of two abortion pills. Abortion proponents claim that APR is impossible and not a legitimate choice, but thousands of moms with saved, healthy babies would say otherwise.

If this is about giving women choices, CPCs beat out abortion clinics every time.

Related: Crisis Pregnancy Center Videos

Real Care

What to Expect at a Crisis Pregnancy Center

Crisis pregnancy centers don’t hide who they are, what they do or pregnancy information. Most information can be found on their website or by calling. They will be upfront about not providing abortions but providing services around it, such as pre-abortion screening, abortion pill reversal and post-abortion counseling. They also provide a higher quality of care for patients than abortion clinics. In studies by the journal Contraception and the Charlotte Lozier Institute:

• Over twice as many people had negative experiences at abortion clinics compared to CPCs
• 68 percent of CPCs offer same-day visits compared to 37 percent of abortion clinics
• 98 percent of CPCs offer services at no charge compared to 17 percent of abortion clinics

CPCs are usually run by religious staff. However, this should provide more love and care for patients, not less. If a center’s staff is acting judgmental, pushy or deceitful, women should leave and find another. Pregnancy is not a sin and should not be treated like one.

CPCs aren’t an industry; some operate independently if they aren’t affiliated with an organization like the ones mentioned above. Think about when you go to a new doctor’s office and have a bad experience; it doesn’t mean doctors aren’t good, it just means that doctor isn’t good. Check affiliate websites with clear regulations their centers follow or visit MyChoiceNetwork.org for a list of CPCs that abide by strict codes.

The post The Truth: “Fake” Crisis Pregnancy Centers appeared first on Focus on the Family.

For some, justifying abortion depends on one question: When can a fetus feel pain? 

The argument comes packaged like this:

If abortion was not painful for a preborn baby, it could be a more compassionate choice given certain circumstances. For example, imagine being given the diagnosis that your preborn baby has Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). Your baby’s bones could break with every little in-utero movement. If there was no chance of them living outside of the womb anyway, wouldn’t it be merciful to end their life before they could feel that pain? Furthermore, if a preborn baby can’t even perceive being aborted, why should we care about its involvement in the abortion decision? 

When Can A Fetus Feel Pain?

In years prior, the age at which the medical community was sure a baby could feel pain was at 18 weeks. However, researchers now believe a fetus can feel pain as early as 15 weeks. Further data suggest that some preborns could experience pain as early as 12 weeks. 

This age falls within the gestational age where most abortions occur. According to the CDC, “The majority of abortions in 2019 took place early in gestation: 92.7% of abortions were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation; a smaller number of abortions (6.2%) were performed at 14–20 weeks’ gestation, and even fewer (<1.0%) were performed at ≥21 weeks’ gestation.” 

The Pro-life Doc, Dr. Bill Lile, explains the rights of preborn patients.

How Do We Know When A Fetus Can Feel Pain?

Over the past few decades, several studies have helped shed light on what a preborn child can experience throughout different stages of pregnancy. According to various studies conducted on preborn babies, a fetus can:

• respond to physical stimuli (i.e., the presence of a foreign object inserted into the womb)
• show physical responses to the sound of their parent’s voice
• carry the impact of in-utero trauma long after their birth
• convey their food preferences via facial expression

These studies are eye-opening, miraculous and heartstopping. And they serve as a reminder that many abortion decisions come marketed alongside misinformation. Until now, how many women entered an abortion clinic under the false impression that no one would be “harmed” in the process and that abortion rids the world of a little “pregnancy tissue” rather than a living human being?

Adverse Diagnosis and Fetal Pain

Learning of these discoveries gives a deeper understanding to the idea that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” shared in Psalm 139:14. However, let’s return to our argument for the baby with brittle bone disease. Can abortion be an act of love or mercy? And what about preborn babies younger than twelve weeks who may feel nothing during an abortion procedure?

When arguing in favor of abortion, we tend to forget the goal of the procedure — to end a life. Abortion is only successful when a woman leaves an abortion clinic with one less living child than she had when she arrived. Adverse diagnosis and fetal pain would make good markers for justifying abortion if not for two irrevocable truths:

1. Diagnosis does not revoke inherent human rights
2. Pain tolerance does not excuse injustice

To make matters worse, the percentage of pregnancies that end up misdiagnosed via genetic testing is astonishing.

What This Means For Women's Healthcare

For decades, abortions have been justified with the concept that early preborn children were equivalent to tissue. The preborn child was compared to a random bundle of cells, unfeeling and unnecessary. Under this theory, removing that child has less impact on the woman than removing a kidney or gallbladder. After all, preborn babies deemed “pregnancy tissue” do even less to serve a woman as her kidney might, right?

Pregnancy Loss and the Impact on Women

Perhaps, a baby needs his mother more than she needs him (physically speaking), but no matter how loud our culture chants “abortion is safe!” or claims the procedure has minimal impact on women’s bodies, science suggests otherwise.

Consider miscarriage, a form of pregnancy loss, substantially less invasive than an abortion. According to the National Library of Medicine:

"Nearly 20% of women who experience a miscarriage become symptomatic for depression and/or anxiety; in a majority of those affected, symptoms persist for 1 to 3 years, impacting quality of life and subsequent pregnancies. Women at highest risk for psychiatric morbidity following miscarriage include those who are younger, Hispanic, or of lower socioeconomic status and those with loss of a planned pregnancy, a history of infertility or prior miscarriages, and poor social support or coping skills. Clinicians should screen women frequently for depressive symptoms beginning at 6 weeks following a miscarriage and may facilitate the assessment by utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire-2; those experiencing clinically significant symptoms beyond 2 months after a miscarriage should undergo formal mental health evaluation and treatment."

National Library of Medicine

Related Articles on Fetal Pain

• Abortion Bans Explained
• I Thought I Was Pro-Life Until I Saw an Ultrasound
• The Abortion Pill: How Does it Work?

If early miscarriage can create these health concerns for women, how much more trauma could occur from an unnatural and invasive procedure like abortion?

Fetal Pain and the Weight of Being "Unwanted"

But wouldn’t a woman feel more grief over a “wanted” and miscarried baby than an “unwanted” aborted baby? Couldn’t that account for the difference in reporting negative aftereffects?

The argument that an aborted baby is “unwanted” and therefore their life less impacted than a “wanted” baby only makes sense if we entirely ignore both the biological truths about women’s bodies and the reasons why women seek abortions in the first place. While a woman may choose to end her pregnancy, her body doesn’t categorize the trauma of pregnancy loss as wanted or unwanted. A sudden halt in the natural process of pregnancy has repercussions, as it should. After all, a life was lost.

And let’s not forget that most babies lost to abortion are not aborted because they are unwanted. Contrary to popular belief, most abortions occur for reasons like:

• Education or work (76 percent)
• Financial concern (73 percent)
• Fear of single motherhood (48 percent)

Eradicating Abortion

Thankfully, we can meet the root causes of abortion with alternatives that don’t take a child’s life. Abortion could be nearly eradicated by providing women with basic forms of support. Something as simple as an at-home job opportunity, maternity leave or a church support group could save thousands of lives. 

These findings remind us that abortion has become a poor excuse not to provide proper healthcare to pregnant women and their preborn babies. Science may be ever-evolving, but the value of human life will always be unquantifiably valuable. The options given to women in the circumstances driving abortion decisions should reflect the value and impact that an abortion decision has on both a woman and her child.

The post When Can a Fetus Feel Pain? appeared first on Focus on the Family.

So, you’re pregnant. Your partner just broke the news to you. A whirlwind of emotion is likely circling your mind, and the emotions can be overwhelming. As men, there’s the temptation to avoid our feelings or even combat them in our minds.

In a scenario as serious and important as pregnancy, it is vital to recognize your emotions. You must understand what you feel and why you feel the way you do. Seeking this understanding is strenuous and difficult, but necessary. Without a proper understanding of your feelings, you will only move forward with confusion.

To bring peace to your partner, yourself, your family and your friends, take the time to understand how you feel. Even if this is the first time you have honestly considered your emotions in your life – now is the time. Once your thoughts and feelings are clearly defined and preferably written down, let’s think about your best next steps.

So, You're Pregnant: A Call to Be Great

To be a great man is to shoulder meaningful responsibility. Sometimes, the call to be great sounds at the most inopportune moments. Pregnancies are often surprising news. However, with every unexpected pregnancy, a man has the opportunity to grow, be stretched and create an impactful legacy.

What greater call is there than to raise a child? As a man, you have the chance to be a steady rock for your partner. You are the one person in the world that can bring comfort to her in a time of fear and confusion. And you are the one person that can encourage her to be the mother you know she can be. Your words now carry more weight than ever, so use your words intentionally.

This circumstance is your call to be great. It is the opportunity of a lifetime.

Words From Someone Who Was Nearly Aborted

My name is Jess, and I was almost aborted 24 years ago. In their early twenties, my parents found out they were pregnant. They had no money, no plans and no wedding ring. Their circumstances were strenuous, but the news of a baby proved incredibly stressful.

My parents mutually decided that abortion would be the solution to their problems. With having an abortion, they would not have to share their situation with their loved ones. They were told that the financial strain of a child would seemingly disappear. Furthermore, the responsibility of being a parent would be lifted. It seemed that abortion was the answer.

Nearly Aborted

My dad wrote a check to the abortion clinic and sat in the waiting room, watching my mom walk back to have the procedure. Several minutes later, he watched my mom return to the waiting room. Immediately, he noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying. My mom explained to my dad that she was still pregnant. She was so overwhelmed with the emotion of her pregnancy and surgical abortion that she hyperventilated and passed out in the operating room. In response, the clinic sent her home, still with a child remaining in her womb.

Jess Ford’s mother, Amy Ford, shares the story of unexpected pregnancy.

So, You're Pregnant: A Brave Choice

A few days passed, and my dad had a choice to make. He could convince my mom to go back to the abortion clinic, or he could choose to stay by her side. When my mom shared with my dad that she wanted to have the child, my dad made the decision to stay and support her.

My parents got married while my mother was pregnant with me. I was born just a few short months afterward. Today, I have an incredible relationship with my parents. My mother has always been a present, loving voice in my life, and my dad has always been a strong, compassionate ally to me.

While in the womb, I was not seen as a child but as a problem. The moment my dad chose to shoulder the responsibility of fatherhood, my personhood was acknowledged. My dad was an incredible father to me. Even though he was young and seemingly under-equipped, he fought for his wife and son. He is a hero to my family.

You Will Be a Great Dad

You, too, are now positioned to be a hero. Right now, you can be a hero for your partner and your future children. The heroic path, however, is never the easiest.

Choose to shoulder as much responsibility as you can carry. Leave a legacy that inspires generations to come. Determine to be the man that you know you can be. Choose the purposeful path.

You’re not alone! Focus on the Family has great resources for helping you and your family during this challenging time. Check out these links or call 1-800-A-FAMILY for more information.

Related Resources

• My Girlfriend is Pregnant, What Do I Do Now?
• A Father’s Voice in Unplanned Pregnancy
• Dealing with Unplanned Pregnancy

Find Local Help

• My Choice Network
• Option Line
• Alternatives to Abortion: Pregnancy Resource Centers

The post So, You’re Pregnant, a Letter From a Nearly-Aborted Man appeared first on Focus on the Family.

I’ve heard it said that the church is the hope of the world. I’ve also noticed that women facing crisis pregnancies all seem to have one feeling in common: hopelessness. It is this very feeling that propels abortion rates.

Unplanned Pregnancy and the Church

After experiencing my own unplanned pregnancy 20 years ago (I was seconds away from having an abortion myself), I firmly believe that the frequency of abortions would go down dramatically if the church was a better source of help for women in my situation.

The availability of church-based support groups for women with unplanned pregnancies and strong partnerships with local pregnancy centers can provide the hope that a young woman needs to choose life for her child. Also adopting a “pro-love” approach can not only save a baby physically but also save the mother eternally. It’s an opportunity to share the Gospel and introduce her to a Savior who cares so much for them.

Unfortunately, I still see cases where a girl chooses life over abortion only to have her church turn their backs on the young woman, even asking her to leave the congregation or youth group during her pregnancy.

What if we made the church the first place a young woman ran to when she found out she was pregnant – instead of away because of shame and guilt? What if we stopped being so loud about what we are against but became famous for our love and what we are for? We can be pro-love and not just pro-birth.

A church without the broken is a broken church.

Amy Ford Tweet

Five Fears that Keep Pastors From Preaching About Abortion

When going through a personal struggle, there’s no better help than to receive hope from someone who once stood where you are standing now. For the single woman or young girl with an unplanned pregnancy, A Bump in Life will help anyone going through or connected with this situation move from feelings of loneliness, shame, and worry to the far more lasting joy that is God’s redemptive blessing of a child.

Purchase Today!

Unplanned and the Church

By having support systems in place (like an Embrace Grace group), you are letting your church know that you don’t love the sin, but you love the sinner no matter what. And the baby is never a sin. A baby is a miracle.

Here are several common misconceptions that some pastors or church members have when approached with starting support groups for women with unplanned pregnancies:

Unplanned Pregnancy Myths

MYTH: "The women in our church aren’t getting abortions"

TRUTH:

According to Care Net, more than 40 percent of women who’ve had an abortion were attending church regularly at the time they ended their pregnancy. These women are silently warring; alone, ashamed and hopeless. They often feel like there is no one to talk to and that the only option is an abortion.

Support systems within the church provide these women with someone to talk to for counsel and prayer. They need the courage to choose life. Brave moms raise brave kids, and the church can play a huge role.

There are a lot of different people dealing with an unplanned pregnancy:

• Survey: Women Go Silently From Church to Abortion Clinic
• Abortion Stories: Procuring, Coercion and Walking Out
• Dealing With Abortion Regret As Men
• When Current Events Trigger Abortion Trauma

MYTH: "There aren’t any unwed pregnant women in our church"

TRUTH:

Actually, they are there, or at least they were. More likely they are no longer coming through your doors. Shame and guilt prompt many young women in the midst of a crisis pregnancy to stop attending church. Therefore, hosting support groups for women with unintended pregnancies is an opportunity for sharing the Gospel and offering discipleship. Make sure your congregation is aware that all are welcome – whether for themselves or for someone they know. 

A ministry to pregnant women is another way to reach the community outside the church. Single, pregnant moms are everywhere. They are sitting in high school or college classes. Some are waiting tables in your neighborhood restaurants. Others are visiting local pregnancy centers, where many hear the Gospel and choose Jesus – yet many have no church home to turn to for spiritual support. Invite them into our churches. The love of God’s people can make all the difference.

There are unwed pregnant women in the church. There are various stories, but all have one need above all else – the love of Christ.

• Double Blue Lines’: Chrystal Evans Hurst’s Journey Through an Unplanned Teenage Pregnancy
• From Unwanted Pregnancy to Evangelist
• Teenage and Pregnant: Why I Chose Adoption
• Dixie’s Decision
• When Pregnancy is a Paralyzing Prospect (A Story of God’s Grace)

MYTH: "We don’t have much to offer"

TRUTH:

Yes, you do! Can you love someone? Yes. Can you listen to someone? Yes. Can you point someone to Jesus? Yes.

You probably can’t fix all of a single mother’s problems, but you can point her to the hope found in Christ. In addition, you can make sure that no single mom walks alone. The help your church can offer could be what keeps her going each day, and what will give her something to look forward to every week.

There is a lot of information you can learn or places you can go to for help with unplanned pregnancies:

• Alternatives to Abortion: Pregnancy Resource Centers
• Unplanned Pregnancy: Help at the Point of Need
• A Supermom’s Teen Pregnancy Resources
• How to Help a Couple Dealing with Unplanned Pregnancy

MYTH: "We don’t have anyone with the necessary background"

TRUTH:

First of all, you don’t have to have an unplanned pregnancy story to help lead a support group for women facing a crisis pregnancy. We all have a story of grace. We all have been rescued. Anyone can play a role as long as you’re good at loving people. Second of all, you might actually have someone with the personal experience to lead; you just don’t know it yet. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of getting the word out to your congregation!

There are many ways to learn more about what helps with an unplanned pregnancy:

• Help Her Be Brave: Pro Tips When Facing An Unexpected Pregnancy
• Hopeful Choice: What is a Pregnancy Help Center?
• Support Your Local, Pro-Life Pregnancy Medical Clinic
• My Choice Network

MYTH: "Our church is too small to help women with unplanned pregnancies"

TRUTH:

No matter how small your church is, you can help save moms and their babies. Every new effort has to begin somewhere, and changing just one pregnant woman’s world for the better is a great place to start. Every single mom needs a spiritual family to walk with her and support her through a scary, uncertain time. Every church body, big or small, can remind her exactly who holds her future in His capable hands.

First, say congratulations. Then offer to walk her through her next steps. Everyone appreciates support. 

• I’m Pregnant, Now What?
• My Girlfriend is Pregnant, What Do I Do Now?
• What to do When a Teen Girl is Pregnant
• How to Deal with a Teenage Pregnancy
• The Fears of a Birth Mother

MYTH: "We can’t help because it’s a political issue"

TRUTH:

This is about people, not politics. Think of someone you know who has faced an unplanned pregnancy. Picture her face and what kind of person she is. Is she a political issue? Is what she went through (or is currently going through) a political issue? Loving people in need isn’t a matter of political debate.

And for those women in your congregation who have chosen abortion at some point, consider offering a support group for post-abortion healing. After all, statistics show that one in four women have experienced an abortion. Help them heal their broken hearts. Empower them to tell their stories.

Help for those who have had an abortion:

• Post-Abortion Hope and Healing
• Forgiven and Set Free
• Post-Abortive Recovery Resources
• Embracing God’s Grace for a Past Abortion (Part 1 of 2)
• Finding Healing and Hope After an Abortion (Part 1 of 2)

The solution is the love of God.

Amy Ford Tweet

Pro-Life 101 for Pastors

Women in Church Because of Unplanned Pregnancy

I am seeing women who experienced an abortion years ago, who had never told anyone before, now sharing their stories and serving within the church. These women are determined to be the hope for others that they so desperately needed years ago.

And women facing unplanned pregnancies are becoming brave enough to try church and fall in love with Jesus in the process. When these women and their families surrender their lives to Jesus, those lives are impacted forever.

Yes, I’ve heard it said that the church is the hope of the world. If we let God work in us and through us, then we can share that hope with the hopeless around us. Together we can change the world and maybe, someday, make abortion seem unthinkable!

The post Unplanned Pregnancies: How Should the Church Respond? appeared first on Focus on the Family.

Understand Where You're At

Another key step is dating your pregnancy, so you know how far along you are. To do this, answer these questions: 

• Today’s date: 
• First day of your last menstrual period: 
• How many weeks it has been since then: 

Gestational age is a term used by healthcare professionals to calculate the due date, which is 40 weeks (about nine months) from the first day of your last period. Once you know the gestational age, you’ll be able to recognize how far in development your child is to best decide the next steps.  

Whichever stage you’re at in your pregnancy, your child has already begun developing lifelong traits and features. At conception, eye and hair color, intricate fingerprints, gender, height, physical appearance, and more are determined. The heart is formed by five weeks of pregnancy and begins beating 100-120 times per minute. The foundation of each organ system is established and developing, and the baby is beginning to learn your voice and heartbeat while still in the womb. They are starting to smile regularly (as a result of contentment in such a stress-free environment), as well as yawn, cry and blink.

Consider the Choices

Because any choice will have a significant and lifelong impact, consider the pros and cons of each to decide what’s best for you and your baby:

Parenthood

Parenthood is an incredible and life-changing event. Though 88 percent of new moms share that they didn’t feel prepared for parenting, most feel it was one of the best choices they could make. Because so many women feel the same way, there are more and more parenting resources available to support and guide moms before and after birth.

Embrace Grace, a ministry founded by Amy Ford (who faced an unexpected pregnancy as a teenager), comes alongside women through support groups and provides a loving community for them. My Choice Network is another wonderful resource to connect women with pregnancy medical clinics that can help expecting mothers with free healthcare: ultrasounds, pregnancy verification, parenting classes, diapers, prenatal vitamins, food and more. Focus on the Family can also provide parenting assistance and resources through relevant articles and broadcasts. 

Adoption

The adoption option is a choice made by mothers who want to provide their child with a fulfilling life they feel they may not be able to give. This can be due to finances, other children, relationship instability, an abusive environment, age or something else entirely. There are diverse options when it comes to adoption: closed, open or semi-open. Each can ease specific fears that may come with being a birth mother, ranging from full contact (knowing names, addresses and having visits) to no contact information exchange at all.

Hear more about the details of adoption from the perspective of a birth mother who chose it herself.

I'm Pregnant, Now What? Helpful Videos:

• How God Redeemed My Teen Pregnancy Part 1 + Part 2
• I’m Pregnant, Now What? Holding On to Grace During an Unplanned Pregnancy
• Finding Hope in an Unexpected Pregnancy

Abortion

Depending on the gestational age, there are two different abortion procedures. The abortion pill is a process that causes heavy cramping and bleeding to induce miscarriage and can be taken up to 10 weeks. Surgical abortion typically takes place after ten weeks and is split into two categories: vacuum aspiration and D&E (dilation and evacuation). Vacuum aspiration is a procedure where a tube with a syringe or suction machine is inserted into the uterus, inducing labor/delivery. In D&E, a lethal injection is administered to the fetal heart, then is similarly removed via medical tools. Physical and/or psychological abortion complications accompany over 40 percent of procedures, and almost half of women regret their decision afterward. So, abortion is an option that, though typically presented as the path of least resistance, has lifelong challenges as the other choices do and should be considered just as much of a commitment. 

Next Steps

As you take your time considering each option and next steps, there are things that can be done in the meantime. Remember that your body is and will be going through a lot in the next few months, so it’s important to stay healthy and take diligent care of yourself. This includes things like: 

• Eating a healthy diet 
• Drinking eight or more glasses of water daily 
• Taking prenatal vitamins 
• Scheduling a doctor’s appointment 
• Getting light, regular exercise 
• Stopping drug and alcohol usage (if you have a tough time quitting, your doctor may have helpful tools) 

Taking care of your and your baby’s body early in the pregnancy will lead to their best start in life and a healthier pregnancy overall.

“I’m pregnant, now what?” probably isn’t what you were expecting to ask yourself. All of these decisions could be overwhelming if this was unexpected. Take everything one step at a time and rest in knowing you aren’t alone. Everything will be okay. Though the world may feel upside down right now, this pregnancy is simply making a way for a new, beautiful chapter to come together. Change is scary, but it’s where we can grow and become who we are meant to be. It’s not easy. But it’s possible.  

You are a strong woman who can make this strong choice. 

The post I’m Pregnant, Now What? appeared first on Focus on the Family.

Reasons for Abortion

An unfamiliar car pulled up in front of the box-brick duplex rented in crime-ridden north Denver. A little boy called out immediately for his mother, Shirley. Since gang members were known to hang out in the neighborhood, she’d warned him to watch out for strangers. But this time, the five-year-old, Greg, recognized the driver. “MA, one of my daddies is here,” he said. Shirley stood at the kitchen window, where she’d been washing dishes. A cigarette hung from her mouth. “Paul,” Shirley growled. “That jerk!”

Shirley’s husband, Paul, had walked out only a few months earlier. Paul was back now, looking to claim a tax return check. “Where’s the bat?” Shirley asked. In reply, young Greg held up a small plastic bat that he often played with. Shirley had something else in mind. She reached behind the front door, pulled out a Louisville Slugger and stormed out of the house, cursing and shouting at Paul.

She shattered Paul’s windshield, knocked the side-view mirrors loose and left dents around the vehicle. Paul jumped out of the car to stop her, but he never stood a chance. Shirley bloodied him with the bat until he climbed back in his car and fled.

Evangelizing One Way or Another

Greg wasn’t alone in his evangelistic zeal. Other family members earned a reputation for sharing Christ without shame—and often with flare. For example, Greg’s brother, Doug, once pulled up his bicycle alongside a car full of young men at the stoplight of a busy intersection. Doug began to share the Good News but couldn’t finish before the light turned green. So, he grabbed hold of the car as it accelerated to nearly 40 miles an hour. Doug pedaled and preached as he held on to the car, not letting go until he finished his Gospel presentation. When Greg heard what his older brother had done, he reprimanded him. “You could have been pulled under the tires and killed,” Greg said. Doug simply replied, “Those guys need to know Jesus.”

On another occasion, Uncle Jack shared Christ with another bodybuilder at the gym. Jack hadn’t been a Christian very long, and he hadn’t quite overcome all of his rough-and-tumble habits. As he shared the Gospel, another man began to jeer at him and interrupt the conversation. “I’m trying to tell this guy about the love of Jesus,” Jack said. “Why don’t you shut your stinking mouth?” Jack warned that he would take him down if the man didn’t stop. When the heckler continued to interrupt the conversation, Jack made good on his threat. 

A powerful right hook sent the message that Jack wasn’t kidding around. “Jesus didn’t go around hitting people,” the other man protested. “Well, I ain’t Jesus,” he replied. “I’m Jack.”

"I'm In"

When Greg was 15 years old, he once more urged his mother to follow Christ and find forgiveness for her sins. After listening once again, she took a drag on her cigarette and looked out into the distance. At last, she spoke: “I’m in.”

That same year, Greg’s grandfather died, and the family encouraged Greg to preach the sermon at the funeral. They all wanted his uncle Richard—the family’s last remaining holdout—to hear the Gospel, and they knew Greg could share it better than anyone in the family. Standing in front of some 500 guests at the funeral, Greg proclaimed the message of salvation. He spoke for half an hour, and when he called on those gathered to turn to Christ, many did. But Uncle Richard was unconvinced, arms folded, staring at Greg and shaking his head. He refused the call of Christ that day, though God used Greg to lead Uncle Richard to faith 12 years later as his uncle was dying of cancer. Even as Uncle Richard remained unmoved, Greg Stier discovered his true calling in life during those 30 minutes in the pulpit–an evangelist!

The post From Unwanted Pregnancy to Evangelist appeared first on Focus on the Family.

Being 16 without her father’s support and many other factors led me to really wrestle between my heart and my head. I knew adoption made sense logically, but my heart loved her so much already and couldn’t imagine letting her go. Eventually, around seven months along, Jesus met me with my broken heart. I surrendered my life to him and what I knew He called me to do. I chose open adoption, and finally, peace flooded my soul.

First, know that your feelings are valid. It’s okay to feel angry, disappointed, upset or even have some excitement about a new family member. You’ll likely feel lots of things at different times, just like your teen is. However, within those feelings…

• Filter your words. Speak in love, not bitterness. How you respond in these moments where she feels at her lowest, feeling guilty and undeserving of kindness or grace, can be the most significant impact on her heart and life. Your response and actions can point her to Jesus’s grace and mercy through this time. Really it can not be overstated. The first words and actions will be remembered for the rest of her life.

Having a baby can be difficult physically, emotionally and mentally. Yet, the best things in life often are beautiful rewards from challenges and intentional work.

 Having a baby…

• Changes your life. You may have to grieve change, as we did. Yes, it looks different than you imagined, but it can still be beautiful! God can show you the path to a new way of living life.

Talk to a Counselor

If you need further guidance and encouragement, we have a staff of licensed, professional counselors who offer a one-time complimentary consultation from a Christian perspective. They can also refer you to counselors in your area for ongoing assistance.
Reach a counselor toll-free at 1-855-771-HELP (4357).

Call Now

The post What to do When a Teen Girl is Pregnant appeared first on Focus on the Family.

Adoption is often suggested as a solution to abortion within the pro-life movement, and I believe that it is.

After all, I’ve seen it and lived it.

Adoption is the parenting decision I made at age 16 in order to provide my daughter with a life I couldn’t give her at that moment in time. I wrestled with that decision, and with God, throughout most of my pregnancy. For me, it was never a matter of not loving or not wanting to be a mother. No, I loved my baby deeply and wanted the best for her, yet the first time I felt peace during my entire pregnancy was when I finally relinquished my sense of control. That’s when I knew that God would give me the strength to carry out His plan.

Fifteen years have passed since then, and neither myself nor my daughter would be where we are today without God’s redemptive plan.

Yet, let me be clear: Adoption isn’t an easy way out, just as abortion isn’t. It comes with heartache. For many birth moms, like myself, it is the path that God uses to redeem lives – if we allow Him.

The Adoption Option & Birth Moms

If the pro-life community is promoting adoption as a life-giving option, how do we help make it happen? We can’t simply encourage an expectant mother to “choose life” and then leave her alone to figure it out. We must follow up and follow through, whether she decides to parent her baby herself or create an adoption plan. No matter the mother’s decision, she will need emotional and physical support. Much of the strength I gained throughout my experience came through the support system God placed around me. Other people helped to love me through my journey by doing just that – loving me like Jesus does.

Helping Birth Mothers Choose Adoption

Birth mothers often feel incredibly alone after an adoption placement. We feel invisible in our grief, much like a mother who experiences a pregnancy or infant loss. We disappear into ourselves, believing that no one really cares or understands … that we are forgotten. After all, we had a baby, but outwardly we have nothing to show for it. The Enemy loves to isolate us, right?

So, what does a birth mother need? Most of all, she needs people to sit with her, love her and grieve with her. But there are lots of other things we can do to help.

1. Use proper adoption language

When you talk about adoption, using language that reflects the current culture of adoption is crucial. Your words matter, and they can shape how adoption is perceived and viewed in society. If you read or hear negative language, speak up about it! Help educate others along the way.

2. Be with her during the difficult moments

I was sobbing and my hands were shaking as I signed the relinquishment papers. Signing those papers was one of life’s hardest moments, and watching my daughter’s new family drive away with her in the backseat was a close second. I was legally separating from a child I loved deeply, and the adoption became devastatingly real in those moments.

Yet, I had a close friend with me for support during the process, and it made all the difference. You can do the same for a young mother! Volunteer to serve as a doula for her during labor or offer to pay for one. There are even adoption doulas who have experience navigating these specific situations! You can also offer to take pictures and/or video so she can treasure the memories of her time with her baby.

Relevant Broadcasts:

3. Don't forget about her after the birth

Continue checking in on her. Send flowers and a heartfelt card. Bring meals to her after birth – and recruit others to do the same. Just like any new mom, she should be resting and healing, not having to cook and do chores! If she lives alone, visit her frequently or invite her to stay with you temporarily. She’ll need physical and emotional support for the first few days. Some birth mothers already have other children at home, so providing care for them will also allow her to get much-needed rest.

The post Birth Mothers and the Adoption Option appeared first on Focus on the Family.

The post How to Handle a Teenage Pregnancy appeared first on Focus on the Family.