CRISIS

An Unplanned Pregnancy Does Not Have to Be a Crisis Pregnancy

Your period is late.

A you open the pregnancy test, your heart is pounding and your mind is racing.  The test is positive. You are pregnant.

Research shows that when we are under extreme stress or anxiety our “thinking power” is impaired because blood and oxygen flow to other parts of the brain instead of our problem solving center (the prefrontal cortex).

In short, when we experience overwhelming emotional stress our IQ goes down about 15 points and we can’t think straight. At this point disastrous thinking takes over and causes more pressure on our psyche, weakening our decision making power and our creativity. Our logic is clouded and we are vulnerable to making a choice we will most likely regret.

While the quick decision made under extreme stress may provide short term relief, it is usually not the decision that will bring us the best possible outcome, especially if that quick decision results in abortion.  Many women experience emotional suffering long after an abortion decision and wish they had taken more time to consider their options.

So instead of heading to the abortion clinic as your first response to an unplanned pregnancy, retreat from crisis mode and cool down.  The brain, like any machine, can’t function when it is overheated.

Here are some tips to follow when you feel overwhelmed with making a pregnancy decision:

• Give yourself a time out to recharge.
• Breathe deeply and take inventory of how and what you are feeling.
• Stop overthinking and imagining the worst.
• Get out of your environment and away from external pressures. Go to a quiet place that is peaceful and where you can relax.
• Talk to someone who is objective and who doesn’t have a stake in your situation.
• Don’t assume how you are feeling at the moment is how you will always feel in the future.
• Stay open to new information. Get all the facts before acting on impulse.
• Ask for help if you need it.

Believe in yourself and trust that you have the courage to do what is right.  Giving yourself time and distance from crisis thinking can make all the difference in your pregnancy decision.

Article adapted from Options for Women website: https://optionsnj.org/resources/whats-your-first-response-to-your-unplanned-pregnancy

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Remember, the Pregnancy Resource Center is here to talk with you and to offer all its services for free.  It will cost you nothing to talk to one of our consultants and to receive a medical grade pregnancy test to confirm your findings.  We are here to help you think clearly and move from a moment of crisis back to a place where you can find answers to your unplanned pregnancy.