Family support is very important to many of us. Our parents are the ones who picked us up when we fell down, dried our tears when we got a broken heart, and encouraged us when we needed it most.

So during an emotional and stressful time, such as an unplanned pregnancy, it is only natural for us to turn to our family. But, telling your family, especially your parents that you are pregnant may be very hard.

Personally speaking, even though I was 24 years old when I was pregnant with my son, I was terrified to tell my parents. I was afraid, ashamed, and just... more

If the only reason you are considering adoption is because your family is pressuring you to do so, stand up to them. Make this your first big adult decision. There is no situation that will be better suited to your strongly expressing your wants and needs, because you and your baby are the ones who will be most deeply affected.

If your parents are telling you “not in my house,” and they refuse to budge from this position, try to find someone supportive who would allow you to live with them for a few months after delivery, until you get on your feet. And remember that... more

So, how are your parents handling the news of your pregnancy?

The way your family treats this time has a great deal to do with whether or not you will ultimately surrender your baby to adoption.

It doesn’t matter if you are of age or completely independent—family members still have a major impact on your choices, and their opinions are highly influential. Of course, the younger you are, the more you must listen to what they have to say.

When faced with a crisis pregnancy, most people do have strong initial opinions on what should be done—be it abortion, adoption... more

Earlier I talked about how to tell your boyfriend or partner that you are pregnant. In this post, I'll talk about breaking the news to your family, who are the next group of people that definitely need to know.

If you have a rocky relationship with your parents or if you are worried about the severity of their reaction, it's tempting to want to hide your pregnancy from them as long as you can. Feelings of shame and fear are very common for women in crisis pregnancies, and it doesn’t matter if you are 14 or 40—they happen to adults as well as minors.

So while you may wish you could to keep the news to yourself, please remember that nothing good ever comes from secrets or lies.... more

I want to expand on an idea I’ve touched on earlier: the importance of staying true to yourself, and not making choices solely in order to make others happy.

During my own crisis pregnancy, I felt like I’d been a "bad girl," and wanted more than anything to return to my "good girl" status. (Before I became unexpectedly pregnant, I was pretty much a super-achiever: straight A’s in college, great jobs, homeowner, world traveller. I'm not saying I was perfect, or even close, but I generally tried to do things the “right” way, and to excel as much as possible.)

When I wound... more

One of the first things you need to do when you find out you’re pregnant is to share this news with the father of your baby.

It’s tempting to want to skip this part---especially if you were not in a relationship with the father, or if you are in a relationship, but things have turned sour. It’s also difficult, when you feel pretty certain that this man is not likely to offer you any support, emotional or financial, to turn to him and tell him you are carrying your mutual child. It can make you feel like you are begging.

Your pride may make you want to say, "I'll handle this myself---I don't need his help." You might think it will be easier on all concerned if he is not involved.

However,... more