i could not believe how ignorant i had acted in thinking “it will never happen to me.” at 20 years old and a junior in college, i found out i was pregnant. it did not hit me until i went to my university’s health center where it was confirmed. shaking and on the verge of tears, i made a decision- i was not ready to have a child. at night i would lie in bed rubbing my stomach, wishing there could be a different outcome; however, i knew that in order to have a successful life for myself and a possible future child or children, i needed to make this decision. i feel so grateful for the extreme amounts of support i have gotten from all of my friends around me.

there are some days i feel sad, wishing i could still feel the nausea, or still feel tired, knowing that this was because there was a mini-me inside of myself. anytime i have those thoughts, though, i push them out of my head knowing that keeping my child would have been extremely selfish and would have only made my child’s life and my life a constant struggle. if i could say one thing to any girl not using any form of contraceptives: please, please protect yourself. you do not want the mental anguish, stress, and sadness that this has caused me and my partner.