OPTIONS
"See that boy in the back row. The one in the red shirt. That's Tommy. Hey, he can sing. Really sing. Didn't get his voice from me, though. Must have been genes from way back. They say Grandma could have sung in the opera had she wanted to.
"Back six years ago, there was no song in my heart. I found out I was pregnant. I thought, 'That's it. My life is over. It's me or the baby.'
"Then I found out about Woman to Woman Support Network. They told me I had other choices. Showed me how to make them work. No preaching. No judgementalism. No pressure. Just good common sense, encouragement, and help. They believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself.
"They put a song back into my heart, helped me work out a plan we both could live with. Hey, my pregnancy wasn't an end. It was a new beginning with Tommy and me both in it. Maybe you're at a new beginning, too. Why not? Think about it."
No matter what anyone tells you, or what you believe, or what your situation is, you don't HAVE to get an abortion.
How can we say this? Because we know. There are 3000 pregnancy centers across the United States, not to mention countless others worldwide, who help women in all types of situations have their babies.
Who are you? You are probably more than one of these.
An unwed mother
A pregnant adolescent
A woman whose birth control failed
A victim of rape or incest
A married woman pregnant with another man's child
A married woman pregnant with a man who is not the same race as her husband
A woman whose husband just told her that he is leaving her
A prisoner
A woman with a serious or terminal health condition
A woman pregnant with a baby with a serious or terminal health
condtion
A prostitute
A victim of physical or verbal abuse
A homeless mother
A career woman
A high school student
A college student
An example to all you know to whom your pregnancy would be a shock and embarassment
A woman abandoned by her boyfriend
A woman whose family will throw you out of the house if you don't abort
Too poor to afford a baby or having financial difficulties
A victim of mental illness
A physically handicapped woman
A member of the armed forces
A drug or alcohol addict or substance abuser
Spouse or girlfriend of a drug addict, alcoholic, or substance abuser
A woman being pressured by someone close to you to abort
A woman who already has all the children she wishes to parent
Having financial problems
Not ready to start a family yet
Have completed your family
Too old to have a baby now
Too young to have a baby now
Too inconvenient to have a baby now
Not ready to start a family yet
We have examples of women in all these categories and more who gave birth to their babies and who made good plans for themselves and their children. A whole book has been written on just this topic. "But," you say, "if I have this baby, it's going to change my life."
Your life has been already changed. The pregnancy has changed you. You will never be the same as you used to be.
Can you parent your child? We can help you decide. We have single mothers towhom you can speak.
Can you choose adoption? We can help you. We have women who have chosen adoption and women who are themselves adopted to help you decide.
Do you have other choices? Yes. You can choose foster care for your child for a while until you decide what to do. Come and talk to us. We can help you with a host of free services. Don't you owe it to yourself to understand your choices before you feel pressured into making one you might regret?
Woman to Woman Support Network, Inc.
1341 West Main Road, Airport Plaza Unit 5
Middletown, RI 02842 (401) 841-9211
e-mail: jmartellino@home.com