Single & Pregnant?

M&B gives you all the answers you may be looking for

Most women, when they find out they’re pregnant, are joyous and excited. But such was not the case with Anuradha, one of my oldest friends, who lives in Mumbai. She was beyond devastated. “I CAN’T have this baby! I don’t want this baby! How will I have a baby without a husband?” she cried on the phone. She had been in a relationship for two years and had just parted ways with her ex. “Why did this have to happen to me? Why couldn’t it have happened a year earlier when things were perfect?” she screamed once the tears had stopped.

I had no answers for Anuradha then. But I offered her my support in whatever decision she took. Now that I look at the life she’s made for herself and her three year-old son, I feel immense pride and joy. And so does she. If you’re also single and pregnant, please remember that it is not the end of the world. Once you’re over the initial shock, you should consider the following factors to help you get through your situation.

Are you keeping the baby? Dr Kamna Chhibber, head of department of Mental Health at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon says, “Usually, I deal with two types of women who are single and pregnant. The first is where the pregnancy is the result of forced sex or rape. In this scenario, I advise the woman to go in for an abortion. Going through with the pregnancy in this case is like re-experiencing the trauma. In the second scenario, the pregnancy is the result of a willful sexual encounter. In this case, I advise women to sit down and evaluate their resources—mental, physical and financial—to see if it is feasible to continue with the pregnancy.”