| The news that you are expecting a baby can be | | | | this life decision alone. She did not want to marry |
| glorious or worrisome depending on the parent's | | | | the father. His behavior had become more |
| age, financial situation or disposition to be a parent. | | | | outlandish and threatening since they broke up |
| Pregnancy can bring opportunity for great | | | | and she no longer could imagine a future with him. |
| happiness and/or serious problems like birth | | | | She was certain the Army would not send a |
| defects, stress on relationships and strain on | | | | pregnant officer to serve overseas. Tearfully, she |
| budgets. Here is how one young soldier found a | | | | explained that she had made up her mind to abort |
| solution through counseling. Confidentiality requires | | | | the fetus. |
| identifiers to be changed. | | | | During her first counseling session, Becky revealed |
| Becky was in the Army. She was a dedicated | | | | that her mother had been a terrific mom and that |
| young career officer in training and looking | | | | she had aspired to be the same to her future |
| forward to her opportunity to serve in Iraq. She | | | | children. She hated herself for drinking so much |
| was considering moving in with her boyfriend who | | | | knowing that she was pregnant. After several |
| served in the National Guard. However, her | | | | sessions, because Becky was so young and very |
| boyfriend had begun to micro manage her | | | | close to her mother, Becky agreed that the right |
| recently and she was getting tired of it. They had | | | | approach was to confide in her family. |
| a terrible fight and she discovered she was glad | | | | Becky decided on her own that if she were going |
| to be out of the relationship. After her break-up | | | | to tell her family that she should also tell the |
| with her boyfriend, Becky moved in with her | | | | father of the baby. However, her boyfriend was |
| mother who was divorced and supporting a | | | | unwilling to change his career path to be a full |
| teen-age son. Becky promised her mother that | | | | time father, but he said he wanted Becky to |
| the living situation would be temporary as she | | | | have the baby, anyway. Becky expected his |
| expected the call to go to Iraq in the next few | | | | response and his lack of sacrifice. Somehow, she |
| months. | | | | thought he would help her and now she felt even |
| A few weeks later, she went to her doctor | | | | worse. She was reluctant to tell her mother who |
| because she was so fatigued she was having | | | | might hurt her feelings or criticize her more. |
| trouble with her duties. The smiling nurse told | | | | Nevertheless, she bravely sat down with her |
| Becky that she was pregnant. The reality of what | | | | mother. |
| a pregnancy would do to her military career was | | | | Surprisingly, rather than scolding Becky for being |
| devastating. She left the office in a daze. She | | | | careless, her mother did not hesitate to present a |
| regretted the nights she had a few drinks and | | | | third workable option. Her mother was dreading |
| blew off birth control. | | | | the empty nest loneliness she expected when her |
| Becky's doctor had suggested she seek | | | | son left for college in a few years. She saw the |
| counseling because she was so upset. At home, | | | | baby as a gift and offered to adopt the baby |
| she was drinking too much and her mother | | | | while Becky continued her military career. Becky |
| thought Becky was worried about the risk of | | | | was relieved beyond words. She began to eat |
| deployment. It was just the opposite. Becky was | | | | right and stopped drinking alcohol completely. She |
| afraid she would not be deployed. Her mother | | | | took a leave and delivered a beautiful, healthy |
| insisted that she get some counseling, too. | | | | child. For several years, Becky and her mother |
| Becky decided she would get some help with her | | | | have shared a happy toddler, who even has |
| options, but she was almost sure what she was | | | | regular visits from his father and paternal |
| going to do. Becky believed she could not have a | | | | grandparents. |
| military opportunity and raise a baby. Although the | | | | Becky was extremely fortunate that her mother |
| military has counselors, she was trying to hide her | | | | was capable of raising another child. An |
| pregnancy from her superiors. She said she had | | | | overwhelming problem in one person's life became |
| trained to kill an enemy, but she did not know | | | | the solution to loneliness in another's. If a difficult |
| how to handle terminating her pregnancy. | | | | decision worries you, seek help from a trained |
| Therefore, she was stuck, unable to make a | | | | therapist and the people who love you. Together, |
| decision and had no one to talk to that she could | | | | you just may find a creative solution to your |
| trust. Becky said that she had not told anyone | | | | impossible problem. |
| that she was pregnant and was trying to make | | | | |