After seeing those two solid lines appear on a pregnancy test, you may find yourself thinking, I’m not ready to be a mom. Many women have this thought when a pregnancy is unexpected. Yet, when given a closer look, I’m not ready is a tangled thread of several fears: What if I can’t afford a baby? What will my partner or family think? How will pregnancy affect school or work? What will my future look like now?
While these fears carry weight, it is possible to untangle them one at a time. At Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic, Care Managers do just that, working with women one-on-one to understand their circumstances and connecting them to resources of support for pregnancy, delivery, parenting and beyond.
“You’re cared for, no matter how dark it might look and no matter what things you might have been told,” says Amy, LMSW, Two Lines Care Manager.
Amy has walked alongside mothers facing unexpected pregnancies at Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic for years. Prior to empowering mothers to step into their newfound calling with confidence and support, Amy served as a licensed social worker, helping clients navigate their way through a variety of life challenges.
When You Don’t Know Where to Start
Sometimes, the first step is simply having a conversation.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out,” says Amy. “You really just have to take a breath and figure out, ‘Okay, how do I calm myself enough to make this long-term decision?’”
An unexpected pregnancy can bring so many questions that it’s hard to know where to begin. Amy helps women slow down and talk through what’s happening in their lives, whether they’re concerned about finances, a difficult relationship, housing, transportation, school, work, or what the future might look like. Together, they explore solutions and available support so each woman can determine how she wants to take her next step forward.
“I think being able to understand, like, ‘Oh, wow, I didn’t think that I could be equipped in this way,’…that gives them a lot more confidence to maybe start thinking in a different direction,” says Amy.
Through caring conversation, Two Lines Care Managers first help women identify what it is that they need to thrive. Once those needs are identified, Care Managers begin curating practical resources to help each woman get the support she needs.
Taking One Step at a Time
If you’re facing an unexpected pregnancy and thinking, I don’t know how I could possibly do this, Amy and Two Lines Care Management help you take an honest look at challenges standing in your way—and what can help.
“I’ll sit down with them and we’ll talk about, ‘Okay, what do you want for yourself and your child?’” says Amy. “Maybe you were okay with putting up with some things, but what would you want for a child?”
“What might it look like for you to have a better future?” Amy continues. “To have a future where you weren’t as scared, where your child was safe, where you felt safe?”
For some women, challenges can include a lack of financial stability, homelessness, or difficult relationships. Depending upon the challenges of each person, Care Managers help women take one step at a time, prioritizing their greatest needs and helping them get the support, employment, and independence they need to provide safety for themselves and their child or children. For other women, figuring out how to continue education while pregnant is a challenge. Care Managers help these women search out available support through their school, potential scholarship opportunities, childcare, and any other support that would help them continue working toward graduation. Still, additional challenges include navigating medical care, gathering the supplies needed to care for a baby, or connecting with pregnancy education and birth support.
“You have value and worth because God created you … and so does your child,” says Amy. “We want you to be able to live in a place where you’re able to understand that and feel safe, and feel loved, and feel like you aren’t alone.”
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You Don’t Have to Put Your Life on Hold
One of the biggest fears women carry is that motherhood and their future are mutually exclusive—that continuing a pregnancy means closing the door on school, a career, or the life you’ve worked hard to build. This simply is not true.
“Your future’s not over,” says Amy. “It just looks a little different, and it can still be so, so beautiful, right? So the plan might look different, but it’s going to be just as amazing as you thought the future would be.”
Your pregnancy may change your plans, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your future.
Wondering whether other women have faced the same uncertainty? Read Taylor’s story of navigating an unexpected pregnancy in college.
A Next Step, Not a Finished Plan
“I think a lot of our moms leave here, no matter what decision they make, feeling like this was the best place they could have started,” says Amy.
Being pregnant is a big deal, and you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic, you can ask questions, talk through your circumstances, explore your options, and learn what resources and support may be available to you.
You don’t need to have a plan before you arrive. Making an appointment can be your first step. Reach out to Two Lines today.