There is a quote that reads “When a child is born a mother is also”. It sounds very sweet and is probably on a Mother’s Day card somewhere but I completely disagree. A woman becomes a mother when she becomes pregnant. A perfect mother does not exist but all the good ones share this one common trait: a sacrificial love for their child. This is simply putting the needs of your child before your own. This sacrificial love a mother has for her child comes before he or she is born.

It is seen in the careful nature of a pregnant mother fully aware that the choices she makes now in her pregnancy can affect her child for the rest of their life. She lovingly plans and prepares for her child’s future as she knows that once he or she is born they will no longer be tucked away safely in her womb but exposed to many other things she will protect him or her from. She experiences many changes in her own body as her baby grows and develops into the child she will hold in less than nine months. And so, she carefully makes many choices on her baby’s behalf. These choices may be certain foods a mother will not eat or potentially risky habits she restricts or abstains from altogether. And there is one choice in particular thousands of mothers in the United States make everyday and that is abortion. These women didn’t choose not to be mothers, they chose to have an abortion. The question we need to ask is why they are choosing to have abortions?

In a society where abortion is readily available if you’re simply not ready to be a mother, abortion is promoted as a way in which you may chose to be a mother or not. So, if motherhood is a choice than pregnancy is simply a waiting period into motherhood. Which any pregnant mother anxiously awaiting the birth of their child they’ve been carrying, loving, and getting to know will tell you that is simply not true. They are not waiting to be a mother, they are waiting for the next stage of motherhood.

The root cause of those choosing to have an abortion rather than choosing to continue their pregnancy is due to a fear of hardship in their lives. Depending on each individual’s situation a hardship could be extremely negative to simply an inconvenience. This is where the mission of Options United steps in to assist mothers in their journey. A life-altering event whether it is good or bad causes stress. When that life-altering event is unexpected then the stress level is normally increased as you are put under pressure (whether that is from yourself, others, or both) to make a decision.

In the life-altering event of an unplanned pregnancy, whatever decision she chooses–if that is choosing to have an abortion or choosing to continue her pregnancy, it is a permanent one. Guidance during this time allows the mother to take a breath and make a decision she does not rush into. Options United will never suggest a mother have an abortion nor will they provide information or resources to obtain one. If she chooses to have an abortion, she can simply hang up the helpline call or leave the Pregnancy Resource Center. It is the hope and mission of Options United that through crisis trained staff and available resources that she will see that motherhood may be a journey but it is one that she can walk.

If you’d like to provide a donation to assist mothers in the journeys in motherhood please follow the link optionsunited.com/donate