Trusting Yourself Again.

It's easy to lose trust in yourself when you make a mistake. No matter what the mistake. Sometimes after making a wrong choice we are afraid to make another one for fear of making a mistake again. Making mistakes is a part of life, it is inevitable. We need to learn how to trust our choices and also how to recover from making bad decisons. I know for myself, when I found out I was pregnant I didn't feel worthy to make the decisions for my baby's life. I already messed up my own life. How could I trust myself to do the best thing for my baby? I wanted so badly for my parents or my bishop to tell me what to do. I felt like I was walking down a dark path and I couldn't find my way out. I felt confused, disappointed, heartbroken and abandoned. I started out making small decisions, knowing that it's ok to mess up and that when we do, we can learn from it. Making mistakes don't make us better, learning from our mistakes does. It takes time to build trust in anyone, especially yourself. Take it one decision at a time, small steps can always turn into big steps. Remember, mistakes are only worth it if you pick yourself up and learn from them. I know it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes and big decisions can put a tremendous weight on your shoulders but we are all stronger than we think and god puts certain people in our lives to help lighten our burdens.
We never know how much strength is within all of us until it is forced to make an appereance.

Decision Making

When we find ourselves facing an unplanned pregnancy it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the decisions that must be made. This decision however becomes critically important in the sense that there is, with a pregnancy, an innocent life to take into account. It becomes, no longer, about you but about the baby whose life you are responsible for. I'm not saying you must make the decision right away. When first learning about an unplanned pregnancy you should decide who has priority before you decide anything else. Is it you, the baby's father, parents, or the baby you carry? The baby's safety and well being should always be first and foremost the most important priority. Then of course yourself. This baby is counting on you to protect them and care for them.
It is always OK to ask for help and opinions but ultimately the decision needs to be yours. There will be people who try to sway your decision, that is a given. Stay strong and remember your priorities.
Whether you decide to place your child, single parent, or get married the decision is yours. As mentors we are not here to sway your decision or try to change your mind in anyway, we are here for support and the sharing of real life experiences. We've all been in your shoes and we know how difficult it is to make any decision regarding an unplanned pregnancy.