Education vs. Baby vs. Abortion = Success??

Raising a child while attaining a college degree is very hard work.  According to Courtney Hans, a single mom, having a support system is imperative in the success of going to college and raising a baby.  According to Kansan.com, about 3 million women experience unexpected pregnancies in the US each year, and most are between the ages of 15 and 24.  “Making the decision about what to do about the pregnancy is the hardest thing to do,” said Erin, in an Article entitled, “Unexpectedly Expecting.” Another pregnant college student named Vanessa told her story in that article as well. She aborted her unwanted pregnancy after 5 weeks.

Abortion is a topic that most women in college are faced with went an unplanned pregnancy occurs.  According to “Abortion rates decline overall, increasing in poor,”

an article by USA Today, reported low-income women as having 514, 040 abortions.  That is 42% of all abortions in 2008.   “While some women are getting better at preventing unplanned pregnancy, it’s a reflection on women in poverty who have limited access to birth control methods,” said Willie Parker to USA Today.  “The struggle of finishing is just so hard,” said Katie to reporters of the Kansan.  “That’s why keeping the baby is such a hard decision to make.” Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that 39.9 thousand women between the ages of 20-24 have received abortions in 2008.  USA Today reports that at least 4 in 10 pregnancies in every state were unwanted or mistimes, according to the first-ever-state-level analysis of unintended pregnancies.  

According to that analysis, the District of Columbia, and 29 other states reported that more than half of the pregnancies were unintended.  So with school, a baby, and sometimes work, how does one survive unexpected pregnancy while in college? According to Associated Content by Yahoo, the first thing to be done is to carefully evaluate your particular situation.  Secondly, think about college vs. pregnancy. Will you be in the middle of the semester at the baby’s due date? Are your classes far ways from each other? Depending on your situation you may or may not want to enroll in a smaller university. And lastly, you may need some time off from school to breathe and map out your new life with your new baby.

Stay tuned to this blog for more on college mom statistics…how many college moms actually earn a degree?