Unexpected pregnancy is an ever-present possibility in our society. So why are all our systems set up to ignore our basic needs when it comes to pregnancy and parenthood?

Be under no illusion, tens of thousands of women every month are faced with the challenge of an unexpected pregnancy, abortion decision or unexpected curve-balls in their pregnancy journey. And yet…

It doesn’t have to be like this. It wouldn’t be like this, if our society really respected women’s autonomy and prioritized supporting people facing any kind of pregnancy journey over the comfort of the status quo.

We don’t want to live in a world where a woman looks at a positive pregnancy test and what follows is:

• anxiety over the contraception that didn’t work;
• fear of another traumatic birth;
• worry that the income won’t stretch to another child;
• terror because she’s young or isolated and doesn’t have support;
• desperation because the father isn’t interested in supporting her in these vulnerable months;
• shame because her workplace won’t understand she needs more time off;
• suppressed pain because she can’t tell anyone about the abortion;
• grief because she lost her baby.

It’s time this society woke up.