What are typical fears of pregnant women?

Common concerns of pregnant women include various fears that can trigger anxiety or even lead pregnant women to consider abortion.

In counseling abortion-minded women, Profemina counselors have narrowed down three main reasons that are most frequently cited as the cause for a crisis pregnancy:

Pregnant women often mention biographical reasons for being conflicted about their pregnancy. Commonly, these include the following concerns:

• "I'm afraid I'm too young for a baby."
• "I'm afraid I won't be able to provide a high enough standard for this child."
• "I'm afraid I'm not ready to have children yet."
• "I'm afraid I'm too old for a baby."
• "I'm afraid I won't have enough strength and emotional energy for a(another) child."

Being overwhelmed has become a significant reason for women seeking counseling at Profemina in recent years. Typically, this is associated with fears such as:

• "I'm afraid I won't be able to handle the stress of a(nother) baby."
• "I'm afraid I won't have any time for myself if I have a(nother) child."
• "I'm afraid my other children will feel neglected if I keep this baby."
• "I'm afraid of what this pregnancy would do to my mental health."
• "I'm afraid of how this pregnancy would affect my physical health."

Another common reason for feeling conflicted about the pregnancy are relationship problems. They often lead to fears which are articulated as follows:

• "I'm afraid my partner will give me an ultimatum: 'You must choose: Either me or the baby!'"
• "I'm afraid our relationship is too fresh for a baby."
• "I'm afraid our relationship would suffer if I keep this baby."
• "I'm afraid my partner will leave me if I have this baby."
• "I'm afraid of becoming a single mom."

In counseling women with these and other fears, we at 1000plus-Profemina believe that it is crucial for pregnant women in distress to express these fears and have the opportunity to discuss them with a neutral person who helps them understand the underlying aspects and search for possible solutions, should they so desire.

This also presents an opportunity for the pregnant woman in need to understand her reservations and eventually overcome them, frequently with the support of others.

This solution-oriented introspection can pave the way for a decision aligning with the woman's expressed wishes and values. Digging deeper can help avoid that unspoken or unresolved fears are the sole determining factor in the decision of whether to proceed with abortion.

Source: Profemina Pregnancy Conflict Report, p. 28