While the names and faces may have been changed, the stories here are true, written by real young women in their own words, telling about the choices they made regarding their unplanned pregnancies and the consequences that followed.

"The Choice I Made"

I was 16 when I found out I was pregnant. Things started pretty badly.

My mom and my stepfather kicked me out of the house when I told them. My boyfriend, Zach, and his family let me stay at their house, but Zach was mad and confused. He thought I'd intentionally gotten pregnant, which of course was not true. I felt all alone, completely unwanted by everyone, and completely scared.

Everyone seemed to be nagging me about what I was going to do. My parents wanted me to get an abortion. Zach's parents wanted me to keep the baby, and so did my friends. Zach and I just kept fighting about everything. But I didn't know what I wanted to do. I figured I was deciding between keeping the baby and making my life more difficult, and getting an abortion and then living with the fact that I had killed my child. Mostly, I just wanted to end all the confusion and hurt. I wanted my life back.

Finally I figured that if I just went through with an abortion I could end everything - - the hurt I caused my family, the fighting with Zach, and the small talk at school. I could just act like nothing ever happened. I didn't realize that it couldn't be that simple.

I told my mom to schedule an abortion, lying when she asked if it was what I really wanted. I didn't tell anyone else what I planned on doing.

At the abortion clinic, I was nervous, scared, and once again all alone. I had to sign a bunch of papers before the abortion, and found that the only thing I could think about was innocent babies I'd seen in pictures. Why should they have to suffer? I found myself wondering. It wasn't their fault!

And then I thought about how Zach would hate me if he ever found out I'd had an abortion, how he would never look at me the same, and I would never see him happy again. But I felt I had to go through with it.

I curled myself into a ball and started to cry. I saw that my mother had fallen asleep. It was like she didn't even care that I was going to kill her grandchild.

My name was called. I was scared and felt sick to my stomach as I went through the preparation for the abortion. The nurse asked me if I was there on my own free will. I mumbled yes, lying again. I undressed and laid back on the table. It felt like forever before the doctor came in. The nurse went to put an IV in my arm, and the doctor was ready to begin the abortion. My heart was racing and I freaked out. I screamed, "I can't do this!"

I felt relieved when the doctor left the room. Now the only thing I had to do was look my mother in the face and tell her I was going to keep my baby. I'll admit I was scared she was going to hate me, but I felt better knowing I had made up my mind. I knew what I had to do, and I knew what really felt right to me. I walked out into the waiting room and just kind of stood there and looked at my mother. She knew right then what I'd decided, and perhaps she'd known it all along. We left the clinic and went home.

For a while, my life did get more difficult while I was pregnant.

I temporarily left school and took two jobs to save as much as I could. Though Zach told me we could make it work, things were definitely bumpy between us. I was frustrated that he was not as responsible as he should have been. Eventually I just got fed up and decided to leave him, but I have stopped letting him get to me.

At the same time, things with my Mom got much better. She asked me to move back home, and the two of us waited excitedly for the baby to be born.

My beautiful daughter, Kinsey, was born on October 6, 2001, and she has filled my life with happiness since. We have faced some obstacles together, too. Sometimes I ask myself if I regret having her. Never. I knew from the start that she was going to change my life. So what if I can't go out every night and party like all my friends? That's not important anymore. It's weird - - once you become a mother, your life changes. I grew up and became an adult.

My life is moving forward in other ways, too. I am studying to be a registered nurse, and am working on winning a college scholarship for the fall. I am also a store manager at a restaurant, which I love because I can spend my days with Kinsey. I'm even working on buying a house. I've had a boyfriend for almost a year now who is great to me and my daughter. His mom helps me out a lot too.

I love being a mother. Kinsey is always there, smiling and giggling. She is getting bigger by the moment! She is an awesome baby, and I could not imagine my life without her!

"Candi"

Massachusetts