The Busy Season

I was making Christmas cookies with friends today, talking about our Christmas shopping, our holiday travels. It made me think of what the holidays mean in the abortion world - "the busy season". It probably comes as no surprise that pregnancies happen around the holidays. It should then also come as no surprise that unwanted pregnancies happen around the holidays. December-February/March is generally the busiest time in an abortion clinic.

It's one thing for a woman to face an unplanned pregnancy in the best of situations. It's another for a woman to face an unplanned pregnancy in a bad economy, after she has been laid off, is living off of public assistance, around the holidays. We hear these tough stories every day, all year, but they really increase this time of year.

We are forced to have really tough conversations. Her family doesn't believe in abortion, so she can't tell them. She has never believed in abortion, so she's punishing herself for even considering an abortion. She doesn't have the money and doesn't know how she's going to get the money. She may have return her kids' Christmas presents. She has to walk past this just to get into the clinic.

The holidays are a tough and stressful time of year for everyone. They can be an especially tough time for women with an unplanned pregnancy and for those of us working to help her. As we gear up to work with more women in their greatest time of need, I would like to ask all of you readers to consider what you can do. Local abortion funds could really use your help right now as they get ready to field an increasing number of calls. If you haven't before, check out the National Network of Abortion Funds.