Articles

Relationships can be complicated. Add domestic violence and oftentimes an inescapable trauma can develop that is more widespread than we think. 

Women face an increased risk of physical and psychological abuse with pregnancy in domestic violence situations.The blame, ridicule, and antagonizing that accompany abuse can escalate in the severity and frequency of domestic abuse women receive from their partners. 

Imagine living with abuse and the constant struggle with thoughts of leaving or staying and then adding an unplanned pregnancy to the dynamic. In abusive relationships, women often stay for many varied reasons, but when they find themselves concerned with the well-being of their unborn child, everything becomes heavier.

She might be happy with the news of a baby, while also experiencing intense fear at the thought of telling her partner about it. Alternatively, she might withhold the news from her partner because she may be considering abortion because of the abuse. 

When we meet women in these situations, we have the opportunity to share with them about safe spaces where they can get the support and time they need to fully consider and plan for their safety and that of their child. If she already has other children, this new baby could be the catalyst for fleeing the abuse, providing her and her children with a new beginning.

Like many other less-than-ideal circumstances in which to bring a child, this, too, can be overcome with understanding and a no-judgment zone. She already knows that living in abuse isn’t right so adding pressure to her will achieve nothing but overwhelm. 

We want every woman to know that she has a community ready to provide her with safety and health care options. She is a child of God deserving of peace. When she feels that her life is valued, she can see more easily that her baby’s life holds value, too, no matter the circumstances in which he was conceived. 

Our teams are equipped to send abused women in the direction of real help. We help her to see that she’s everything God says she is, and nothing that her abuser says she is. She can do the hard thing of leaving that life behind and forging ahead into a life she, and her baby, deserve.