{"id":263163,"date":"2022-03-10T10:44:47","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T16:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=263163"},"modified":"2022-03-08T21:47:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T03:47:27","slug":"help-friend-pro-life-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/help-friend-pro-life-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Them Both: 6 pro-life ways to help a friend who’s considering abortion"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How should a pro-lifer react when a friend says they want to get an abortion? The support a woman does \u2014 or does not \u2014 receive can be the difference between life and death for her child. An unexpected pregnancy can be terrifying, raising fears about money, education, and career.<\/p>\n

Most women are not seeking abortions because they have cavalierly decided they don’t feel like being mothers. According to the Guttmacher Institute<\/a>, the former research arm of Planned Parenthood, the decision to get an abortion is largely situational<\/a>. Most women considering abortion are young and unmarried and fear that having a child (or another child) would interfere with school or work, and feel they cannot afford a baby. While no one person can solve every problem that might be leading someone toward abortion, knowing what influences women to consider abortion can help.<\/p>\n

1. Listen.<\/strong> The most important thing about this conversation is what you don’t<\/em> say. Ask her questions about how she’s feeling, what she’s afraid of. First and foremost, just be there for her to talk with. Show compassion and empathy, and pay attention to her fears. If and when you do ask questions, it will\u00a0require a lot of sensitivity and intentional listening.\u00a0What does she want for the future? How is she feeling? Is she afraid? What does she really want to do?<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Love Them Both: 7 pro-life ways to help a pregnant or parenting teenager<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Avoid shame.<\/strong> It’s important for her to know that no matter what, you do not judge her for having an unplanned pregnancy. Understanding and acknowledging how easy it might be for any woman to find herself with an unplanned pregnancy will go far.<\/p>\n

3. Tell the truth.<\/strong>\u00a0Don’t be afraid to tell the truth \u2014 with Live Action’s help. Find out how far along she is, and then \u2014 in a positive way! \u2014 share some photos and facts about her baby. For example, you could say, Wow, look at this: your baby can already suck her thumb and has measurable brain waves! Isn’t that amazing?<\/em> Abortion businesses will not tell her the truth about fetal development, so gently give her some information about the baby to help her realize his humanity. You can share one of Live Action’s fetal development videos \u2014 including week by week development<\/a> \u2014 as well as videos on abortion procedures<\/a> and Baby Olivia<\/a> (below):<\/p>\n