by Amber Hilton

Created on: July 23, 2008

For some women, seeing that little pink plus sign is a wonderfully joyous and often long-awaited moment. However, for others, especially those who are young, single or financially unstable, this discovery can be quite devastating. A million questions are racing through your head. Should you keep the baby or give it up for adoption? How will you afford to care for the child? How will having a baby affect your career or relationship? How on earth did this happen?!

Another very important question that might weigh on your mind is "How do I tell my parents?" For some parents, the prospect of grandchildren will bring tears to their eyes and joy to their hearts. For others it will bring only fear, anger and disappointment. This is especially true if you are very young. Your parents are likely to be devastated just to learn that you are sexually active and naturally are disappointed with your choices.

Even if your parents' initial response is anger, remember that they typically have your best interests at heart. Most parents have an idealistic vision of how their child's life will play out: college first, followed by a successful career, financial stability, a happy marriage and then children. They see a pregnancy as something that is going to ruin your life and limit your possibilities for the future.

Pregnancy is also a huge responsibility, and if you are young in age or in emotional maturity, they may realize that you are not ready to take on such an important job. Many fear that if you choose to keep the baby, they will become the primary caregivers and providers.

Of course, there are reasons other than age that may cause a parent to be unhappy about their daughter's pregnancy. Their negative feelings could be due to how they feel about the father, whether he is a boyfriend or spouse or mere acquaintance. If they feel that this person is not good for you, they may fear that a baby will create eternal ties between the two of you or inspire you to rush you into a marriage that otherwise might not have taken place.

I could go on and on about possible reasons that you might be worried how your parents will react to the news of your pregnancy. But no matter what the reason for your concern, there are some things that you can do to help ease the blow.

Planning ahead and being prepared is essential in this situation. Organize your thoughts about your situation before you attempt to discuss them with someone else. This is bound to be an emotionally charged conversation and if

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