Finding Out I Was Pregnant At 20
At 20 years old, I found out I was pregnant in the middle of nursing school. Unmarried, scared to tell my parents, and facing assumptions from healthcare professionals about what I “should” do. This is my story of navigating fear, faith, and family, and how what began with tears and disappointment has turned into love, support, and a deeper sense of purpose.
8/20/20252 min read
I’ll never forget the day I found out I was pregnant. I was 20 years old, in the middle of nursing school, and had so many dreams I wasn’t sure how to hold onto. When that test turned positive, my heart dropped into my stomach. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind: How am I going to finish school? What will people think? Am I ready for this?
As a Christian, I knew the value of life and believed this child was a gift from God, but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t married yet, and that brought a whole other layer of fear and guilt. I was horrified to tell my parents. I imagined the disappointment on their faces, and I dreaded those conversations more than any exam I’d ever taken. It was the first time I had even thought about getting an abortion.
When I first went to the hospital, I felt the sting of assumptions. Because of my age, some healthcare professionals automatically assumed I wanted an abortion. That broke my heart, not only because of my faith, but because it made me feel like my baby and my choice to parent weren’t valued. I had to find the courage to firmly say: No, I want to keep this baby. That moment reminded me that my voice mattered, even when it shook.
Telling our parents was one of the hardest things we’ve ever done. There were tears. There was disappointment. There were difficult questions. But underneath all of that, there was love. Once the initial shock passed, they chose to stand beside us. Today, they are our biggest supporters, showering us with encouragement, helping us navigate parenthood, and reminding us that family is about grace as much as it is about expectations.
Looking back now, I can see God’s hand all over this story. It hasn’t been easy, balancing school, pregnancy, work, and young motherhood, but it has been refining. I’ve learned that even when life doesn’t go the way we imagined, God’s plan is still good. My child has given me a deeper “why” for becoming a nurse, a stronger faith, and a reminder that love and support can come even through initial disappointment.
If you’re a young mom, scared and unsure of what the future holds, I want you to know this: you are not alone. You can be both a mom and a student, both scared and strong, both imperfect and deeply loved by God.