1. BE INFORMED
   Make an informed choice. Learn about abortion. Talk to your doctor. Talk to others who have had abortions. Find out all you can about your situation before you make a choice.
2. Know your alternatives
   There are positive alternatives to abortion. Adoption? Financial aid? Relatives or friends who will help? Have you contacted your local crisis pregnancy center?
3. Know your pregnancy
   Educate yourself on the stages of fetal development. How far along are you? Is the heart beating? Is there brain function? Does he/she have fingers and toes, arms and legs? Will he/she feel anything?
4. Know the procedures
   Different procedures are used at different stages of pregnancy. Familiarize yourself with the procedure(s) used at your particular stage of pregnancy.
5. Know the side-effects
   Abortion is physically painful and in many cases, emotionally painful. Talk to or read stories written by others who have chosen abortion.
6. Know the sources of help available to you
   Crisis pregnancy centers are designed to HELP YOU. There are countless infertile couples looking for babies to adopt. There are adoption agencies to help you through the process. There are homes for unwed mothers.
7. Know yourself
   You're probably scared. Maybe a little panicky. Perhaps others are pushing you to have an abortion. You can't see any other way out. STOP! Take a deep breath. Get hold of yourself. Realize that although bringing a child into the world is a lasting thing, so is abortion. You think it's a quick fix. That no one will ever know. But you will know. The one pushing you to abort may not give it a second thought, but you know whether you will or not. Abortion is legal and you have every right to choose abortion. Just know that whatever choice you make there is no turning back once you've chosen and had an abortion.
8. Know your abortion clinic
   Will they allow you to see the sonogram of your fetus? Will they inform you at which particular stage of development your fetus is? Do they refer to your fetus as "the product of conception" or "a blob of tissue" or something equally as impersonal and inaccurate? Do they allay your fears about the pregnancy or inflate them? Do they encourage you to "sleep on it" or do they remind you that "time is of the essence"? Do they inform you about the procedure and the recovery in detail or do they avoid specifics?

Whatever you do, know that there is no easy solution, but there are solutions that are less painful than abortion.