September 2026
By Florence Sevensma
I am preparing to welcome my third baby—our first little boy. Preparing for this season has taken me back to another pregnancy. The one that happened when I was nineteen.
I had just been accepted into the Foundation Diploma at the London College of Fashion. For a girl who had grown up in a small city—Aberdeen, Scotland—this felt like the beginning of everything I had dreamed about. Fashion was my dream! I imagined travelling the world as a fashion buyer or opening a little boutique somewhere warm. One day I wanted a husband and kids, but that was a long way off. For the next few years, I thought I knew exactly what my life would look like.
Then everything changed.
After a family trip to Scotland, my legs became unusually swollen. My mum casually mentioned that the only time she’d ever experienced swelling like that was when she was pregnant. Her comment stopped me in my tracks. I suddenly realized I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a period.
I booked an appointment with my doctor straight away. After the test, the doctor looked at me and said the words I’ll never forget.
“You’re pregnant.”
I was devastated.
Because I couldn’t remember when my last period had been, I was referred for an ultrasound to find out how far along I was. Part of me hoped it had only been a few weeks. Instead, I discovered I was already twelve weeks pregnant! That felt like another blow.
I had always wanted to be a mum. I hoped to have a big family one day. Just not then. The timing wasn’t right.
I wasn’t with my daughter’s father anymore. We’d already ended our relationship because I was moving to London, and I knew this pregnancy would almost certainly mean becoming a single mum.
More than anything, I wanted life to go back to what I thought it was supposed to be. An abortion felt like the only way everything could return to “normal.”
When I told my college course leader I was pregnant, the first thing she said was, “You won’t finish this course.” Those words confirmed every fear I already had.
Maybe my dreams really were over.
My friends were the first people I told. We sat together trying to work out what my options were. Some encouraged me to have an abortion. Deep down, though, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted. But I also just couldn’t see another way forward.
A few days later, my mum came to me and told me she’d had a dream, and in the dream I was pregnant. She looked at me and asked, “Are you pregnant?” Through tears, I told her the truth. And in a panic, I said, “It’s okay. I’m going to get rid of it.” She replied, “No, you’ll have this baby, and if I have to raise them while you carry on with your life, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Until that moment, I had felt trapped. Nothing had actually changed yet, other than my mum knowing about the pregnancy. But, for the first time since finding out I was pregnant, I could see another possibility.
I didn’t have to solve everything that day.
As the months went by and I finished my foundation course, things began to change.
The fear that had consumed me in those first weeks slowly started to give way to hope. I became more connected to the baby growing inside me and found myself genuinely enjoying being pregnant. Some friendships naturally faded as our lives took different paths, while the people who remained became an incredible source of encouragement.
Slowly, as different pieces started falling into place, I realized the future I’d dreamed about wasn’t gone. It simply looked different than I had imagined.
Then a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program opened at the same university. Classes ran on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday. It fit around motherhood perfectly, and I knew I had to take the opportunity.
Around the same time, I joined a new church, became involved, and started building new friendships. It was there that I came to know Christ in a personal way. Looking back now, I can see His faithfulness through every part of my story.
My faith didn’t change my circumstances—it changed me. My relationship with God gave me hope, purpose, and the confidence to keep taking the next step, even when I couldn’t see very far ahead.
Motherhood changed me too.
Before I became pregnant, I dreamed big, but I lived very much for the moment. But having my daughter changed that. I stopped waiting for “one day” and started building the life I wanted, one step at a time.
Over the years, I finished university, met my husband, built a career I loved, and together we’ve built a beautiful family. None of it happened overnight, and none of it happened exactly the way I had imagined when I was nineteen.
Looking back, I can see that the future I thought I’d lost just took a different path.
I wish I could tell that frightened nineteen-year-old sitting in a doctor’s office that her life wasn’t over. That the pregnancy she thought would ruin her life would actually give her one of the greatest joys of her life—my beautiful daughter, who is now fifteen years old. My heart is full of gratitude as I prepare to welcome our son into the world, with two incredible daughters excited to meet their baby brother.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of this, it’s that God is faithful. Even when I couldn’t see what He was doing, He was gently shaping a future far different, and far richer, than the one I had planned for myself.
If you’ve recently found out you’re pregnant and you’re wondering what this means for your future, I hope my story encourages you and gives you hope.
This unexpected moment does not have to mean the end of your dreams or happiness.
An unexpected pregnancy does change your life. The road ahead may be different from the one you planned. And you may not be able to see how everything is going to work out right now. I certainly couldn’t. None of the answers came all at once. They came over time, and they came through the people around me.
My parents became my biggest advocates. An enrolment officer at university helped me find the programs and financial support available to single parents that made continuing my education possible. Later, as I entered the workforce, I was blessed with employers who worked with me, offering flexibility that helped me balance work and motherhood.
I never found one solution that fixed everything. Instead, I found the right support for each season I was walking through. You can too.
That’s why I believe support matters so much.
I understand that not everyone has the family support that I did. But that doesn’t mean you have to figure everything out on your own.
PCC-affiliated centres can help you work through your options, and connect you with practical resources and community supports that are available where you live.
You don’t need to have your entire future mapped out today. Sometimes all you need is enough support to take the next step, and then the next one.
Fifteen years ago, I thought my life was over.
Today, I know it was only the beginning of a wonderful life.
If you are looking for support with an unexpected pregnancy, a great step is to get connected with a pregnancy care centre near you or connect online for accurate information about your options and confidential support.
*After writing this blog, Florence welcomed a beautiful and healthy baby boy into the world and is spending time at home with her family. We wish her a wonderful maternity leave and thank her for sharing this chapter of her story with us.*