An ultrasound made the reality of the life of her baby 'impossible to ignore'

(Unplanned Stories) — Earlier this year, 18-year-old Mila* found herself in a toxic relationship with a man she had been working with. What started as attention and flattery turned into control and fear. Mila was terrified to leave him, and her relationship with him worsened after he took advantage of her.

“The relationship wasn’t gonna work and that I wasn’t happy anymore,” Mila says. “I ended up ending things with him.”

Just days after breaking things off with her coworker, Mila started feeling sick. She was in denial about being pregnant but decided to buy a pregnancy test to be sure.

“Turns out I was pregnant — and it’s just been a roller coaster ever since,” she says.

Wrestling with abortion

“I really did consider having an abortion,” Mila says as she recounts the moment she found out she was unexpectedly pregnant. “I never wanted kids growing up. I’ve always said that ever since I was little.”

When Mila tried to schedule an ultrasound at Planned Parenthood, the cost stopped her from arranging an appointment. 

“It would’ve been a lot of money out of pocket,” she says. “And if I used my insurance, my parents would’ve seen it. So I ended up leaving.”

Then came what she calls her “sign.” 

Mila accompanied a friend to his doctor’s appointment when she noticed a pregnancy center across the street. A van parked outside advertising free ultrasounds and pregnancy testing led her to call and visit. She says that is where she received her first ultrasound and met some of the kindest women she has ever known.

Through that center, Mila met mentors who helped her find hope. The center connected her with two incredibly supportive women. One was also pregnant at the time and helped her create a baby registry, often checking in with her through text messages.

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“That was my sign that I was definitely keeping the baby,” she says. “What are the chances that I drop off my friend and just happen to find that van? And the van is only there one day a week. I was like, ‘This is not a coincidence.’”

Deep down, her faith guided her choice.

“Because of the way I grew up going to church, I just couldn’t bring myself to have [an abortion],” Mila says. “I feel like I would live with that guilt forever.”

Mila says her first ultrasound at six weeks at the pregnancy center made the reality of the life growing inside her impossible to ignore. 

“I didn’t really feel anything yet because it was still very small,” she says. “But as the baby started growing and actually looked like a baby, I was like, ‘I could never — I can’t do this.’ And I decided I was going to keep it.”

Finding strength and embracing motherhood

Mila says her friends offered unconditional support, regardless of her decision to keep the baby. Her parents, however, were deeply affected. 

“My dad cried and my mom was hurt,” Mila says. “And I was hurt too — telling them the whole situation and everything I had gone through that they didn’t know about. It was hard for all of us.”

Though surrounded by family, Mila says her pregnancy has been lonely so far.

“I know I have my family and friends, but it’s not the same,” she says. “I feel like I lost a lot of people in my life after finding out I was pregnant. Sometimes I feel a little left out just because I was supposed to go to a four-year college and do my classes in person, but it was just really hard to get them to accommodate my pregnancy. So I ended up just dropping that and decided that online college would be better for me.”

Mila is determined to balance motherhood, education and a job, despite her unplanned pregnancy. She works part time while taking online classes, hoping to get into a dental program.

With her baby boy due in February 2026, Mila is preparing for motherhood with a mix of nerves and excitement. But even in her uncertainty, she is learning that what may seem like a coincidence can often be something much greater — a reminder that life, no matter how unexpected, is always worth choosing.

Mila’s words of encouragement to those facing an unplanned pregnancy:

“You just have to know your heart. God will always guide you in the right path. A baby might not feel like a blessing, but it is. And despite it all, I don’t regret keeping the baby.”