28 Million Women Face Unwanted Pregnancy

Each year, half of American women who would rather not get pregnant will have an unplanned pregnancy, often because they failed to use their contraceptive properly or forgot to use it at all, according to researchers.

As a result, 28 million women in the United States are at risk for an unintended pregnancy, according to the study.

One in four women are very likely to become pregnant because of inconsistent contraception use, researchers said. Many women who are lax about birth control are simply ambivalent about preventing a pregnancy and confessed that they would be very pleased if they found out they were pregnant, according to the study.

If read my story in Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood after 35, you'll find out that my pregnancy at 41 was an unplanned pregnancy.

At the time--7 years ago now--I didn't care that there were lots of other women like me who faced an unplanned pregnancy. I didn't know any of those women. I focused on me--and I alternated between throwing up in a bucket and sobbing.

I'm honest in my book: It took me a while to embrace my mommy-come-lately status. It took me weeks--months--to open my hands and let go of all my plans for my life. Only then could I open my arms and embrace my unexpected blessing.

I prefer to say my pregnancy was unplanned, not unwanted. During one of my radio interviews, a caller said, "You act like abortion wasn't an option."

Well, for me it wasn't.

I am not so naive to think that other women won't make a different choice. But based on who I am and what I believe, I chose my baby.

During my pregnancy, one person referred to my unborn daughter as a "mistake."

"Oh, no," I said. "This baby isn't a mistake. She wasn't on my radar screen--but I believe she was always part of God's plan for my life."