Shotgun weddings: Getting married because of pregnancy is not worth it

Piece by: Ascah Mwango

25 October 2021

• A short gun marriage is not an ideal way of solving a major issue like pregnancy.

It's possible that pregnancy before marriage was not in your life plan and the idea of being a single parent is not appealing either.

This thought process may lead you to make drastic decisions that may not be good for both of you.

However, a short gun marriage is not an ideal way of solving a major issue like this. Before deciding to tie your entire life to someone, there are key factors you should consider.

How well do you know your partner?

One thing that you must consider before marrying your baby's father is how well do you know him? For how long have you guys dated?

Maybe you haven't dated for long enough, or maybe you were not even dating in the first place. Are you even ready to live with him for the rest of your life?

You must bear in mind that the divorce rate among people who date for pregnancy is very high. The process itself is painful and very messy if not chaotic.

Unhappy marriage

News flash, most guys are never ready to marry, especially because the girlfriend is knocked up. They lose interest easily.

Jumping into a marriage because you think you're doing what's best for your kid is a stupid move. Remember, the pregnancy was unplanned, what makes you think the marriage was planned?

In my case, I'd prefer to stay single and figure out a co-parenting strategy so the kid is able to see both parents and avoid seeing the two of you bicker at each other all the time.

Marry for love

It's everyone's dream to marry a partner they love, you seriously don't want to marry out of obligations. Being in a loveless marriage will drive you to infidelity.

And such cases are rampant in unplanned marriages. It may seem that you're doing an honourable thing by getting married but you have to think of the long term ramification of that decision.

It may work out

Waiting it out may be a good decision and soon you too may realize that you're meant to be together after all. Having to face an unexpected pregnancy may drive you up the wall, lead you to make rash decisions but it's not worth ruining your future.

In this era, the stigma against single mom's has faded, so breathe easy. Although old-fashioned friends and relatives may have their opinions it's not their life, it's yours to live, and the decision is yours.

Well, it's my opinion, let me hear about yours.