Just Found Out My Girlfriend Is Pregnant and I'm Scared

Summary

Episode Overview

Episode Title: Just Found Out My Girlfriend Is Pregnant and I'm Scared
Podcast: The Ramsey Show Highlights
Date: February 9, 2026
Theme:
A 24-year-old college student from Oregon calls in after learning his girlfriend is pregnant. He seeks guidance on navigating the financial and life challenges ahead, including education, employment, living arrangements, and potential marriage. The advisors provide pragmatic and compassionate advice on creating a plan for new parenthood, focusing on personal responsibility, financial preparedness, and relationship dynamics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Caller Situation & Emotional Impact

• Caller: 24-year-old male, business administration student, 2 years left in college, no debt, girlfriend is 5 weeks pregnant.
• Emotional Tone: Both caller and girlfriend are scared. He’s worried about finances, their relationship, and the looming responsibilities of fatherhood.
  • "To be honest, we’re both rather scared." (Young Father-to-be, 00:21)
• Girlfriend is not financially stable and currently unemployed.

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Relationship Status & Intentions

• Together for about a year, lived separately and never had a fight.
• Caller had considered marriage before the pregnancy:
  • “She’s the one that I was thinking about having a future with.” (Young Father-to-be, 01:54)
• Advisors ask if he feels “stuck” or if he genuinely wants a future with her. He confirms genuine intentions.

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Education & Career Concerns

• Caller has never worked full-time, focused on school.
• Took a gap year, uncertain about career due to shifting world dynamics.
• Chose business administration for its versatility but is interested in architecture and psychology.
  • “I chose business because my psychology was that it would be just so generalized and so useful wherever I go that I could use it.” (Young Father-to-be, 03:06)
• Advisors suggest putting education on hold for immediate income needs:
  • “You might need to put a pause on education and just get to work doing anything.” (Advisor 1, 04:16)

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Financial Picture & Immediate Needs

• He has a significant college fund ($50,000-$90,000), but little to no other cash savings.
• Girlfriend is receiving government assistance and may be eligible for health insurance but is not covered by family.
• Advisors stress the importance of both working full-time immediately to stockpile cash.
• “Right now you’re in stork mode, stocking up cash and figuring out the life plan. Then we’ll figure out the financial plan.” (Advisor 1, 08:00)

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Living Arrangements & Family Support

• They live three hours apart; neither have strong family support nearby.
• Girlfriend is trying to move closer, possibly into a roommate situation.
• Advisors emphasize the need for a concrete plan to live near each other, especially if marriage is considered:
  • “You guys need to get together and you need to create a plan for you guys living near each other, especially if you think the plan might be to get married. So that's thing one.” (Advisor 2, 06:26)

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Insurance, Childcare, and Next Steps

• Advisors urge confirming her insurance status or possible Medicaid/Government assistance for health care and birth costs.
• Suggest premarital counseling once immediate living/financial plans are in place:
  • “I would find a local church and I would start premarital counseling just to see if you guys are a fit.” (Advisor 2, 06:48)
• Caution against impulsive decisions (like rushing into marriage) without a clear plan.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Facing Fears:
  “Well, that's scary, dude. You have a right to be rightfully spooked by all this.”
  — Advisor 1 (00:46)
• On putting education on hold:
  “The truth is you could probably make as much now as you would with a business administration degree... Now we just got to stack cash and get ready for this new life of being a dad.”
  — Advisor 1 (04:23)
• On Relationship Intentions:
  “What I would hate is for you to just be thinking, 'Oh, I got this girl pregnant, now I'm stuck and now I have to move in.' But it's good that you did see a future with her because now she's having your baby.”
  — Advisor 2 (01:57)
• On Next Steps:
  “Don't do anything really crazy until the doctor says. A lot of times people don't even tell people that they're pregnant until like, what, around the 12 week mark?”
  — Advisor 2 (08:24)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:13-01:15: Caller explains personal and financial situation; girlfriend is pregnant, both are scared.
• 01:15-02:23: Advisors probe relationship intentions and long-term views.
• 02:23-03:20: Caller's academic and employment history; uncertain career path.
• 03:53-04:23: Advisors suggest pausing school, getting full-time work.
• 05:09-06:01: Discussion on distance, girlfriend’s living/financial situation.
• 06:11-07:26: Advisors outline three immediate steps: plan to live near each other, insurance, and consider premarital counseling.
• 07:27-08:00: Caller’s assets and lack of emergency cash.
• 08:00-end: Focus on saving cash, not making hasty decisions, and keeping pregnancy private until the 12-week mark.

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Summary & Takeaways

• The episode offers pragmatic, step-by-step advice to a young couple unexpectedly facing parenthood.
• Advisors balance empathy with actionable steps: pause school, work full-time, save cash, move closer, verify insurance, and begin relationship counseling before any major commitments.
• Key lesson: Prioritize stabilizing life logistics and relationships before making financial or marital decisions.

Transcript

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Young Father-to-be]

I'm a 24 year old from Oregon who's doing college, have 2 years left for a business administration degree. My girlfriend is five weeks pregnant. Found out about it three, three days ago. And to be honest, we're both rather scared. I have no outstanding debts. I don't know if she has any outstanding debts, but I don't believe so. However, she is not in the best financial situation, just overall because of living expenses and other things.

[Advisor 1]

Wow. Well, that's scary, dude. You have a right to be rightfully spooked by all this. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you are the father.

[Young Father-to-be]

Yes, I'm the father.

[Advisor 1]

Okay.

[Advisor 2]

How long have you been together?

[Young Father-to-be]

We've been together around a year. We live, we don't live together, unfortunately. So this is even more scary because we need to find a way to live, find a way to move together if we decide to have the child.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, let's, let's roll back once. One moment before we even think about that part. Was this somebody that you planned to be with or is this something that's like, oh, dang, now I definitely feel like I am stuck.

[Young Father-to-be]

This is someone that I was considering marrying. Her and I both get along amazingly. We have never had a fight in the entire time we've ever been together.

[Advisor 1]

I mean, it's been 12 months, man.

[Young Father-to-be]

It's not like 30 years and everything.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, so it was somebody that you were thinking about a future with?

[Young Father-to-be]

She is, she's the one that I was thinking about having a future with.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, that, that, that is good because that way all of what I would hate is for you to just be thinking, oh, I got this girl pregnant, now I'm stuck and now I have to move in. Now I have to get married and be forced into something that you never saw a future with that person. But it's good that you did see a future with her because now she's having your baby. Okay, so you've got two years left of college. What about her?

[Young Father-to-be]

She is currently. She's not in college nor is employed. And that's, I think the biggest scary thing for me is she's gonna have to find a job. I have to grow up really fast now. And I've never worked a full time job because I've just been so focused on school all my life.

[Advisor 1]

You're 24.

[Young Father-to-be]

Really scary. Yes.

[Advisor 1]

Did you take some gap years?

[Young Father-to-be]

There was One gap year. But it was a lot of jumping around, unsure of what career I wanted to go into because of the fact that our world is changing so fast.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, so why business administration?

[Young Father-to-be]

I chose business because my psychology was that it would be like just so generalized and so useful wherever I go that I could use it. And I chose it because of that reason.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, so what's on the other side of this? Let's say you do finish the degree. What kind of job are you looking.

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[Advisor 1]

Let's say you do finish the degree. What kind of job are you looking for?

[Young Father-to-be]

That's kind of the more difficult thing. I personally am really interested in architecture and I was also interested in psychology. However, I've had family members push back against that and say, no, you should be doing this or you should be doing that. Which is also why I've been so unsure.

[Advisor 1]

Well, here's the truth. You might need to put a pause on education and just get to work doing anything.

[Young Father-to-be]

Yes.

[Advisor 1]

And the truth is you could probably make as much now as you would with a business administration degree. On the other side, the degree could help you long term, but in the short term, now we just got to stack cash and get ready for this new life of being a dad. And you know, does she have insurance? Is she covered through her parents?

[Young Father-to-be]

I believe so, yes.

[Advisor 1]

That would be one piece of homework to figure out is the medical side and then child care side. Yes, she's unemployed. She's gonna need to get to work until she can no longer work. And baby's about to be here to try to at least, you know, mitigate some of the financial damage here. And then is it, Is she gonna just stay home with the baby and then are you going to be near her? How close are you guys right now? As far as distance?

[Young Father-to-be]

Around three hours.

[Advisor 2]

Three hours. Oh, gosh. Okay, so now I understand a little bit more what you were speaking about. Is there since she's kind of unattached in the way of school or work, is she able to come closer to where you are? Would she be willing to do that?

[Young Father-to-be]

She's been currently working towards that. She has been trying to find a Way to move out where she currently lives.

[Advisor 1]

Where does she live?

[Young Father-to-be]

She will family financial part. She's living in a, in a home with other roommates is what she's looking at.

[Advisor 1]

How is she affording it?

[Young Father-to-be]

I think she, it's, I think it's very personal, but I think it's like something regarding, she is a case manager and that kind of thing.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, so she's just getting government assistance.

[Young Father-to-be]

Yes, she, I think so. She's getting quite a bit of assistance.

[Advisor 2]

Okay. Okay. How old is she?

[Young Father-to-be]

She's 21.

[Advisor 1]

She have family nearby that you guys could move closer to to have some help and would they be willing to help? Have you had that conversation?

[Young Father-to-be]

Her family is not very inner life. My family unfortunately is six hours south of me.

[Advisor 2]

Got it. Okay. So thing number one on the list, I think is you guys need to get together and you need to create a plan for you guys living near each other, especially if you think the plan might be to get married. So that's thing one. Thing two is verifying the whole insurance business because if she's estranged from her parents, maybe she's not. And if she's getting government assistance, there's a lot there. And then the third thing I would do is once you figure out the living stuff situation, I would start, I would find a local church and I would start premarital counseling just to see if you guys are a fit. Like if you could do a marriage together, if you could.

[Young Father-to-be]

Compatible. Yes, I understand.

[Advisor 2]

Yeah, I, I, I would have a hard time saying get married immediately because I just, I'm not hearing in your voice and, and even in your vicinity that that was the plan per se. This, I don't know if I'm right or wrong on that, but I don't want to just say to you, go get married. Does that make sense?

[Young Father-to-be]

Yeah.

[Advisor 2]

Given what you've told us.

[Advisor 1]

And then what is your financial picture? Do you have any savings right now? Do you have any debt?

[Young Father-to-be]

I have, I have a large college fund that was set up by my family. I come from a rather privileged background. My, I believe my college fund is technically it's owned by me. It's around like 50 to $70,000, maybe up to 90 at the most.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, but what about other cash?

[Young Father-to-be]

Other cash? Not a lot, unfortunately.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, well you, hey, you've got a nine month Runway here. And so I would heavily consider pausing school, moving closer together and you getting to work full time, plus a side job, her taking on a full time job until baby's close to being here and Then you just save up cash and then we'll figure out the debt later. But right now you're in stork mode, stocking up cash and figuring out the life plan. Then we'll figure out the financial plan.

[Advisor 2]

And don't do anything really crazy until the doctor says. A lot of times people don't even tell people that they're pregnant until like, what, around the 12 week mark?

[Advisor 1]

Yeah.

[Advisor 2]

So keep this close, close to your belt for now.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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