The Pregnancy Project (2012) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sara decided to become pregnant to keep her boyfriend Jesse interested in her. She hoped that having a child together would create a lasting bond and lead to marriage, choosing this path over pursuing college or a career.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Karissa, Iris, and Rose actively encourage Sara to join them in pregnancy, showing the peer pressure that influences her decision.

• sara dougan
• jesse
• teen pregnancy
• peer influence
• boyfriend

Jesse left Sara once he learned about the pregnancy because he was focused on his future plans, including college and baseball. His father pressured him to stay focused on those goals, and Jesse chose not to be part of Sara or their child's life.

Foreshadowing: Jesse was already contemplating his future in college and baseball while his father urged him to stay focused, indicating his priorities were elsewhere.

• jesse
• sara dougan
• left
• college
• baseball
• father

Sidney revealed that she became pregnant at sixteen by a school faculty member named Brady and ultimately placed the baby up for adoption. This personal experience explained her deep empathy for the young women she was documenting.

Foreshadowing: Sidney's understanding and support of Sara from the beginning hinted at a personal connection to the topic.

• sidney bloom
• secret
• teenage pregnancy
• adoption
• brady

Lorraine resigned from the school council after Sidney publicly requested birth control access and revealed Sara's pregnancy during the council meeting. The controversy and scrutiny that followed led Lorraine to step down, though she later persuaded the council to retain her seat and focus on birth control and abstinence education.

Foreshadowing: Lorraine had proposed the daycare fundraiser meeting, showing her proactive approach before the controversy unfolded.

• lorraine
• council
• resignation
• birth control
• sara pregnancy

Rose gave birth to a daughter, but because she smoked during pregnancy, she experienced complications including vaginal tearing during labor. The baby was placed in the NICU due to these complications, creating additional challenges for the family.

Foreshadowing: Rose's smoking habit was shown throughout the film as a risky behavior that would eventually have consequences.

• rose
• baby
• nicu
• smoking
• complications
• labor

No, Sara did not end up with Jesse. He rejected her multiple times throughout the film, even after she tried to reconcile at a party. In the closing months of her pregnancy, Sara watches Jesse with his new girlfriend, feeling regret for the life she might have had with him.

Foreshadowing: Jesse's repeated rejections and his focus on college and baseball foreshadowed that he would not stay in Sara's life.

• sara
• jesse
• relationship
• ending
• new girlfriend

After the pregnancy wave gained media attention, Lorraine persuaded the school council to retain her seat and shift focus toward providing birth control and promoting abstinence as part of the curriculum. The principal also resigned, and the school daycare became full as the community responded to the crisis.

Foreshadowing: Kim, the school nurse, had initially been rebuffed when she pressed for free birth control, establishing the policy gap that later changed.

• policy
• birth control
• abstinence
• council
• principal
• daycare

After Jesse rejected her again following a party reconciliation attempt, Sara became overwhelmed with heartbreak and fear. She binge-drank and nearly reached alcohol poisoning, but eventually found her footing again with the support of her parents.

Foreshadowing: Sara's repeated rejections and the strain on her relationship had been building throughout the film, leading to this emotional breaking point.

• sara
• binge drinking
• alcohol poisoning
• heartbreak
• parents

Sidney Bloom, a 28-year-old reporter, uncovered a troubling pattern at Gloucester High where ten to eighteen teen pregnancies occurred over an eight-week period. She began investigating by talking to the school nurse Kim and documenting the experiences of pregnant students.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with Sidney's investigation, establishing her role as an outsider looking in at the school community.

• sidney bloom
• investigation
• Gloucester High
• pregnancies
• pattern

The film ends on a note of resilience for Sara. She is shown happily raising her daughter with support from her parents. While she feels regret watching Jesse with his new girlfriend, she moves forward with a sense of possibility for the road ahead.

Foreshadowing: Sara's journey from dependence on Jesse to finding support in her parents foreshadowed this resilient ending.

• sara
• ending
• daughter
• parents
• future
• resilience