My first thought is always legal.. how separated is separated? It's easy for him to walk away while she's pregnant, but will he show up in 6 mos? 6yrs? What paperwork is she going to file when this baby is born? Depending on the country/state, fathers have rights too, even if they're not on the BC.
I'd say birth with father staying away.. Your sister has a lot of options. Just depends on where she wants to take this.
Support is the main thing. Are you there? Parents? Friends? Does she have a job? Will she have a job after baby is born? How much time does she have off?
Who knows where she'll be in the future, but the first two years, she needs help. It's totally doable but she needs help.
Long term questions are bigger but she's just starting out in this.
Also, age is sadly a factor. Being a 19yr old single mom is very different than being a 41yr old single mom.
I've been a single mom for 4yrs. It's not so bad.
I claim HOH and there's some decent benefits. I'm alone in decision making - I mean, I ask parents and friends and everyone out there, but ultimately, I'm it.
I'm not looking to date.
Dating is harder when you have a kiddo, but again, age of mom matters and where she is in her life and what she wants.
Risks...
Ultimately kids need two parents. I whole-heartedly agree with that.
My kiddo's father is far-far away and it sucks. He doesn't know him, probably wouldn't recognize him on the street, idolizes him like he's some magical creature.
But that's Our situation because I don't date enough to give him a Real, tangible man. Many single women find someone else quickly. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.
I've been too scared of the Not Working out part to put my kiddo thru that so far, but I'm also late 30s and not that interested in filling that void for myself.
Your sister has the whole world in front of her still. She just needs to have the baby. Define what role Dad is going to be down the road.
It's SO scary.
But she'll be okay. If nothing else, she has you and that's a tremendous start