Mom or Dad, this one’s for you. If you aren’t expecting to hear the words, “I’m pregnant” from your daughter, it may come as quite a shock. Chances are she is just as stunned as you are. Breaking the news to someone about a surprise baby takes courage.
While your first reaction might have been one of anger or disappointment, you wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t care about the young woman in your life. From this point forward, there will be lots of decisions. Your support is sure to be needed and appreciated.
She has Choices Regarding Pregnancy
The first decision will be about how to proceed. She can:
- Keep the baby and become a parent
There’s no doubt, parenting is a tough job. It can also be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime, if you’re ready. If you or your daughter are thinking about keeping the baby, there are resources to help.
From low-cost doctors and other medical services to child care assistance, Gateway Women’s Care has a list of agencies that offer genuine help and resources in situations like this.
- Make an alternate parenting plan – adoption
This pregnancy/parenting option is often time overlooked and yet many women have found it to be a positive solution for their unplanned pregnancy. If your daughter doesn’t want to end her pregnancy but also isn’t ready to be a parent, making an adoption plan and choosing others to parent her child can be a “win-win” alternative. There are several different types of adoption plans so investigating this option may provide the answer she’s looking for.
- Have an abortion
If you or you’re daughter are considering abortion services, it’s important to remember that this is a medical procedure. Like most procedures, there are risks involved. Get all the abortions facts. There are four types of procedures an abortion clinic will perform, dependent on how far along your daughter is in her pregnancy. There are also known short-term and long-term side effects to be considered before making a final decision.
In addition, the state of North Carolina requires that every woman have the right to know exactly what’s involved with the abortion procedure at least 72 hours before having an abortion.
Gateway Women’s Care provides quality, pre-abortion services as well as more information on our website about all the options listed above.
Confirm the Pregnancy
Before going any further, you’ll want to confirm that you daughter is, in fact, pregnant if she hasn’t done so already. Because the symptoms of pregnancy can also be similar to the signs of many other conditions, some girls assume they are pregnant when they might not be. And remember, she is probably feeling just as scared or overwhelmed as you are, and your support could make the difference for her.
Gateway provides free, lab-certified pregnancy tests administered by skilled professionals. We have nurses on hand to answer all of your questions. 919.833.009
