Mom or Dad, this one’s for you. Chances are, you aren’t expecting to hear the words, “I’m pregnant” from your young daughter (or “she’s pregnant” from your son!), and it may hit like a ton of bricks! She (or he) is probably just as stunned as you. 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 (or man) in your life. From this point forward, there will be lots of decisions. Your support is sure to be needed and appreciated. And if you’re having a hard time showing support, consider the long term effects of how you handle this.

 

She has Choices Regarding Pregnancy

The first decision will be about how to proceed. She can:

  1. 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 and raising 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.

  1. Make an alternate parenting plan – adoption

This pregnancy/parenting option is oftentimes overlooked and yet many women have found it to be a positive solution for their unplanned pregnancy. If your daughter doesn’t want to terminate 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 positive alternative. There are several different types of adoption plans so investigating this option may provide the answer you both are looking for.

  1. Get 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 before you decide. There are four types of procedures an abortion clinic will perform, dependening 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 has 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. Your daughter will have free, unlimited access to one of our nurses to discuss all the options available.

If she hasn’t done so already and before going any further, you’ll want to confirm that your daughter is, in fact, pregnant. Because the symptoms of pregnancy can also be similar to the signs of 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 Women’s Care provides free, lab-certified pregnancy tests administered by skilled professionals. 

We have nurses on hand to answer all of your questions. Raleigh – 919.833.0096      Durham – 919.251.9444      Chapel Hill – 919.537.8220