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Pregnancy options

Unplanned pregnancy

The thought that you may be pregnant can be overwhelming for any woman, whether the pregnancy is planned or not. It is only you who will know whether you are ready to have a child.

This information is designed to assist in the process of making a decision regarding an unplanned pregnancy. It is not meant to encourage you to make any particular decision, but may be used as a guide to look at your options.

Unplanned pregnancies do happen and every woman has the right to make her own decision.

How to tell if you are pregnant

The first step is to find out whether you are pregnant for sure. Some of the first signs of pregnancy are:

a missed period, or your period may be shorter or lighter than usual
tiredness and loss of energy
tenderness or swelling in breasts or a tingling feeling
urinating more than usual
vomiting
food cravings

Having one or more of these signs does not necessarily mean that you are pregnant. It is also possible to be pregnant yet not experience any of the above.

To confirm you are pregnant you will need to have a pregnancy test. There are two types of tests - urine and blood. Most tests are done on urine and these days these are very reliable. You can do this yourself by buying one from a pharmacy, make an appointment with a GP or contact an agency listed in this pamphlet.

An early morning urine test is better and it is important to follow instructions carefully.

Getting support

You may feel that talking about the pregnancy is not going to help, but women often find it does help them to consider their choices and decide what to do. You don't have to make the decision alone. It is important to get support as early as possible.

Think about who you will tell. It might be helpful to talk it over with someone you trust, who won't tell you what to do. Think about who might be there for you, to listen to you and provide support so you can make the right decision for you. This may be a friend, partner or family member, or it may be useful to speak to someone from a health service.

Be aware that some organisations which advertise help for pregnant women can be biased, either by not providing you with all your options or actively discouraging consideration of abortion. If you're not getting the advice and support you want, you can go elsewhere for help.

To find out about an organisation before you approach them you can call:

SHine SA Sexual Healthline: 1300 883 793
Toll free (country callers): 1800 188 171

Women's Information Service: 8303 0590
Toll free (country callers): 1800 188 158

Women's Healthline: 1300 882 880

Choices

If you have confirmed you are pregnant, you have three choices.

continue the pregnancy and become a parent
continue pregnancy and place the baby for adoption or alternative care
have an abortion to end the pregnancy

Whatever you decide the choice is yours.

Some of the things you may want to consider in making the decision are:

Firstly, would you 'rule out' any of the choices above?
How do you feel about being pregnant? It may help to write things down, such as feelings, fears, hopes and worries. Include how you feel about each of the options you are considering.
What may be the effects for you, both positive and negative, of taking up each option? Listing these can be useful to look over and compare.
What are your plans and hopes for the future? How would each option affect this? How would you feel about that? Think about losses or things you will have to give up in the next 5 or 10 years.
How would other people who are important to you react?
What do you think needs to be in place before you become a parent? For example, some women say it very important to have a secure place to call home, to finish school, to have a supportive partner or pay off some debt before having a child. Everyone is different. What steps could you take to put any of these into place? How do you feel about taking these steps?

It is normal to feel confused or even unsure about one particular choice you may be 'leaning towards'. Even if you are feeling uncertain about your decision, do consider making an appointment with a women's or sexual health service to find out:

the term of your pregnancy
time-frames for decision making

The right decision for you may not, in the end, feel 100% 'right', but the bottom line is: your emotional and mental health and wellbeing is most important.

Continuing with a pregnancy

Contact your GP, local SHine SA office or major hospital to discuss your options regarding antenatal care. To book into a public hospital for antenatal care call the Pregnancy SA Infoline on 1300 368 820. You can also call the Women's Information Service or Women's Healthline regarding support services (e.g. emotional, housing, financial, legal and other support).

The Children, Youth and Women's Health Service is an important resource for you in pregnancy and parenting. Call their Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100. If you are aged 12-25 ask about The Second Story, which is a youth health service they provide. Their website at www.cyh.com has valuable advice in the Parenting section and young parents can go to the Teen health section.

The Pregnancy Advisory Centre has a useful booklet Continuing with a pregnancy - metropolitan information and resources. You can contact them for a copy or download it from their website (see below).

Adoption

The decision to place a child for adoption is an extremely difficult one and might be made for many reasons. The Adoption & Family Information Service can provide counselling as you work through future options for yourself and your child if this is something you are considering. Other options for your child's care, such as fostering, may also be possible and these can be discussed with Adoption & Family Information Service.

Parents whose children are adopted permanently give up all their parental rights to and responsibilities for their child. The child is permanently placed with an adoptive family and the child's birth family has no claim on the child.

Adoption & Family Information Service: 8207 0060
Website: www.adoptions.sa.gov.au

Abortion

You can contact the Pregnancy Advisory Centre for information and referrals (see below). A range of useful pamphlets on abortion and emergency contraception can also be downloaded from their website.

SHine SA also has a pamphlet Information on abortion in South Australia.