As careful as you may try to be, unplanned pregnancies can and do happen. Depending on your feelings and circumstances, you may need different kinds of assistance, from counseling and birthing classes to information about abortion or adoption. Here are five resources for unplanned pregnancies.
-
Women’s Clinics
Women’s clinics can meet many needs for women, including providing unplanned pregnancy resources. Many of these clinics provide services for free and can give you referrals to specialists who work with the clinics. Most clinics will offer information, various classes, psychological counseling and women’s healthcare. Some will also offer financial aid, residential assistance programs and help dealing with addiction during pregnancy.
-
Financial Assistance Programs
In some cases, a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy will be concerned about her finances. Pregnancy is expensive whether you plan for it or not, but when you’re unprepared to get pregnant, it’s far less likely you’ve set aside the appropriate financial resources to get you through pregnancy and child rearing. There are several financial assistance programs available to people who are pregnant. Depending on your financial concerns and needs, you may be able to apply for SNAP, WIC, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or pregnancy Medicaid, among others.
-
Counseling and Guidance
One of the most important resources available for unplanned pregnancies is guidance. Since anyone experiencing an unplanned pregnancy will be unprepared, the patient will need counseling and advising from a healthcare professional who is sympathetic to her situation, straightforward in answering her questions and nonjudgemental regarding her decisions. Counselors can give you advice and information regarding your options, help you walk through the decision-making process and provide support and understanding of your situation.
-
Pregnancy and Parenting Classes
While in some unplanned pregnancy cases, people don’t want to keep the baby, that isn’t always the final decision. In some cases, the parent or parents choose to keep the baby. For those parents, there are classes available regarding pregnancy, birth and parenting, as well as other important skills, such as breastfeeding. The types of classes you may need to depend on several factors. These include whether or not you’re planning to be a single parent, whether you’ve had a child before and how you want to give birth. Depending on your clinic or doctor, you may find classes available for fathers as well as mothers.
-
Informational Resources
Above all, the most widely available resource for unplanned pregnancies is information. No matter your situation, needs or concerns, you should be able to find the information you need either online or at a women’s clinic or doctor’s office. You can go on an organization’s website and learn about different options or more about a specific option you’re interested in pursuing, or you can pick up pamphlets in a doctor’s office and discuss your options with your doctor in person.
Whether your pregnancy is planned or unplanned, consulting your doctor and other healthcare providers is essential. There are many options available to you if you have an unplanned pregnancy and need assistance.