Options during pregnancy

When you are pregnant you need to think about your options

Finding out you are pregnant can be anything from exciting to daunting. You are the only one who knows how you feel about it and you may feel many different things.

You need to look after yourself and get support and advice. Firstly it is a good idea to confirm your pregnancy by seeing a doctor. The doctor can talk to you about the social and health issues involved in being pregnant. If you are not sure what to do, the doctor can refer you to Family Planning or another agency for counselling to help you decide what you want to do.

There are a number of options available to you when you are pregnant:

Continue with the pregnancy and keep the baby

You can decide to continue with the pregnancy and look after the baby. It is important you seek advice about your diet and health and continue to see a doctor throughout your pregnancy and decide where you are going to have the baby. You will also need to start planning for when the baby is born. Depending on your circumstances there are many forms of support that you can access to help you care for your baby. You can ask for support from the father of the baby, your family and Centrelink. There may be other welfare agencies that can also give you assistance if you need it.

If you feel unable to cope once you have the baby

If you have a baby and don't feel able to look after it yourself, you can approach other members of your family to help you look after the baby or the Department of Community or Family Services in your State or Territory. Welfare workers from the Department can assess your situation and if it is appropriate they can arrange for a foster parent to look after your baby for you until you are ready to look after it yourself.

Continue with the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption

You can also decide to continue the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption (this means giving your baby away to someone else). You can find out more about adoption from the Department of Community or Family services in your state or territory.

Not continue with the pregnancy at all

Sometimes if a pregnancy is unplanned you may not want to continue with it. You can discuss the option of termination with your doctor or Family Planning agencies in your state or territory.

Talk to people you trust about how you feel

It is a good idea to talk to people about how you feel. If possible talk to the father of the baby, he may have feelings he wants you to take into account. If the other person involved has different feelings to you this can be difficult. Only you know what is right for you. You may also want to talk to your family about being pregnant. A doctor or a counsellor who specialises in pregnancy counselling will also be able to talk to you about how you feel and will probably be outside of the situation and less likely to give you their opinion than someone you know.

There are many views held by groups and people in our society, many of which conflict with each other, about what is the right thing to do when you are pregnant. Remember don't try to please someone else, only you know what is right for you.

Whatever you decide to do if you are worried, confused or upset, now or later, it may be helpful to talk it through with someone you trust. This may be a family member, friend, counsellor or local doctor. You may want to check out the Finding Help section for more information about how these people can help.

More information

FP NSW Healthline - 1300 65 88 86.