Helpful Steps if You’re Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy
Did you know that nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned? If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy right now, you’re not alone.
Finding out you’re pregnant, especially if you were not planning to become pregnant, can stir up a lot of emotions. Whether you’re stressed and anxious, excited and hopeful, or experiencing any other emotion night now, chances are that you are wondering, “Now what?”
If you’re pregnant and not sure how you should handle it, let us offer some guidance as you make the best choice for you.
Step 1: Allow Yourself to Process Your Emotions
As mentioned, an unplanned pregnancy can feel like a heavy new reality to cope with. It’s possible and common to experience intense feelings of uncertainty, fear, stress, and worry about the future. Working through these feelings isn’t linear, either, meaning it’s possible to feel at peace with your pregnancy one minute and totally overwhelmed with negative feelings the next. Allow yourself to ride every emotional wave that hits.
The more you let yourself work through your feelings right now, the more clarity you’ll have when you start to make choices about your pregnancy and your future.
Step 2: Understand Your Options
There are one of three options you have when you become pregnant in Georgia:
Motherhood
Even if you weren’t expecting to become a mom right now or bring a new addition into your family, you can step into the role of “new mom” by choosing motherhood. It might be scary to consider at first. But ultimately, it is a life-changing, rewarding decision if you accept it.
Adoption
If it’s not time for you to become a mother, but you missed the window for abortion in Georgia or do not want to have an abortion, adoption may be your best option. Choosing parents for your child allows you to bring your baby into the world and give an opportunity to a couple or an individual who’s ready for parenthood.
Abortion
If it’s not time for you to become a mother, and it’s not your desire to remain pregnant, you can choose abortion in Georgia. It’s important to know the limitations surrounding this option:
For an abortion to be legal in the state of Georgia, the following must be true:
- The fetus has not developed a heartbeat yet, which usually occurs around the 6th week of pregnancy. An ultrasound performed by a licensed medical professional is the only way to determine the fetus’s age and fetal size accurately.
- You have received abortion counseling and have completed the 24-hour wait period that follows.
- If you are under 18, you have received permission from a parent or guardian to have an abortion.
Step 3: Pursue Your Option
Whatever your choice ultimately is, you can begin taking the steps necessary to pursue your decision.
What to Do if You Choose Motherhood
If you choose to carry out your pregnancy and become a mom, you might feel overwhelmed with all the planning and prepping. That’s totally normal. For now, keep it simple and start with these few steps:
Visit Your Primary Care Physician or OBGYN
Set up an appointment with your primary care doctor or OB-GYN and start your prenatal care as soon as possible.
Take Prenatal Vitamins
Begin taking prenatal vitamins to better support yourself and boost your baby’s growth during your pregnancy.
Establish a Support Team
Create a circle of friends, family members, counselors, your partner, and others you trust who you can rely on through your pregnancy and motherhood journey.
As you continue your pregnancy, the other things you’ll need to do to plan and prep for your baby will become apparent, and you can begin taking those steps, too.
What to Do if You Choose Adoption
If you want to pursue adoption, you should take the same first steps suggested for those pursuing motherhood. Starting to attend appointments with your healthcare provider, taking prenatal vitamins, and creating a reliable support team are all crucial to having a successful pregnancy and a more supportive transition into your role as “birth mother” once the baby arrives.
You should also take this additional step:
Find the Right Adoption Agency or Family
If you want to choose a family for your child via an adoption agency, you want to partner with an agency you’re comfortable with. There are private and public agencies, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Research the options in your area and get in touch with the agency that best matches your values and goals. Talking with an adoption agency is in no way a binding agreement. In the state of Georgia, you have the ability to change your mind up to four days after delivery.
If you already have a family in mind, you can partner with an adoption lawyer to ensure the placement process is as smooth as possible.
As your pregnancy continues and you work toward adoption, the other things you’ll need to do on your journey will become apparent, and you can begin taking those steps, too.
What to Do if You Choose Abortion
As mentioned, you have a few weeks after conception to have an abortion in Georgia. To pursue abortion, here’s what you need to do:
Get an Abortion Screening
It’s important to have an abortion screening performed by a licensed medical professional, like those at Women’s Clinic of Atlanta.
An abortion screening will:
- Confirm your pregnancy
- Ensure the fetus has not developed a heartbeat yet
- Confirm STI status to ensure you’re cleared for an abortion
All of these checkpoints are necessary from a medical and legal standpoint to clear you for a Georgia abortion.
Contact an Abortion Clinic
If your screening reveals that you are still within the window for an abortion in Georgia, you can get in touch with an abortion clinic for your next steps.
Have a Post-Abortion Assessment
Following an abortion, it’s important to check to make sure you are no longer pregnant and that there are no lingering health complications. Women’s Clinic of Atlanta offers post-abortion assessments to help ensure you are not pregnant anymore and to help you avoid unplanned pregnancy in the future.
Women’s Clinic of Atlanta is here to help you navigate an unplanned pregnancy.
Our team of licensed medical professionals, counselors, and staff provide compassionate, judgment-free care and guidance to women caught off-guard by pregnancy. From providing pregnancy testing and abortion screenings to offering support services throughout a woman’s pregnancy, we are here for every woman every step of the way.
Schedule a pregnancy appointment by texting “appointment” to 404-777-4771 today.
Women’s Clinic of Atlanta is HIPAA compliant and AAAHC accredited.
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