What if I am pregnant?

With no contraceptive method 100% effective, unplanned pregnancy is a reality in women’s lives. In fact, just over half of all women of reproductive age at any given time have experienced an unplanned pregnancy.[1]

Finding out you are pregnant when you least expect it can be a real shock. For some people it can be a happy and joyous time but for others it can be a time of confusion, anger or despair but don’t let this stop you from seeking help.

It is important to face what is happening and seek advice as soon as possible, so all options are open to you. You shouldn’t have to make decisions alone if you don’t want to so ensure you have a trusted friend, partner, family member, doctor or counsellor to turn to for help and support if you want it. Telling someone you are pregnant can be a stressful experience in itself.

It is also important to make the right decision for you, and this might not always be the decision your partner or your family would make. Try and talk it over with someone you trust.

Information and support is available from many organisations, but make sure you find out about the organisation before you approach them as some organisations have strong beliefs which you may not share.

Ignoring an unwanted pregnancy won’t make it go away, so seek help as soon as possible. In the end you must decide what YOU want to do.

If you are pregnant, your options are:

• To continue the pregnancy and keep the baby
• To continue the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption/foster
• To terminate the pregnancy

There is no easy solution to an unplanned pregnancy and you may not feel comfortable with any of these options. However, you need to choose the one that best suits your circumstances. By making a careful, informed decision, you’ll be able to look back and know that what you did was the best for you at the time.

Continuing the pregnancy and keeping the baby

Becoming a parent can be a wonderful experience, but along with this comes commitment and responsibility. If you decide to keep the baby, help and support is available for you. See your doctor, hospital ante-natal clinic or women’s health service for care and support during your pregnancy. Local health services, community groups for mothers and parenting information services can continue to provide you with support after the birth of your baby.

Continue the pregnancy and giving the baby up for adoption or fostering

Adoption means legally giving up responsibility for your child. If you decide to continue the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption, contact your state or territory adoption agency.

A counsellor will work with approved adoption agencies to arrange preparation for adoption before the birth, but nothing will be definitely arranged until after the birth.

You will be completely free to change your mind.

Fostering means that another set of parents will temporarily look after your baby but that you will remain the legal guardian and hopefully be in a position to care for your child in the future.

The same people who organise adoption can help you with fostering. If, for whatever reason, you cannot look after your baby, the agency in your state or territory that is responsible for adoption and fostering will arrange temporary fostering and will try to work with you to reunite you with your child.

Making a decision about adoption or fostering is a big one and you should feel able to take time to make the right decision for you and speak to organisations and people who can help you make up your mind.

For more information on adoption or fostering, please visit: Adoption Australia

Terminating the pregnancy (abortion)

If you decide to terminate the pregnancy (have an abortion), firstly see your doctor, or sexual health/family planning clinic for information about the type of abortion available to you and to ensure you have met all of the requirements of the current abortion law in your state.

There are two types of abortion available: surgical abortion and medical abortion. What kind of abortion you choose, very much depends on how many weeks pregnant you are and your own personal choice.

If you are under 9 weeks, you can choose between a surgical or medical abortion. If you are over 9 weeks, you can have a surgical abortion. The earlier you go for help, the more options you will have available to you so don’t put off seeking advice.

A Surgical abortion uses gentle suction to remove the pregnancy from the uterus and is usually performed under IV sedation or under local or general anaesthetic if required. It is a safe and simple procedure with a low risk of complication. The actual procedure only takes about 10 to 20 minutes but it is usual to stay in the clinic for 2 to 3 hours overall.

A Medical abortion is a method of terminating a pregnancy using medication instead of a surgical procedure. There is no surgery involved and no anaesthetic is required.

Whichever option you choose, you should have consultations with a nurse or a doctor who should explain the process to you in full along with any side-effects you can expect and give you the opportunity to ask any questions.

If you want to talk to someone before or after your abortion most clinics can make suggestions on where to go to for counselling if they do not offer it themselves.

Finally, you will need to discuss having sex again. While this may be the last thing on your mind, you need to know how long to wait after your abortion and what contraception to use. See the contraception page for your options.