I think I Might Be Pregnant
Women of all ages become pregnant and many find it hard to make a decision about what to do. While this page is directed at pregnant women, it can also be helpful for pregnant women’s partners to read. It does not encourage you to make any particular decision. Rather, it offers ideas that have been helpful to other women as they struggled to make the decision that was right for them.
If you are pregnant, you have three choices (listed alphabetically throughout this resource): abortion, adoption, and parenting.
First, are you pregnant?
If now is not a good time for you to be pregnant and you had unprotected sex or your method of contraception failed within the last 5-7 days, you can use emergency contraception (EC) to prevent pregnancy. Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP) can be used up to 5 days after having unprotected sex. The intrauterine device (IUD) can be used as an emergency contraceptive up to 7 days after unprotected sex.
If you had unprotected sex more than 5-7 days ago and you think you might be pregnant, it is important to get a pregnancy test done as soon as possible (after your period is late). You can get a home pregnancy test at a drugstore or you can go to your health care provider to have a pregnancy test done. It is best to wait until your period is a week late before taking a pregnancy test, otherwise you may not get an accurate result. Some women continue to experience regular monthly bleeding during pregnancy. If you think you are pregnant but are still experiencing monthly bleeding, visit your health care provider.
If you find out that you are not pregnant — and if you don’t want to be pregnant now — this may be the time to obtain a dependable method of birth control. For more information on birth control contact your local health care practitioner, member of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH), sexual health clinic or Public Health Department. If your period continues to be late, take another pregnancy test.
If you are pregnant, how do you feel about it?
Pregnancy, whether planned or unintended, can bring up many different feelings. Some things to think about regarding unintended pregnancy are:
- What are your plans and dreams? How would each pregnancy option affect those plans and dreams, in both positive and negative ways?
- What are your values and beliefs in relation to each pregnancy option?
If you have mixed feelings about being pregnant and about each of the choices available to you, making a decision can feel difficult. In making your decision, it is helpful to know your feelings, to name them, and to examine them. You may find it helpful to think about how the idea of having an abortion, arranging for an adoption or becoming a parent makes you feel and why.
Many women continue to have conflicting feelings about each choice and so you may find that whatever decision you make it won't feel like the "perfect" decision. It is natural to continue to have some mixed feelings. If you cannot decide, you may need to get more information about your choices or talk with someone you trust - not to decide for you, but to help you decide what you think will be best for you. That person could be a:
- Parent or other family member
- Teacher or religious counselor
- Close friend or partner who cares about you
- Counselor in a social service or family planning agency (such as one of the CFSH member offices).
For more information, see our tips for finding a reliable counseling centre.
If you decide to continue the pregnancy, it is important to begin prenatal care early so you and your baby are healthy. If you choose to have an abortion, it is important to inquire with your local abortion provider as to how far along in pregnancy they provide abortions. For instance, some abortion clinics stop at 15 weeks, whereas others provide abortions up to the 22nd week of pregnancy.
Do you need more information?
There may be things you need to find out before you can make a decision. You may want to visit our sections on abortion, adoption and parenting or you can get more facts about each of your choices from the following places:
- The Adoption Council of Canada.
- Your local public health department (under government listings in your phonebook) will have information about abortion, adoption, prenatal care, delivery and parenting.
- Adoption agencies and abortion clinics in your area are listed in the yellow pages of the telephone book.
- The National Abortion Federation’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-772-9100 or a listing of abortion providers across Canada.
- Your local member of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health or sexual health clinic can also provide you with information on your options
Adapted from Unsure about your pregnancy? written by Terry Beresford for the National Abortion Federation (1992). You can order this pamphlet (minimum order of 50; cost 40¢ per pamphlet plus shipping & handling) from CFSH by emailing admin@cfsh.ca. Please note that the contact information at the back of the pamphlet is not current.
