What to Do if You Think You Are Pregnant
If you think you are pregnant it is important to get the right advice and support as soon as possible. You are responsible for this and you need to speak to someone you trust as soon as possible.
- Your Partner
- Parents
- Youth workers
- Youth support Workers
- Your GP
You can access
You have several choices
- To keep the baby
- To place the baby for fostering or Adoption
- To end the pregnancy by Termination
To find out more about these options, contact a Youth Support Worker, who will be able to talk you through the next steps. You should also find out your entitlements and benefits
Being a Young Parent
Becoming a new parent can be a daunting experience for anyone but especially for young people who for whatever reason do not have support to find out who and where to ask about anything that is worrying them. You or your partner may want information and some support around some of the below examples when you find out you are going to be a new parent.
- What’s happening to your body?
- How to keep healthy during pregnancy
- What to expect when you go for your anti natal visits
- Deciding on your birth plan.
- Where are you going to live?
- What benefits you may be able to claim,
- Help with relationship problems
- Help and guidance around parenting
- Who can you turn to if you are worried about anything?
You can always talk to your Youth Support Worker for help and advice or if you are worried about anything and they will give you information of where to go for the help you need. If you think you are pregnant you need to find out for certain as early as possible so that you can make decisions about your future. You can get pregnancy tests and advice a number of ways including through your GP, Early Help - 01709 255266, CASH - 01709 423129, GUM Clinic - 01709 427777.
There are also organisations locally who offer specific support to young parents, some of them you may need to be referred to by another professional worker or others you can self refer. Some examples are:
Your local Children's Centre can offer a variety of services and activities to support children and their families. Everyone is welcome and you can go there to meet new friends, access groups, get healthcare and parenting support, and learn new skills. For more information or to find your local Children’s Centre contact Family Information Service on 0800 073 0230 or visit the Children's Centres
Myths and Facts of Being a Young Parent
Myth - ‘We are over run with teenage parents in the UK’
Fact - Despite media headlines, overall teenage pregnancies have fallen since 1998
Myth - ‘They only do it to get a council house’
Fact - Nationally less than half of teenage parents are allocated social housing (Teenage Parent Association, 2011). Local research (GROW) indicates that 79% of young parents supported lived at home with family.
Myth- ‘They only do it to get benefits’
Fact- Joseph Rowntree foundation have calculated that an acceptable minimum income for a single parent with one child is £291.03 per week. Benefit payments as a safety net only provide less than 60% of what families need.
Myth - ‘In my day, girls were much less likely to get pregnant’
Fact - In 1970, young women aged 15-19 in England and Wales were three and a half times more likely to become mums as they are today. (Family Planning Association)
