If you are having a hard time with your decision, you may think you can never feel good about your choice. We have found that women who are willing to explore what they think and how they feel can come to a peaceful resolution. To get there, you must be willing to work at it. So, get out your crayons, sharpen your pencils, and do some "homework." It may be the most important homework you ever do. Remember to listen to your heart and your own voice to find the right answer for you. Trust yourself.

One more thing-- We really want to include more women´s voices in this site. Your stories, quotes, and feedback will make the next edition of Pregnant? Need Help? Pregnancy Options Workbook even more valuable for women who are pregnant and need help. Click on Contact to send us your thoughts.

Thank you and Good Luck!

Peg Johnston, Editor

Am I Pregnant? return to top

Where To Get A Test:
A home pregnancy test is very accurate when you follow the directions. A home test or a test at a clinic is accurate when you have missed a period by one day or more. Or, 10 days after the day you probably got pregnant.

Check Out the Yellow Pages:
The Yellow Pages of your local phone book are a good resource. Lots of places offer free or inexpensive pregnancy tests. Examples: Family Planning clinics, Planned Parenthoods, Women´s Health Centers, abortion clinics, Health Departments, or your own doctor´s office.

Yellow Page Listings:
Abortion Services- You can get abortion services at places listed in this section. Most abortion clinics will also do pregnancy testing and many will offer ultrasounds (sonograms). Many also offer “options counseling” which help you decide what choice is best for you. Birth Control--These are places where you can get pregnancy tests, options counseling, and birth control services. Physicians, Ob/Gyn-- You can get a pregnancy test at a doctor´s office. They may be able to order an ultrasound at the hospital or do one in the office. They can give a referral. Alternatives to Abortion--These are agencies that provide testing but are against having an abortion. They may be able to help women who want to continue their pregnancies.

How Pregnant Am I?:
“When Was Your Last Period?”
Get used to this question! You will be asked it again and again. That´s because the first day of your last NORMAL period is the beginning of your cycle. This is your LMP [Last Menstrual Period]. Pregnancy is generally figured from this date, even though you probably got pregnant 10 to 14 days later. Fetal age (or gestational age) is two weeks less than LMP.

Some women are farther along than they think, so...

If you don´t remember the date of your last period, or

If your period was unusual--lighter or shorter than usual, or

If your cycles are not regular, or

If you have any doubt,

GET AN EXAM OR AN ULTRASOUND (sonogram) to know how far along your pregnancy is.

You may have lots of questions about your pregnancy and how to decide what to do. The next section will help you figure out what you are feeling and what you want to do. But you may be asking, "What if the baby is not okay?" If so, click this link: What can hurt the pregnancy?

You might want to know " What does it look like?" For a description of the stages of development of the fetus, click this link: Fetal Development

For help in answering the question "How far along am I?" click this link:

Getting Ready to Make the Decision return to top

Everyone who is facing a pregnancy must answer one basic question:

IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME FOR ME TO BRING LIFE INTO THE WORLD THROUGH MY BODY?

No decision is greater for a woman than this one. No responsibility is as important as raising a child. No activity takes more energy, more love, more patience, more of everything than having a child. No matter what you choose, there is sacrifice and pain.

Here are some other questions to think about.

Do I want to have a baby?

Will the child have a father who is “there”?

Can I afford to have a child?

What will happen to my goals, my hopes, my life?

What will happen to my partner´s life?

Who can help me raise a child?

Can I raise a child by myself?

How will my family react? My friends?

How will this affect my other children (if any)?

Is my body healthy enough?

This is the main question:
"Is this the right time for me to have a child? Consider all your options carefully. The next pages will give you some thoughts about how to make this important decision. The sections after that will help you think about your choices: a baby, an abortion, or an adoption. And even though we might wish for another choice, there are only these three choices.

If this is hard for you, give yourself credit for dealing with one of the biggest questions about life. This can be a very hard decision. Take your time. Go through each section one at a time. Make a safe place for yourself to think. Write your thoughts down as much as you can. Ask for help when you need it. Take full responsibility for your decision. Don´t let anyone else make it for you. Good luck!

Giving Yourself Time to Think...
Sometimes we don´t want to think about things and we try to keep ourselves busy so that we don´t have time to think.

Sometimes we don´t have time because our kids need so much of our time and energy.

Sometimes we are busy with school, work or activities.

Sometimes we are hiding this decision from others and it´s hard to find the time and space to think about it.

But, remember, this decision will affect the rest of your life. You owe it to yourself to make time! Right now, time makes a difference. If you are even considering an abortion, please try to make your decision in the first 10-12 weeks (from your last period). This will make it a safer, less expensive, and easier procedure for you. If you are even considering having a baby, start taking care of yourself now.

Making Time to Think:

I could ask ____________________ to watch the kids for me.

I could skip ________________________________________

I could stay home and think instead of doing _____________

I could talk with _____________________________________

Other thoughts on making time for yourself _______________

Making a Safe Place: Now you will also need a place that is free from interruption (TV, other people, phone calls). You need to be able to hear yourself think! Where is this place for you? (your own room, the park, ) Describe it.

Write your answer here:

Now that you´ve got a time and place to go through this workbook, let´s get started. The next section deals with how you are feeling. Are you in shock?

Are you in shock? Take this test:

For some women, learning about a pregnancy is very stressful. About how long ago did you start thinking you might be pregnant? ______ days/weeks.

Please circle how often the comments below were true for you within the past week. “It” refers to the pregnancy and pregnancy decision.

1= rarely; 2= sometimes; 3= sometimes; 4= all the time

1. I think about it when I don´t want to. 1 2 3 4

2. I have trouble doing my work. 1 2 3 4

3. I won´t let myself get upset when I remember I have to decide. 1 2 3 4

4. I don´t feel like eating. 1 2 3 4

5. I have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep because I am thinking about what to do. 1 2 3 4

6. I have waves of strong feeling about it. 1 2 3 4

7. I have dreams about it. 1 2 3 4

8. I stay away from babies. 1 2 3 4

9. I feel as if I´m not pregnant or it´s not real. 1 2 3 4

10. I try not to talk about it. 1 2 3 4

11. Pictures of babies come into my mind. 1 2 3 4

12. I can´t stop crying. 1 2 3 4

13. I am aware that I still have a lot of feelings about it, but I don´t deal with them. 1 2 3 4

14. I am feeling a little numb. 1 2 3 4

15. My friends tell me I don´t laugh anymore. 1 2 3 4

HOW TO SCORE YOURSELF: Add up your score.

16-30 indicates a mild reaction.
31-45 indicates a moderate reaction; you could benefit from the following.
46-60 indicates a severe reaction that may be keeping you from your feelings.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SCORE, IF YOU THINK YOU NEED MORE TIME OR MORE HELP, GET IT!

Understanding Shock
Have you ever known someone who was in a car accident, even a minor one? Did that person tell the story of the accident over and over? They might have felt scared, shaky, or had trouble eating, sleeping, or doing work. Those people were