Pregnancy options

What if I am pregnant?

If you've just learned that you're pregnant, you probably have lots of questions about potential choices going through your head, like:

• Is having a baby the best choice for me?
• If I had the baby, would I raise the child with its father or another partner?
• Is raising a child by myself the best choice for me?
• Is placing the baby up for adoption a choice I want to make?
• Is having an abortion the best choice for me?

There is no right or wrong choice for everyone.  Only you can decide which option is right for you.  But making a final decision may not feel easy to do - there is a lot to think about.  

Consider each of your choices carefully.

Ask yourself:

• Which choice(s) do I feel comfortable with?
• Which choice(s) would be impossible for me?
• How would each choice affect my everyday life?
• What would each choice mean to the people closest to me?

You may also want to consider:

• What is happening in my life right now?
• What are my hopes, dreams, and plans for the future?
• What are my spiritual and moral beliefs?
• What do I believe is best for me in the long run?
• What can I afford now and potentially in the future?

Talk about your feelings.  Share your thoughts with someone supportive that you can trust.

You may want to talk to:  

• Your current partner
• A family member
• A trusted friend
• A health care provider
• A clergy member

A list of pregnancy counseling resources at and around Duke is available here.  

The Duke Student Health Center provides all-options pregnancy counseling through the Office of Health Promotion.  Call 681-WELL (919-681-9355) to schedule an appointment with Lindsey Bickers Bock, MPH, who will help you make your own decision about what is right for you at this point in your life.  When you come for your appointment, you can bring your partner, a roommate, a friend or someone else if you wish.  You get to decide who will be a part of your decision-making process, and ultimately you are the only one who will be able to decide what choice is right for you.  

You may wish to avoid visiting "crisis pregnancy centers" advertising free pregnancy testing and pregnancy counseling.  These centers are typically funded by groups that espouse specific moral beliefs and are other designed to keep you from considering or choosing to terminate your pregnancy.  If you are not aware of the affiliation of a pregnancy center and/or you do not agree with their beliefs, you may feel that you have not received complete and correct information about all options available to you.  Whatever your personal beliefs, it is best to find out as much as you can about all of your choices before making a decision.