I’m Unexpectedly Pregnant: What Next?

I’m Unexpectedly Pregnant: What Next?

Do you feel overwhelmed by an unexpected pregnancy? Feeling scared and confused about what to do next is normal when you discover you’re pregnant, especially when you weren’t planning on it happening.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you aren’t alone — 45%, nearly half, of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.

So what do you do when you’re faced with an unexpected pregnancy? Begin with taking a deep breath and focus on taking one step at a time. You can get through this!

Unexpectedly Pregnant Step 1: Seek High-Quality Pregnancy Support

Your first step is to find high-quality pregnancy support that is professional, unbiased, and compassionate. Friends and family can be helpful, but you’ll need the expert assistance and resources available from professionals as well.

Qualities of a good pregnancy clinic include:

A safe environment where you aren’t judged
Unbiased perspectives — you aren’t pressured for a decision
Compassionate attitudes
Not profiting financially from your decision
Licensed healthcare professionals
Team members who are skilled in helping women navigate unplanned pregnancies
Pre-abortion screening that includes medical-grade pregnancy testing, limited pregnancy ultrasound, STI testing, and education

Once you’ve found a high-quality pregnancy support clinic, the next step is to confirm your pregnancy.

Unexpectedly Pregnant Step 2: Confirm Your Pregnancy

Did you know that you can have a positive pregnancy test yet have a pregnancy that has no chance of survival? This is why it’s critical to determine if your pregnancy is viable or nonviable. A nonviable pregnancy has zero chance of survival.

A pregnancy test informs you that the hCG pregnancy hormone was detected in your urine, but it doesn’t tell you if your pregnancy is viable. The only way to confirm a viable pregnancy is with an ultrasound performed by a healthcare professional.

This step is particularly critical if you’re considering abortion because an abortion wouldn’t be necessary if your pregnancy is nonviable. It’s more common than you might imagine because at least 30% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. And 80% of those miscarriages happen in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

Unexpectedly Pregnant Step 3: Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI/STD) Testing

You may be surprised to see STI/STD testing on the list of steps to take after you discover you’re unexpectedly pregnant. But STI/STD testing is crucial to protect your reproductive health regardless of your pregnancy decision.

Unexpectedly Pregnant Step 4: Learn About Each of Your Pregnancy Options

Deciding what to do about an unintended pregnancy can be very stressful. In addition to having good support by your side, knowledge also helps ease the anxiety that accompanies an unexpected pregnancy because it’s empowering.

So slow down and take time to learn about each of your three pregnancy options from someone knowledgeable and unbiased.

Your three pregnancy options include:

Corbella Clinic Is Here To Support You

At Corbella Clinic, we are committed to supporting you each step of the way of your unexpected pregnancy.

We are a real medical clinic with licensed healthcare professionals who genuinely care for you. You can rest assured that skilled and knowledgeable clinicians are willing to answer all your questions.

Take your first step and reach out to Corbella Clinic today for your no-cost, confidential appointment.

Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, June 28). Unintended pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/unintendedpregnancy/index.htm.

Danielsson, K. (2020, November 29). How a Viable or Nonviable Pregnancy Is Diagnosed. Verywell Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/viable-pregnancy-viability-2371666#:~:text=From%20a%20clinical%20perspective%2C%20a,chance%20of%20being%20born%20alive.

Dugas, C. (2021, June 29). Miscarriage. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532992/.

Linnakaari, R., Helle, N., Mentula, M., Bloigu, A., Gissler, M., Heikinheimo, O., & Niinimäki, M. (2019, November 20). Trends in the Incidence, rate and treatment of miscarriage-nationwide register-study in Finland, 1998–2016. OUP Academic. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dez211.