I've had a positive pregnancy test. What are my choices?
You now need to think about what you want to do:
- Continue with the pregnancy and keep the baby (you can ask
about extra support available, if needed)
- End the pregnancy by having an abortion
- Continue with the pregnancy and have the baby adopted
If you would like to talk to someone at our Pregnancy Advisory
Service to discuss your options or are considering an
abortion, please call 0345 872 5435 (7am to 8pm, daily)
or you can book a telephone
consultation online (this will take you to our partner
MSI).
Continue with the pregnancy
Contact your GP practice and ask to book to see a midwife
for antenatal care. You can also self-refer if you live in Bristol,
North Somerset or South Gloucestershire directly by
visiting www.badgernotes.net/SelfReferral/CareLocation/BNSSG
If you are a resident outside of Bristol, North Somerset or
South Gloucesterhsire you will need to inform your GP.
If you are not registered with a GP at the moment, you can find
your nearest GP practice by visiting www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp/
Pregnancy support information
Tommy's (Pregnancy line: 0800 0147 800, www.tommys.org). Information on
pre-pregnancy care and keeping healthy during pregnancy.
National Childbirth Trust (NCT) (Helpline: 0300 330
0770, www.nct.org.uk).
Advice and support during pregnancy and after the birth.
Abortion
Abortion is a safe way of ending a pregnancy. It is sometimes
called termination of pregnancy. This is a decision you would make
because you do not want to continue with the pregnancy.
If you are pregnant, and considering an abortion, you are not
alone. 1 in 3 UK women will have an abortion by the time they are
45 years old. We are here to help and can give you advice and
support.
Call the team on 0345 872 5435 or complete the online booking
form (this will take you to our partner page from MSI).
You can make the call yourself or someone else can make the call on
your behalf.
- The staff will ask you for your name, address, and your GP
details (if you have one). They will make an appointment for you to
have either a telephone or face-to-face appointment to discuss your
pregnancy options.
- If you don't have a GP, you can still make an appointment with
us. Our team will encourage you to register with a local GP but
will not delay your assessment.
- If you are under 18 years old you will
need to identify a supporting adult (someone who is over 18) to
support you during the process. If you don't have someone to ask,
do not delay in making an appointment. Staff will help you plan
your abortion.
If you are having difficulty reaching a decision, we can give
you accurate information about how many weeks pregnant you are and
talk to you about your options.
Additional support and information
MSI Reproductive Choices www.msichoices.org
British Pregnancy Advisory service (BPAS) www.bpas.org
Abortion Talk Talkline
www.abortiontalk.com
Patient leaflets
Early
medical abortion at home
Later
medical abortion up to 18 weeks of pregnancy
Surgical
abortion under anaesthetic
Manual
vacuum aspiration (MVA)
Adoption
Adoption may be a choice for you if you do not want to become a
parent but also do not want an abortion.
To discuss the option of adoption, you should still register via
your GP for antenatal care (see the section above 'Continue with
the pregnancy') and discuss adoption with either your GP, midwife
or local social services.
What should I do if I'm not sure?
If you are having difficulty reaching a decision, it is often
useful to talk it over with people you can trust and having
accurate information can help. You might want to talk to family and
friends - or talk to someone who is impartial and not close to
you.
Often it is best to book an appointment to find out how many
weeks pregnant you are, get some accurate information about
pregnancy and what your options are, with a health
professional. Call 0345 872
5435 (7am to 8pm, daily) to book an appointment
or book a
telephone consultation online.
The Pregnancy Advisory Service can help you reach the right
decision for you. We recognise that this may take some time. If you
do decide to end the pregnancy you will be given another
appointment on a different date for an abortion.
Support information from Brook:
Pregnancy:
Worried You're Pregnant?
I'm Pregnant: What are my options?