Unplanned Pregnancy

 

Te whakamatautau i te haputanga

 

Everyone who is pregnant has decisions to make. You may have many different feelings. If this is an unplanned pregnancy you may find it difficult to decide what to do.

Before you make a decision you may want to talk to someone else. Choose someone you can trust and who will listen to you. This could be your partner, a friend, your parents or someone in your whanau/family. Counsellors, doctors and nurses can also be very helpful. You should expect your talk with any doctor or counsellor to be confidential. If you feel unsure, check first. Whoever you talk to should not make you feel bad about what has happened. They should not tell you what to do.

Whatever your age, you have the legal right to choose what you want to do. Try not to rush your decision.

 

What choices do you have?

• Parenting your child - you may want to share the responsibility of looking after your child with your partner or family. You may decide to care for the child yourself. If you are worried about finances, Work and Income New Zealand can tell you if you can get an allowance or benefit.
• Guardianship - is an arrangement between the birth parents and the caregivers. This is a legal arrangement to decide who has custody and responsibility for raising your child. Guardianship is usually within families.
• Adoption - is a legal process. The rights and responsibilities of parenting are transferred from the birth parent(s) to adoptive parents. An open adoption is when the birth parent(s) and the adoptive family both agree to have continued contact. To find out about adoption, phone the Adoption Information Services Unit of the Child, Youth and Family Service.
• Abortion - is an operation where the pregnancy is terminated (ended). There are laws to decide who can have an abortion. The laws take into account the circumstances of the woman or girl and the length of time she has been pregnant. For more information see: Abortion.