If you are 3 months pregnant and are sure that you don’t want your baby, discuss your options with your doctor and, if applicable, your family and partner. You can also call bpas (The British Pregnancy Advisory Service) on 08457304030 for free advice or see www.bpas.org It is a registered charity and talks to over 55,000 women each year who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The final decision is, of course, yours.
In the UK, abortion is legal up until 24 weeks although most are carried out much earlier. 98% are performed before 20 weeks and a high percentage (over 93%) are funded by the NHS so you may not have to pay for it.
If you decide to have an abortion, the method depends upon how many weeks pregnant you are. A vacuum aspiration or suction termination is performed up to 15 weeks, a late medical abortion from 13 weeks, and a surgical dilation and evacuation from 15 weeks. There is also another late abortion performed from 20-24 weeks. An abortion poses few risks to your physical health and does not usually affect your chances of becoming pregnant in the future.
Another option if you don’t want your baby is continuing with the pregnancy and placing the baby for adoption or fostering. If you choose this option, contact your local Social Services department. Your GP or midwife will be able to give you the details. Although preparation is done before the birth, nothing is confirmed until after the birth. Adoptions are usually made legal 3 months after the birth. You will have at least 6 weeks after the birth before you have to give your final agreement. For information and advice, call The British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) on 02075932000 or see www.baaf.org.uk
Fostering means that another set of parents will temporarily look after your baby until such a time as you feel ready to agree to adoption or to take on responsibility yourself. You remain the legal guardian while your child is being fostered.
Don’t rule out the option of keeping your baby. Your hormones are probably all over the place and may settle down as your pregnancy progresses. Whatever you decide, make sure that you can live with the decision that you make.
In the UK, abortion is legal up until 24 weeks although most are carried out much earlier. 98% are performed before 20 weeks and a high percentage (over 93%) are funded by the NHS so you may not have to pay for it.
If you decide to have an abortion, the method depends upon how many weeks pregnant you are. A vacuum aspiration or suction termination is performed up to 15 weeks, a late medical abortion from 13 weeks, and a surgical dilation and evacuation from 15 weeks. There is also another late abortion performed from 20-24 weeks. An abortion poses few risks to your physical health and does not usually affect your chances of becoming pregnant in the future.
Another option if you don’t want your baby is continuing with the pregnancy and placing the baby for adoption or fostering. If you choose this option, contact your local Social Services department. Your GP or midwife will be able to give you the details. Although preparation is done before the birth, nothing is confirmed until after the birth. Adoptions are usually made legal 3 months after the birth. You will have at least 6 weeks after the birth before you have to give your final agreement. For information and advice, call The British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) on 02075932000 or see www.baaf.org.uk
Fostering means that another set of parents will temporarily look after your baby until such a time as you feel ready to agree to adoption or to take on responsibility yourself. You remain the legal guardian while your child is being fostered.
Don’t rule out the option of keeping your baby. Your hormones are probably all over the place and may settle down as your pregnancy progresses. Whatever you decide, make sure that you can live with the decision that you make.