How to cope with an unplanned pregnancy

Pregnancy can be one of the happiest times in a woman's life, but it can also be an extremely anxious and confusing time if the baby wasn't planned.

And although everyone's journey is unique to them, we have some advice on how to cope with an unplanned pregnancy.

Maybe you weren't ready to start a family yet, maybe you never planned to become a mom, or perhaps you thought you were done having kids.

Whatever the reason, an unplanned positive test result can cause untold stress and anxiety.

But the most important thing to remember is that you're not alone and that you do have options.

How to cope with an unplanned pregnancy

If you find yourself facing an unplanned pregnancy, here are some ways you can cope:

1. Get confirmation: Book an appointment with your doctor to confirm the pregnancy and to discuss your concerns.
2. Accept your feelings: You're in shock and that's completely natural. Finding out you're pregnant is one of the biggest things that can happen in a woman's life. It's important to give yourself time to process what's happening, and confide in someone you trust.
3. Let your emotions flow: You may feel a range of emotions following an unplanned positive pregnancy test including fear, excitement, anger, and confusion.
4. Be honest with yourself: Let your emotions flow freely, but don't make any rash decisions.
5. Consider support options: At a time like this, you need to lean on your friends for love and support. If you don't feel comfortable speaking to your partner, close friends, or family, maybe you could speak to a professional. What's important is that no one should judge you and advice should be unbiased and based on what's best for you.
6. Research your options: It's important that once you feel emotionally strong enough, you find out what your options are and think hard about how each of those will affect you in the longterm.
7. Don’t be afraid to accept help: Support can take many different forms and it's important that you accept what those around you are offering. Remember, you can accept help but still keep your decisions your own.

Next steps

While the initial shock of an unplanned pregnancy can be a lot to deal with, it's important to remember that nothing is going to change immediately.

That means you have time to process what you’re thinking and feeling.