Pregnant? Keeping Your Child and Making it Work
Talking To Your Parents
Explain to your parents that your decision to keep
your child is based on the best interests of your child, yourself
and your whole family.
Refer them to the websites about the attachment problems
adopted persons have and the serious lifelong issues that mothers
have when they lose their child to adoption. Your child is your child
already. Tell them that you'd appreciate their help if they want to
help, but your decision is final.
Don't worry about accepting help - all mothers need
help at times. Did you ever think about the fact that people who adopt
get assistance when they adopt and adoption agencies get money from
the government when they arrange an adoption? With that in mind, why
shouldn't the child's actual family feel good about accepting government
funds, donations or other help temporarily if they need it to keep
their family together?
Known Consequences of
Separating Mother and Child.
Read about the Known
Consequences of Separating Mother and Child at Birth
Message
for Grandparents-to-be
What to think about with pregnancy
resulting from rape.
Be proud of yourself for working to find ways to solve
any problems you might have. Give yourself a "pat on the back"
for every step you take in the direction you want to go. Never put
yourself down if you experience a setback. Just pick yourself up,
dust yourself off and go on!
Love for your child is revealed most by giving of your time, support
and affection.
Learn about parenting and
child development.
 Get
parenting classes. Read about parenting in magazines and books. Enjoy
your child!
Spend time with a variety of other people and their
kids, especially with parents who seemed to get good results from
their parenting methods and have happy, healthy kids. Ask them questions
and learn from their example.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Feel good about getting
help that will make it possible to keep your family together. Some
day you may be able to help someone else. Don't worry about it.
Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. You don't have
to get everything exactly right the first time, or everything right
right now. You are far from being the only person who has experienced
challenges - in fact that's what life's about!
Government resources
Many of these resources may be able to help even before
your child is born, such as
Women, Infants
and Children (WIC)
Healthy
Pregnancy - Lots of resources listed.
Medicaid for Pregnant women
Insurance
for Children
Head
Start
Housing
Food
Stamps
Federal
Student Aid
Other important resources
Get inexpensive baby items at garage sales, Good Will
or Salvation Army. Remember - you will likely get gifts, too.
Parenting Resources
http://www.bethelcares.org
www.childsupport.com/links/youngparents.asp
www.oneyoungparent.com/resources.shtml
parenting_resources.html
www.keepyourbaby.com
Moms and Mentors
Parents without
Partners
Single Parents Match
Single Parents Network
Help For Battered Mothers
Need some small financial help?
Modest Needs
Many YWCA's provide young parent support services
Single Mothers House Sharing:
http://co-abode.com
Help
for HIV positive or drug addicted mothers, babies and families
Breastfeeding
Your Baby
There are many health benefits to baby who is breastfed by her mother.
It also costs less to breastfeed you baby, rather than buying infant
formula. You don't need any special equipment, although items like
a nursing bra and nursing shirt, nursing pillow may be helpful. Baby
loves the closeness she has with her mother while breastfeeding. But
if you work or go to school, take a breast pump along and you can
still provide your baby with the nurtition she deserves.
Breast Pumps Products
A website for specialist breastfeeding and expressing
products, useful supplies of breastpumps and their accessories as
well
as baby art and gifts.
Especially For Fathers
Your son or daughter doesn't just need a role model,
he or she needs YOU. You will have an impact on your child's life
- make it a positive impact. Nurture and support your child as much
as you can.
Protect your child and protect your Fatherhood - Do
a web search for Putative Fathers Registry information for your state
and even other states where your child may be born. You may sign even
if you are under age 18. You may sign before you even know you have
a child on the way. If you don't sign, your rights as a father may
be terminated before you even know your child was born!
Parenting Resources
for Fathers
http://www.newdads.com/
http://www.fathers.com/
http://www.fatherhood.org/
What about SCHOOL?
Many high schools have programs for young parents
so they can continue their classes, get parenting classes and child
care. This is an excellent way to stay in school, get to know other
young parents and even eat lunch with your child. If for some reason
you are unable to complete high school, there are resources to help
you study for and obtain your GED. There are many resources to help
with college as well: Talk to a high school or college counselor about
financial aid, choosing a major that is right for you, finding a college
or junior college. Many people opt for a junior college for the first
two years because it's less expensive but it's best to look into whether
your credits will transfer. In addition to the counselor, you can
also look for resources and scholarship programs at the library or
on-line.
Anything you can't find here? Do your own research.
Look up "Young Parents" and your city/state or look up "GED".
If you can't find things yourself then ask people how to go about
finding what you need.
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~futures1/welcome.html
Scholarship
and Grant Program for single parent women mothers - Raise the Nation
Our mission at Raise The Nation is to provide economic support to
single parent women who want to continue with their education or repay
student loans. We believe, through education, single parent women
will be able to achieve independence for their families and will be
successful in their goal of raising the nation — their children.
Federal
Student Aid
Love, INC. (Love in the name of Christ)
Love, Inc. is another program through church organizations,
which provides diapers, formula, baby-sitting, you name it. It's a
consolidation of multiple churches, with volunteers to provide the
needs of just about anyone in need, from young mothers in need of
baby things, to elderly in need of house cleaning, cooking, rides
to doctors offices, and shopping, to assistance to those on chemo
or with other medical problems, or just for individuals down on their
luck. It's not well advertised, but by going to a local church minister,
they should be able to tell them if a Love INC. exists in their area.
The help is given NO STRINGS ATTACHED. You don't have to be a member
of a church to get the assistance.
Also look for Young Parents Support Networks in your
community. Call hospitals in your area for support groups.
Hotline
1-866-41TRUTH
www.antiadoption.org
Pregnancy Clothes -
Stylish Maternity Fashion - PregnancyClothes.com for all your
maternity fashion advice. Stay fashionable and comfortable during
your pregnancy with our stylish maternity wear and style tips for
work, casual and formal wear.
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