choice

When Everything in You Wants to Give Up GRIT. It’s a term developed by psychologist Angela Duckworth and it refers to a person’s ability to persevere no matter what challenges or obstacles come their way. Life is full of those, isn’t it? One moment things are moving along great and the next something hits us out of left field, and leaves us reeling. Obstacles and challenges can come in many …

Pregnant and Homeless? Many times when a woman who is still living in her parents’ home discovers that she is pregnant, the very real possibility of being kicked out of her home is a scary reality. When someone is facing homelessness, life changes rapidly and decision making regarding the pregnancy can be affected based on circumstances. But deep down you may feel that having an abortion is not right for …

Pregnancy & Gestational Diabetes Diabetes that develops during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. Gestation means “during pregnancy.” Diabetes is a condition which affects blood sugar levels in the body and does require medical oversight. Gestational diabetes is something that can develop when a woman is pregnant but would not otherwise have diabetic issues. It causes high blood sugar and can affect both the mother’s and the baby’s health if left …

Pregnancy and Exercise Many people think that as soon as they get pregnant they need to stop all physical activity and be careful in case something may happen to the baby. Although it is important to be very careful when it comes to lifting things – things like boxes, heavy laundry baskets etc – there is no reason to stop all physical activity. In fact, physical exercise is beneficial to …

Common Feelings Connected with Unplanned Pregnancy Women facing unplanned pregnancy are often overwhelmed by a host of emotions, most of which are negative in nature. It’s important to recognize that these initial negative emotions are common for all women and you are not alone. Even women planning to become pregnant can get overwhelmed when the reality sets in. Often if you feel unsupported or unable to achieve your goals, it …

Morning Sickness Morning sickness refers to nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite during pregnancy. Despite the name, it can be experienced at any time of the day and sometimes a general feeling of nausea can persist all day long. Every woman is different and even each pregnancy for the same woman can be different. Morning sickness generally happens during the first trimester (first three months). For some women, it can …

Other Reasons for a Missed Period Pregnancy is not always the only reason you would miss your period, in fact, there are a host of reasons why your period might be late. Here are some possible reasons you may not have had your period yet: Puberty: Young women who have recently begun their periods often experience light and irregular menstrual cycles as a result of puberty. It could take quite …

If I’m pregnant, why am I bleeding? Pregnancy is divided into three stages called trimesters (tri meaning “three”). Each trimester is about 13 weeks long. Initial symptoms or indications that you may be pregnant are a missed period, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and light bleeding/spotting. If you are experiencing spotting or bleeding during the first trimester, it is actually very common. Spotting – light bleeding can occur during implantation. This is …

Urine Test or Blood Test: Which is a more accurate pregnancy test? When a woman becomes pregnant, her body begins producing a specific hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). It is the presence and rapid increase of hCG that causes pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and fatigue. There are two types of pregnancy tests that diagnose a pregnancy by detecting the hCG hormone in your system: a urine test and …

Periods and Pregnancy It is important to understand how our own bodies work. Some women do not have the benefit of health education in school or parents who are comfortable talking about sex and a woman’s reproductive system. Although you may feel like having your period every month is an inconvenience, it is a normal, natural function of a woman’s body and a unique gift to carry a new life …

Viability: What Does it Mean? When you discover that you may be pregnant, it is important to determine the viability of the pregnancy before you make any decisions about what to do. Viability means “the ability to survive or live successfully”. There are three things that a licensed sonographer will look for on an ultrasound to determine viability: The presence of a gestational sac. The presence of a fetal pole. …

The Adoption Option: It’s not what it used to be Before you assume this option is a closed door, you need to know that adoption and its stigma has changed significantly in recent decades.   For many women who have had a previous abortion, they state that they could never have another abortion (for many reasons) but find themselves pregnant again and are still unable to ensure a good environment to …