Do you think you might be pregnant? Is your period late? Don’t panic yet - irregular periods are common. Stress, fatigue and other physical and psychological factors can all cause a delay in your period.

If you think you might be pregnant, the first thing to do is find out for sure. See our Am I pregnant? section for information about how to confirm a pregnancy.

If you know you’re pregnant, you probably have lots of questions. See our I’m pregnant, now what? section for information about your options.

Whether you know you’re pregnant or just think you might be, it’s important to talk with a trusted adult like your parent or doctor. You can also call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 and talk to one of our counsellors.

Am I pregnant?

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• Is your period usually very regular?
• When was your last sexual contact?
• Was there vaginal penetration?
• Did your partner ejaculate (come) near or inside your vagina?
• Did you use contraception?
• No - you may want to consider taking emergency contraception. If taken within 72 hours (3 days) after sexual intercourse the emergency contraceptive pill can prevent conception from occurring. For more information visit your doctor, a health clinic or a pharmacy.
• Yes - did you use the contraception according to instructions? Did anything unusual occur (e.g. the condom broke or you missed taking your birth control pills a day or two)? Did you recently experience a bout of vomiting? If you used contraception with no mishaps and you used it correctly, the chances of you being pregnant are very small. And remember, if you’re taking the birth control pill your period can be very light, late or not appear at all.

If you haven’t gotten your period five to seven days after you expected it, and you had sexual intercourse, you may want to visit a health practitioner and have a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy tests are relatively easy to get:

• see your own family doctor or visit a medical walk-in clinic. Sometimes doctors will send you to a lab that conducts pregnancy tests. The tests may be free, but it depends on the province you live in and where you get the test done.
• buy a do-it-yourself pregnancy test kit at a pharmacy/drugstore, for between $15 and $25.

Wait at least five to seven days after your period is late before taking a pregnancy test, otherwise it may not be accurate.

The signs and symptoms of pregnancy vary from individual to individual, but some common early symptoms are:

• menstruation (periods) stop
• for some individuals, bleeding continues between periods (spotting, brownish bleeding)
• nausea
• fatigue
• sensitive/painful/swollen breasts
• dizzy spells
• sensitivity to certain odors
• cravings for some foods and dislike of foods normally liked

As time goes on, most pregnant women experience:

• weight gain
• extended stomach
• lower stomach cramps
• movement
• a frequent desire to urinate

If you think you might be pregnant, talk to a trusted adult like your parents, a close relative or your doctor. You can also call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

I’m pregnant, now what?

When you find out you’re pregnant, you may experience all sorts of emotions, like:

• joy
• sadness
• fear
• anxiety about the future

If you are pregnant you have three choices:

• carry the pregnancy to term and keep the baby
• carry the pregnancy to term and give the baby up for adoption
• abortion

All of these choices require mature reflection – take time to collect information, to think about and understand your options and to seek support from people you trust. No matter what you eventually decide, it’s important to know that most communities offer sources of emotional, practical and financial support.

Whatever you decide to do, it’s a very personal decision that will affect you physically, emotionally and psychologically. The decision will also impact other people in your life and will require you to consider your values, beliefs, culture, the short term and long term implications for yourself, your child, the child’s father, your parents, his parents and possibly even extended family on both sides.

You may want to consider the following questions:

• What was my reaction when I found out that I was pregnant?
• Do I feel like keeping the baby? Why?
• Is it possible at this stage in my life to carry out this pregnancy?
• Suppose I do want to keep this child, what resources are currently at my disposal?
• Sometimes parents or other family members take a very active role and become primary or co-caregivers of the child after it’s born. Would my parents help and support me?
• Do I want the child’s father involved in caring for and/or supporting the child?
• Is abortion an option for me?
• Does giving my child up for adoption seem to be a real option?

Deciding what you want to do if you are pregnant can be tough. Try talking to a trusted adult about your options and remember you can always call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 and talk to one of our counsellors.

Abortion

Abortion is the voluntary interruption of a pregnancy.

While abortion is legal in Canada, it’s also the subject of tremendous controversy. Some people believe that abortion is wrong and shouldn’t be an option. Others believe that it should be an option and that the decision should be left up to the individual.

Abortions can be carried out between the sixth week of pregnancy to the 24th week. Abortions carried out between the sixth week and the 13th week are the most common because this is the safest time. Between the 14th week and the 24th week, abortions can be carried out using different methods, but the risks involved are greater and you may require hospitalization. For more information speak to your doctor or health care professional.

Some things to keep in mind:

• the number and location of hospitals and/or clinics that perform abortions varies within each province and from one province to another
• some institutions provide the service for free, others charge a fee
• in Canadian law, there is no age of consent for abortions. However, hospitals have different policies regarding parental consent for medical treatment. An abortion can be performed at a free-standing clinic without a parent’s consent, if it is clear that the youth clearly understands the procedure and appears mature enough to make the decision.

If you are thinking about having an abortion consider taking the following steps:

• visit a health clinic or family planning clinic that is knowledgeable about abortion
• ensure that you deal with qualified health professionals
• get support from people you trust
• attend to your physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs.

Deciding what you want to do if you are pregnant can be tough. Try talking to a trusted adult about your options and remember you can always call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 and talk to one of our counsellors.

Last checked: March 2010