Finding out you are hapū (pregnant) can bring a range of emotions. Confirming the pregnancy is the first step to getting care and advice.

What are my options?

If you have an unintended pregnancy (you are pregnant when you weren't expecting to be), you can decide to:

• Continue the pregnancy and be a parent.
• Continue the pregnancy and choose adoption, fostering, whāngai or find an option appropriate to you and your whānau.
• End the pregnancy by having an abortion.

Things to think about if you have an unintended pregnancy...

I want to continue the pregnancy

• Find out about services and support available to you while you are pregnant or, make an appointment at Family Planning or with your GP or health practitioner to talk about your specific needs.
• Find a midwife in your area.
• Find out about funding support for pregnant people.
• Find out about about placing your child for adoption, fostering or whāngai. See adoption and fostering and placing your child for adoption.

I’m not sure what to do

Had a positive pregnancy test and not sure what to do? That’s OK.

• You may want to talk to someone you trust and who will listen to you, such as your partner, a trusted friend, or whānau member.
• There is support available to you. If you are looking for a health professional to talk to, you could speak to a doctor or nurse, or a Family Planning doctor or nurse. If you're at school, the school nurse or counsellor could help.
• Free counselling is available to pregnant people considering abortion, and can be organised through a local abortion provider.

I don’t want to be pregnant

• If you're considering abortion, you can contact a local abortion provider directly without the need for referral from a doctor or other service.
• You can talk to DECIDE (the National Abortion Telehealth Service).
• Or, make an appointment at Family Planning or with your nurse or doctor to talk about your options as early as possible in your pregnancy.
• Read more about abortion on the DECIDE website.

Remember, if you're considering abortion, you can ask to talk with a counsellor before making a decision.

When do I have to make a decision?

• First, confirm that you're pregnant as soon as possible by taking a pregnancy test.

• Then, act quickly. Whatever you decide, it's important to act quickly if you're pregnant so you can begin maternity care or get an abortion as early as possible. The sooner the abortion is performed, the less complicated the procedure.

• Early medical abortion is an option up to nine or 10 weeks of pregnancy, and early surgical abortion up to the first 13 to 15 weeks (depends on the provider).

• Later medical and surgical abortions after about 14 weeks of pregnancy are possible, but timing and location varies around the country. 

It’s your decision

Whatever you decide to do, whatever others’ opinions, it’s your decision to make. No one has the right to pressure you into continuing the pregnancy, keeping the baby, giving it up, or having an abortion.