You're Pregnant... Now What?

*Disclaimer: The information on whatismyhealth.com and in this post does not constitute, is it a substitute for the medical advice of your healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider for all matters regarding pregnancy options that may be best for you.

“I took a pregnancy test and I’m positive…now what?”

Hey everybody! I’m Zoee, a bilingual sexuality educator at Planned Parenthood of Nassau County.

Period is late?

Breasts are tender?

Can’t keep food down?

Super tired?

Even though saying “yes” to the above-mentioned questions could be indicative of many things, they are often telltale signs of a pregnancy. Through PPNC’s educational programming, I’ve been able to connect with a lot of young people who have come to me with their symptoms, worries, and/or curiosities. I’m here to help— and so is the incredible health center staff at PPNC’s three health centers.

You can turn to Planned Parenthood, and I’ll walk you through your options and what you can expect during a visit.

If you think you’re pregnant

If you think you are pregnant, you can come into any of our health centers to receive a free or low-cost pregnancy test. When you call to make the appointment, our call center staff will ask you why you think you might be pregnant. For example, you missed a period or took an at-home pregnancy test that came back positive. In either case, you should make an appointment and confirm your results.

Even though at-home pregnancy tests use pretty advanced technology, tests can have inaccurate results, and sometimes, the process can simply be overwhelming.

From the moment first results are read in a bathroom, most people are either immediately over-the-moon happy or quickly experience an “Oh sh*t, I’m pregnant!” moment. However, if you’re worried and not sure how you feel, that is okay, too. Either way, here at Planned Parenthood, you will be told all of the options that are available to you so that you can make the most informed choice for yourself.

Every patient who receives a pregnancy test and/or learns of a pregnancy in our health center meets individually with a counselor to review her options. During this meeting, the counselor will share the results of the latest pregnancy test with you and then ask you a series of questions beginning with phrases like, “Were you surprised by these results today?” and “What was your first reaction?” These questions are meant to help you recognize how you feel about the pregnancy.

Counselors will also ask you if they’ve told anyone of the results yet, or if you plan to, to get an idea of the support network that you do or do not have. The goal of these questions is to help you think through who would be involved with the pregnancy, as well as their level of involvement.

Know Your Options

It’s important for our patients to know that no matter what choice they make or what road they decide to travel, they are not alone in their journey. Once a pregnancy is confirmed, you will learn about prenatal care if you want to continue with the pregnancy, adoption referrals if you plan to bring the pregnancy to term but don’t feel ready to parent, or abortion services if you do not wish to continue with the pregnancy.

Prenatal Program

After confirming the pregnancy, a review of your medical history will determine whether or not you are a good fit for our prenatal program (patients who have “higher-risk” pregnancies would be referred to one of our partnering delivery hospitals). If you are eligible for PPNC’s program, your enrollment would depend on your insurance. If uninsured, we can enroll you into a special form of Medicaid for pregnant women. 

Our prenatal team consists of a nurse, a physician’s assistant, a social worker, a doctor, support staff, and volunteers. The team meets with each patient once a month during their first 28 weeks, every two weeks when they’re 28-30 weeks along, and then every week during the homestretch (36-41 weeks).

This program also covers prenatal vitamins, flu shots, TB tests, and automatic enrollment into the Family Planning Extension Program, which provides 24 months of family planning services postpartum. This way, new moms can be advised on their contraceptive choices after giving birth, and plan to space future pregnancies by using a reliable method of birth control. This approach helps with healthier moms and babies!

Did you know? Since 1992, PPNC has been caring for expectant moms through our prenatal program— that’s more than 25 years!

Adoption Referrals

PPNC works with a few adoption agencies to give patients the opportunity to consider carrying their pregnancy to term, even if they are unsure about parenting. We also feel it’s important to remind our patients that the adoption planning can be reversible if, at any time, they decide that they are ready to parent.

Abortion Services

When you come in for a pregnancy test, if you tell the counselor that you’ve decided not to continue with the pregnancy, the counselor will begin to go over termination options with you. At Planned Parenthood of Nassau County, we offer both medication and surgical abortion services.

If your pregnancy test confirms a positive result, we will review your medical history, conduct a pelvic exam and, in some cases, an ultrasound, to approximate how far along you currently are in your pregnancy. If the pregnancy is less than ten weeks, both medication and surgical options are available and can be provided during your next visit (which you can schedule with our staff).

Regardless of which form of care you receive, a PPNC professional will meet with you to make sure you understand what you need to know before and after your procedure. We call this process “pre” and “post-abortion” education.

Medication abortion consists of two pills: Mifepristone, taken with supervision at our health center, and Misoprostol, taken at home within a certain amount of hours of your visit. During this time, we advise that you focus on yourself as much as possible and try for some privacy. A follow-up appointment within one to two weeks is critical.

via Planned Parenthood

If the pregnancy is over ten weeks (or if the patient feels the pill option isn’t for them), the patient would be eligible for a surgical abortion up until they are approximately 13 weeks along. A separate appointment is made for the procedure.

via Planned Parenthood

Our counselors and clinicians will review the whole surgical process with you on the day of your procedure, reviewing pre- and post-surgery information. These conversations offer information on the sedation process, the procedure itself, expectations for the recovery room, and birth control options for the future. Before the procedure, an ultrasound would also be performed. After the procedure, the patient is encouraged to rest in our recovery room, and afterward, we ask that someone trustworthy and reliable bring them home. A follow-up appointment is not necessary, but we encourage patients to come back and consider taking us up on one of the birth control options offered in conversations with the counselor.

If the pregnancy is beyond this the 13-week time frame, PPNC will refer you to another health center that can provide the procedure, such as a hospital, women’s health clinic or another Planned Parenthood.

A doctor explaining a long-term method of birth control in a follow-up visit.

I know I’ve just dropped a lot of information on you folks, but before I sign off I just want to be sure to get a final point across— if you ever believe yourself to be pregnant, we are here for you no matter what. No matter who you are, where you’re from, and no matter how you decide to handle your pregnancy.

Have questions? Want to talk to a provider at Planned Parenthood? Drop a comment below, visit www.ppnc.org or give us a call at (516) 750- 2507.
To find a Planned Parenthood health center in your area,click here.

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