If you find yourself unexpectedly pregnant, a Heartbeat volunteer can help you explore all of your options. It's a good idea to carefully examine each option to determine what's best for you and your baby at this time in your life.

Parenting

Many of the women who come to Heartbeat are afraid that they can't handle the responsibilities of being a mom. A Heartbeat volunteer will spend time with you to map out a plan that will help both you and your baby succeed. We can help you find resources to finish school and find a job, while also having a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Through our Heart to Heart program we can help you acquire the skills you need to be a great parent. While you're doing that you're also earning the baby items you need to support your baby through the first two years of life. We can help you identify and approach family and friends who will be with you every step of the way. Our volunteers are also knowledgeable about the community resources out there to help you and your baby, covering everything from health care to legal issues to day care.

The Truth About Abortion

Abortion is not just a simple medical procedure. Many women find it to be a life-changing event with not only physical, but also emotional and spiritual consequences. Most women who struggle with a past abortion say they wish they had been told all of the facts about abortion. Among the side effects that occur with abortion are abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Abortion also carries the risk of such significant complications as bleeding, infection and damage to organs. Serious complications occur in less than 1 out of 100 early abortions and in about 1 out of every 50 later abortions. Complications may include heavy bleeding, infection, incomplete abortion, sepsis (total body infection), anesthesia complications, damage to the cervix, scarring of the uterine lining, perforation of the uterus, damage to the internal organs and, in extreme cases, death.

Other risks of abortion include an increased risk in the future of premature delivery, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths and infertility. Additionally, 13 of 15 studies in the U.S. and 28 of 37 worldwide have shown a demonstrated increased risk of breast cancer after having an abortion (an average of 25-50 percent).

Studies have shown that women who have had abortions are about twice as likely to have drug and alcohol issues and mental health concerns. These include major depression, severe anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

In a survey of women who have had an abortion, 83 percent said they definitely would not have chosen abortion if they had been encouraged differently by those close to them.

For more information about women who have had abortions, visit www.afterabortion.com, www.silentnomoreawareness.org, www.victimsofchoice.org, or www.victimsofabortionspeakout.org.


Your Baby's Development

At Heartbeat of Toledo, we find that many of the women who come to see us aren't aware of how their babies are developing inside them. From Day One (about two weeks before you miss your period), the baby's features, including sex and hair and eye color have already been determined. By the fourth week the baby's heart has begun beating and the eyes, ears, and lungs begin to form. Tiny fingers and toes develop during Week 6. Just one week later brain activity is detectable.

Fingerprints begin to form during Week 10, and by Week 11 your baby can make faces, including a smile. At Week 12 the baby has grown to three inches in length and is able to swallow. During Week 14 thumb sucking helps pass the time. Moms usually start to feel their babies moving by Week 20.

About Week 22 the baby has grown to 7.5 inches long and can now feel pain. At Week 24 the baby can hear mom's voice and heartbeat. By Week 28 the baby is now about 11 inches long and weighs about 2.5 lbs. Eyelashes can be seen and the baby responds to touch and sound. With the support of intensive care a baby born at this stage is capable of breathing air. By Week 34 the baby in now about 19 inches from head to toe and continues to grow and mature.