Pregnancy

PREGNANCY TEST

The Pregnancy Center of Rome offers pregnancy tests. There is no charge for the test. No appointment is necessary. The test we use is 99.3 per cent accurate. You will be given the test result before you leave the Center.

TEEN PREGNANCY

This year, over 1,100,000 teenage girls will become pregnant. Sixty percent of these girls will be pregnant again in two years. Three out of every four of these pregnancies will be unintentional. Of those pregnancies, about 400,000 will end in abortion. Each year, 30,000 of the girls who become pregnant are under 14 years of age. Eighty percent of these pregnant girls will drop out of school. Of the teenage girls who give birth out of wedlock, 96 percent will keep their babies. Seventy percent of unwed teen mothers will go on welfare. Of teens who marry because of pregnancy, 60 percent will be divorced within five years. Since the popular push for contraceptives for teens, teenage sexual activity and teenage pregnancy have increased almost FOUR HUNDRED PERCENT. Since 1990, Georgia has led the nation in teen pregnancy rates.

PREGNANCY FROM RAPE

Except for homicide, rape is the most serious violation of a person's body. The victim's ego or sense of self is penetrated as well as her body. Various studies validate that pregnancy due to rape is extremely rare. Less than 1 per cent of the women who are raped become pregnant.
When pregnancy from rape does occur, the rape victim and her unborn child are entitled to a sympathetic response from her family and friends. In many cases, it is not the pregnancy that causes resulting psychological problems, but rather the actual rape itself. The woman must realize that half the baby is from her, and that the baby is still a baby, regardless of the way it was conceived. If an abortion is done for this reason, there is always the danger that a mother's emotional and psychological make-up may be even further damaged.

FETAL DEVELOPMENT

     During the short nine months from conception to birth, a microscopic single cell evolves into a fully formed infant. The fertilized egg contains the complex genetic blueprint for every detail of human development. At day 20, foundations of the brain and spinal cord are already established and the heart begins to beat. Brain waves can be detected by the 40th day. At a little more than an inch long at 8 eight weeks, the baby has everything that a fully developed human has and responds to touch.
     By the end of the fourth month, the baby is 8 to 10 inches in length and weighs a half a pound or more. During the fifth month the mother starts to detect movement. By the seventh month, the baby can recognize the mother's voice.
     Towards the end of the ninth month, the baby is ready for birth. Most babies are born somewhere between 266 and 294 days and weigh from six to nine pounds.
     For more information on the development of a baby, click on the link below:

                       standupgirl.com/web/index.php

MATERNITY HOMES

     The purpose of maternity homes is to provide supportive environments for women during their pregnancies. Most homes provide counseling services for residents to help them make plans for themselves and their babies. Adoption services will be provided or referral will be made to a licensed adoption agency for those who request that service. Many homes require that a resident who has not completed high school continue her education and will help her toward that goal. Often, residents also have access to training in parenting skills, job skills, homemaking skills, and spiritual and educational development. Fee schedules vary depending on the policies of each maternity home. There are often options available for those who have a financial need. Arrangements for prenatal care and delivery are included.
     Click on this link to find a maternity home near you:

                  http://www.harborhouse.org/links/maternityhomes.htm

CHOICES AVAILABLE

     Once a woman has made the choice to give life to her baby, she has to consider what is best for her and her child.
      If she is single, she has the choice to raise the baby as a single mother. In considering this choice, the woman needs to consider her level of maturity and if she has ever had to handle responsibility.
      Another choice is to marry the baby's father. If both individuals consider themselves mature enough to live by the marriage vows, this may be a good choice.
      Yet another choice is adoption. Adoption is a very loving choice when a person is not ready to parent, regardless of the reason.
      The woman should write down the pros and cons of each option, and keep in mind that there are now two lives to consider. The best choice will be the one that solves more problems than it creates.