How Do I Support My Friend Experiencing an Unexpected Pregnancy?

An unexpected pregnancy is a challenging experience. If your friend is facing an unexpected pregnancy, you may wonder how you can best walk alongside her. Even if you are unfamiliar with pregnancy, you can still help by listening and offering a caring presence. You don’t need to have all the answers, you just need to be there for her.

Practical Help

Women experience pregnancy differently, but it is likely that your friend will have symptoms of pregnancy like nausea with or without vomiting, fatigue, and mood swings. These symptoms may make it more difficult to complete tasks that ordinarily would not be difficult for her. Help by making specific offers to assist, for example, “Can I come over and do a couple of loads of your laundry on Tuesday?” If your friend already has a child, practical help is all the more helpful; consider offering to watch their child while they take a nap or a shower. More examples of practical help you can offer are:

• Drive her to medical appointments.
• Run errands like grocery shopping for her.
• Prep meals for her that are easy to heat up when she feels like eating.
• Go for a walk with her.
• Be with her when she shares her news with her family.

Emotional Help

Let your friend know that you are ready to listen whenever she wants to talk. Your friend may have many different and even contradicting feelings about her pregnancy; remember to be patient and supportive. Tips for providing emotional are:

• Offer her your ear without judgment. 
• Do not offer your opinion unless your friend asks.
• Avoid sharing your friend’s news with others unless she gives you permission to do so.
• Suggest a professional counselor if she is struggling.

Medical Assistance

Encourage your friend to discuss her pregnancy with medical professionals who are not financially invested in her decision. The first steps in deciding a pregnancy outcome are lab-quality pregnancy testing and an ultrasound. These steps are recommended to prioritize her health and safety regardless of the option she chooses for the outcome of her pregnancy. At Your Options Medical, your friend can complete these steps for free and receive detailed information about all of the pregnancy options available to her. 

Learn More

Your friendship and help are invaluable to your friend as she tries to gain clarity. Your Options Medical is also here to help. Call or text us at (508) 251-9022 to learn more about our medical services.