Pregnancy
If you are a teenager and need advice you can discuss your pregnancy with a professional from the East Sussex Sexual Health Service. This is a fully confidential service with clinics throughout East Sussex.
Feelings, worries about being pregnant
Pregnancy brings big changes to your life, especially if this is your first baby. Some people find it easier to cope with these changes than others do. Everybody is different.
Even if you feel excited about having your baby, it's also common to feel vulnerable and anxious while pregnant.
If feeling down or anxious is affecting your everyday life, tell a midwife. You will be offered help to deal with worrying thoughts or feelings.
Find out more about mental health in pregnancy.
You may find that you are having arguments with your partner while you’re pregnant.
Some arguments may have nothing to do with the pregnancy, but others may be caused by feeling worried about the future and how you're going to cope.
It's important to talk with your partner about how you’re feeling. If you are worried about your relationship, talk to a friend, family member or your midwife.
Domestic abuse
If your relationship is abusive or violent, get help. There are organisations that can help such as:
- Women's Aid, which works to keep women and children safe
- galop: The LGBT+ anti-violence charity
Find out more about domestic abuse in pregnancy.
If you have a partner, they may want to be present at the baby's birth. It can help to find out about your birth options, including where you can give birth.
You can also find out about what your birth partner can do to support you, and what it can mean for them to share this experience.
If you do not have a partner, you may have family or a friend you could ask to be your birth partner.
Involve your birth partner in antenatal classes if you can, and let them know what you want. It may help to discuss your birth plan with them so they understand your wishes for labour.
If you’re on your own, ask your midwife if there are antenatal classes in your area that are especially for single people.
After birth, it can be encouraging to meet other single parents who also went through pregnancy on their own.
Gingerbread is a self-help organisation for single-parent families. It has a network of local groups and can give you information and advice. The charity can also put you in touch with other parents in a similar situation to you.
Visit the Gingerbread online forum (registration required).
If money is an immediate concern, find out more about the maternity and paternity benefits and leave you're entitled to claim. Your local Jobcentre Plus or Citizens Advice service can advise you.
If you have a housing problem, contact your local Citizens Advice or your local housing advice centre.
You might be eligible for a Sure Start Maternity Grant on GOV.UK, or Healthy Start vouchers for free milk, vegetables and vitamins.
Teenager pregnant
Finding out you're pregnant when you're a teenager can be daunting, especially if the pregnancy was not planned. But help and support is available.
First, if you think you might be pregnant but you're not sure, it's important to take a pregnancy test as soon as possible to find out.
If your pregnancy test is positive, it's understandable to feel mixed emotions: excitement about having a child, worry about telling your parents, and anxiety about pregnancy and childbirth.
You may also be feeling worried or frightened if you're not sure that you want to be pregnant.
Make sure to talk through your options and think carefully before you make any decisions. Try talking to a family member, friend or someone you trust.
Whatever your age, you can also ask for confidential advice from:
- a GP or practice nurse
- a contraception or sexual health clinic
- NHS 111 – available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
It's your decision, but do not ignore the situation, hoping it will go away.
Your options are:
- continuing with the pregnancy and keeping the baby
- having an abortion
- continuing with the pregnancy and having the baby adopted
If you decide to continue your pregnancy, the next step is to start your antenatal care.
If you decide not to continue with your pregnancy, you can talk to a GP or visit a sexual health clinic to discuss your options.
They can refer you for an assessment at a clinic or hospital if you choose to have an abortion.
Sexwise: pregnant and don't know what to do?
If you decide to continue with your pregnancy, there are a wide range of services to support you during pregnancy and after you have had your baby.
You can get support and advice from:
- Brook – visit your nearest Brook service for free confidential advice if you're under 25, or use the Ask Brook online service
- Family Lives – visit the website or call 0808 800 2222 for support for families, including young parents
- Tommy's – visit this website led by midwives for the latest information for parents-to-be
- Family Nurse Partnership – a family nurse may be able to visit your home, if you're young parents, to support you from early pregnancy until your child is 2
- Shelter – a national housing charity that can advise you about housing options and housing benefits for young parents; visit their website or call them on 0808 800 4444
If you're pregnant and on your own, it's important there are people you can share your feelings with who can offer you support.
Find out more about having a baby if you're on your own
At school
Yes, you can stay at school up until the birth and then return to school afterwards.
Taking time away from school to have a baby is treated like any other leave of absence. Schools are expected to act reasonably and grant a sufficient period of leave from school, taking into consideration the specific circumstances of each case.
You can leave school at the end of Year 11.
But until you're 18, you still have to either:
- stay in full-time education (for example, at college)
- start an apprenticeship or traineeship
- work or volunteer (for 20 hours or more a week) while in part-time education or training
The law says colleges, universities or your apprenticeship employer are not allowed to treat you unfairly if you're pregnant or have had a baby.
Further or higher education
You can only get maternity pay if you have a job, so very few students are eligible.
But if you're a student, you should be able to take maternity-related absence from studying after your baby's been born. How long you take will depend on your situation and your particular course.
Apprenticeships
Apprentices can take up to 52 weeks' maternity leave. If you're an apprentice, you may qualify for statutory maternity pay.
Maternity Action: maternity and parental rights for apprentices
Help with childcare costs
If you're under 20, the Care to Learn scheme can help with childcare costs while you study.
You can apply if you're going to study at school or sixth form college or on another publicly funded course in England.
You cannot get Care to Learn if you're an apprentice who gets a salary or if you're doing a higher education course at university.
For more information, visit the GOV.UK Care to Learn website, call 0800 121 8989, or email Learner Support.
School Health Service
Speak to the team for more information.
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Local stakeholders
- Contact our Children's Integrated Therapy Service
- Contact our School Health Service
- Support services in East Sussex