The pregnancy test result is in: your daughter is pregnant. You might be feeling overwhelmed, scared, and angry. It’s easy to feel like you’ve failed as a parent. However, what your daughter needs most now is for you to be there for her.

A lot of pregnant teens feel guilty and embarrassed. She may not even realize the impact this pregnancy will have on her. It’s also natural and normal to have your own feelings now that you know your daughter is pregnant. But she is going to look to you for support and advice.

Even though it will be hard, try to talk to your daughter. Give her the chance to share how she feels and what she might be thinking. Remember that even though she made the grown-up decision to have sex, she is still just a scared child. Remember, while you’re thinking, “My daughter is pregnant,” she is thinking, “I’m pregnant!”

Once the shock has subsided, you may have some opinions on what to do about her pregnancy. She may have ideas as well. You might be asking yourself, “My daughter is pregnant, what are her rights and what are MY rights?”

In Virginia, there are three legal options available to your daughter: abortion, adoption, and parenting. You will need to know what your state says about each of these options.

You will also need to see how far along she is with an ultrasound. You will want your daughter to have ALL the information available about each of her options before she makes her decision.

But there is a LOT of information out there. It can be overwhelming to go through it all and find out what your next steps are. If your daughter is pregnant, we invite you both to visit us here at Alcove Health. Your daughter will have a safe place to get the information she deserves, and all our services are FREE. We offer options consultations, ultrasounds, STI testing, and resources.

At Alcove Health, we want nothing more than to give anyone experiencing an unplanned pregnancy a safe, confidential place where they can think about their next steps. There is absolutely no judgement here. We believe everyone deserves to be heard. Your daughter is pregnant and she deserves to be heard and cared for. Let us be a part of that journey.

Encourage your daughter to click here to request an appointment. If she has questions she’d like answered first, have her call us; we’re happy to answer all her questions. Finding out your daughter is pregnant means it’s time to get information and make a plan. We’re here to help with that.