Where To Get Help When Pregnant

Employment And Support Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance is being replaced by Universal Credit. This means you have to claim Universal Credit instead.

But if youve made enough National Insurance contributions, you might qualify for New Style Employment and Support Allowance. If you need extra support with other costs for example, your rent or bringing up children, you might be able to claim Universal Credit alongside New Style ESA.

Find out more in our guide Universal Credit for sick or disabled people

The Health Insurance Marketplace

You can also sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace, but only during the open enrollment period.

Pregnancy itself doesn’t count as a life event that will allow you to sign up outside the enrollment period, but childbirth does. If you have a Medicaid or CHIP healthcare plan during your pregnancy, or if you’re uninsured when you give birth, you can enroll in a marketplace plan within 60 days after you give birth.

Visit healthcare.gov for more information on when and how to apply for a healthcare plan through the marketplace.

Statutory Adoption Leave And Pay

What is Statutory Adoption Leave and Pay?

When you adopt or have a child through surrogacy, youre entitled to a year off work and up to 39 weeks Statutory Adoption Pay.

Who gets it?

Only one person in a couple can take adoption leave and pay. The other person could be eligible for paternity leave and pay.

You must be an employee and have been:

• working for your employer for 26 weeks by the time youre matched with a child, or by the 15th week before the baby is due
• earning an average of at least £123 a week.

How much is Statutory Adoption Pay?

You get Statutory Adoption Pay for up to 39 weeks of your Statutory Adoption Leave.

The table below shows how much Statutory Adoption Pay is in the 2022/23 tax year:

How to claim

Tell your employer you want to take adoption leave and when you want it to start.

You should tell them within seven days of being told by the adoption agency youve been matched with a child.

If you use a surrogate to have a baby, tell your employer the due date and when you want to start your leave at least 15 weeks before the baby is due.

Find out more about Adoption leave and pay

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Have Sex During Your Fertile Window

The “fertile window” is the 3 to 5 five days before you ovulate, plus the day you actually release an egg. Once you know your window for ovulation, plan to have sex during this time frame.

If you’re not sure when you’ll be most fertile, aim to have sex every other day during the middle two weeks of your cycle. For example, if your whole menstrual cycle lasts four weeks have sex often during the second and third week. That way, you’re likely to have healthy sperm in your fallopian tubes whenever your body releases an egg.

Take our quiz to test your knowledge about timing sex for conception!

Medicaid For Pregnant Women & Chip Perinatal

Pregnant women might be able to get free health coverage during their pregnancy through Medicaid for Pregnant Women or the CHIP Perinatal program.

Medicaid provides health coverage to low-income pregnant women during pregnancy and up to two months after the birth of the baby.

CHIP Perinatal provides similar coverage for women who can’t get Medicaid and don’t have health insurance.

To get Medicaid for Pregnant Women or CHIP Perinatal, you must be a Texas resident. You must be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen to get Medicaid for Pregnant Women.

If you have other health insurance, you are not eligible for the CHIP Perinatal program.

When you apply, we’ll ask about your family’s monthly income to see if you can get Medicaid or CHIP Perinatal.

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Get A Preconception Checkup

Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins that have folic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.

“Do this the cycle before you start trying,” says Paula Hillard, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. “If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant.”

What Kinds Of Foods And Beverages Should I Consume

A healthy eating plan for pregnancy includes nutrient-rich foods and beverages. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 20202025 recommend these foods and beverages each day

• fruits and vegetables
• whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown rice
• fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products or nondairy soy, almond, rice, or other drinks with added calcium and vitamin D
• protein from healthy sources, such as beans and peas, eggs, lean meats, seafood that is low in mercury , and unsalted nuts and seeds, if you can tolerate them and arent allergic to them.

A healthy eating plan also limits salt, solid fats , and sugar-sweetened drinks and foods.

Does your eating plan measure up? How can you improve your habits? Try consuming fruit like berries or a banana with hot or cold cereal for breakfast a salad with beans or tofu or other non-meat protein for lunch and a lean serving of meat, chicken, turkey, or fish and steamed vegetables for dinner. Think about new, healthful foods and beverages you can try. Write down your ideas and share them with your health care professional.

For more about healthy eating, see the MyPlate Daily Checklist. It can help you make an eating plan for each trimester of your pregnancy.

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How Do I Increase My Chances Of Getting Pregnant

One of the best ways to increase your chances of getting pregnant is knowing what days you ovulate , and planning vaginal sex or insemination around those days.

Everyones body is different, but ovulation usually happens about 14 days before your period starts. An egg lives for about 1 day after its released , and sperm can live in the body for about 6 days after sex. So people are usually fertile for around 7 days of every menstrual cycle: the 5 days before you ovulate, and the day you ovulate. You can also get pregnant a day or 2 after ovulation, but it’s less likely.

Some people have very regular cycles, and some peoples cycles vary from month to month. Many people track their menstrual cycles and other fertility signs to help them figure out when theyre ovulating. This is called fertility awareness some people use it to prevent pregnancy, and others use it to try to get pregnant.

You can use a fertility chart to keep track of your cycle and when youre most fertile . There are apps that can make it easy to chart your cycle and figure out your fertile days.

You can also use ovulation predictor kits urine tests that tell you when youre ovulating. You can buy ovulation predictor tests in the drugstore, usually near the pregnancy tests. Ovulation predictor tests look for a hormone called luteinizing hormone, which increases in your body right before you ovulate.

Pregnant And Need Help With Money

Women who are pregnant and need help with money can find many possible resources. The financial assistance could replace lost income or reduce monthly expenses that stretch your dollars further.

Request a personal loan if you are pregnant and need money now. Private lenders can move more quickly than government agencies. If approved, you could have cash in your checking account within days instead of weeks or months.

To get the funding ASAP, make sure to have these items handy.

• Employer name and address
• Drivers license number
• Bank account and routing number

Be careful about borrowing emergency money as you will need to repay the loan with interest, which requires an ongoing income source.

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Free Health Care Programs

The Health Resources and Services Administration provides low-income families with free health care access in all 50 states. To see if your family qualifies, start by reviewing the guidelines. If you do, accessing medical care is as simple as locating a qualifying clinic. Once you arrive, youll fill out several forms prior to receiving the medical care you are seeking.

Dental Care

Many government and privately funded dental clinics offer their services for free. If you and your family qualify, youll have access to free basic dental care, including checkups, referrals, and medications. Look up a complete list of contacts in each state online.

Circle Of Health International

Circle of Health International works with local, women-led organizations to provide women and their families with quality care in times of crisis. Over the span of 17 years, COHI has helped 3.25 million women. From sending teams to help with disaster relief to providing supplies, this nonprofit aims to fulfill the needs of the women and children they serve.

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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Previously known as the food stamp program, SNAP provides low-income and no-income families with debit cards to purchase groceries. A household be be one person or a group of people who buy and make their food together. Eligibility requirements vary from state to state but you need to be close to the federal poverty line to qualify. Check your states specific eligibility guidelinesand services.

Talking To Your Health Care Provider

When your body is going through physical changes that may be completely new to you, it isn’t always easy to talk to your health care provider. Maybe you’re wondering whether you can have sex or what to do about hemorrhoids or constipation, or maybe you’re feeling worried about the delivery.

You might feel embarrassed to ask these or other questions, but it’s important to do so and remember, your health care provider has heard them all before. Write down your questions to take with you to each visit.

Also, if you have:

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Here Is Where Any Pregnant Woman Can Go For Real Help And Support

Pro-life leaders sent a strong message Friday to pregnant mothers struggling with the news that Roe v. Wade has been overturned: Were here to help.

Amid the celebrations and tears of joy after the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling, pro-lifers also emphasized that the movement will work harder than ever to help families in need so that no mother ever feels like she needs to abort her unborn child. The ruling Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health allows states to protect unborn babies from abortion again, and experts predict anywhere from a dozen to 26 states soon will do so.

We were there for her before Roe v. Wade. And well be there for her after Roe v. Wade, Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, responded Friday.

Heartbeat International is the largest pregnancy help network in the U.S., with more than 3,000 pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes across the country. These organizations served almost 2 million people in 2019, providing free medical, education and support services from diapers, pregnancy tests and cribs to temporary shelter, clothing and parenting classes to help mothers and their babies.

The organization runs OptionLine, a 24-7 hotline and website to help connect mothers to community resources, as well as the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline, which links mothers who have taken the first abortion pill with local doctors who can help reverse the abortion and potentially save their babys life.

How Much Weight Should I Gain During My Pregnancy

How much weight you should gain depends on your body mass index before pregnancy. BMI is a measure of your weight in relation to your height. You can use a formula to calculate your BMI online.

The general weight-gain advice below is for women having only one baby.

Its important to gain weight very slowly. The old myth that youre eating for two is not true. During the first 3 months, your baby is only the size of a walnut and doesnt need many extra calories. The following rate of weight gain is advised

• 1 to 4 pounds total in the first 3 months
• 2 to 4 pounds each month from 4 months until delivery

Talk to your health care professional about how much weight gain is appropriate for you. Work with him or her to set goals for your weight gain. Take into account your age, weight, and health. Track your weight at home or when you visit your health care professional.

Dont try to lose weight if youre pregnant. Your baby needs to be exposed to healthy foods and low-calorie beverages to grow properly. Some women may lose a small amount of weight at the start of pregnancy. Speak to your health care professional if this happens to you.

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What Is Best Start Foods

Best Start Foods is a prepaid card to buy healthy foods for children under three. It can be used online or in shops. You will get:

• £18 every four weeks during pregnancy
• £36 every four weeks from when your child is born until theyre one year old
• £18 every four weeks between the ages of one and three.

How You Can Prevent Listeria

Listeria can tolerate the cold, but it hates heat. And like most bacteria, it really doesnt like soap and other disinfectants. If you practice safe food prep and regular handwashing, youre well on your way to preventing listeria. Additional tips to help prevent listeriosis and other foodborne illnesses include:

• Cook food thoroughly, especially meat
• Wash fruits and vegetables

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When Do I Need To Make A Decision

Its important to take the time you need to make the best decision for you. But the timing of your choice can affect which options you have. So its a good idea to figure out what you want to do as soon as you can so you get the best medical care possible.

If youre considering abortion, it may take longer to get an appointment and/or you may have to travel far to get your abortion, because abortion is illegal in some states. And it may be harder to find a doctor who will do an abortion after the 12th week of pregnancy .

If theres a chance youll continue your pregnancy whether you choose to parent the child or place it for adoption start getting prenatal care as soon as you can. And go to prenatal visits with your doctor regularly throughout your whole pregnancy to make sure you and your pregnancy stay healthy.

If youre thinking about adoption, you can choose to place your child for adoption at any point in your pregnancy. You may even be able to start the adoption process after the baby is born. Your timeline for making an adoption plan depends on you and your individual needs and situation.

Your local Planned Parenthood health center is here to provide you with expert information and support. Make an appointment so you can stay healthy, no matter what decision you make.

Is Listeria Contagious

Listeria bacteria is spread by contaminated food and water. It is not contagious from person to person, however extra caution should always be taken among those who are infected. Wash your hands as you would regularly after using the bathroom, and before and after preparing and eating food to prevent a listeria infection.

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Getting A Breast Pump

Breastfeeding has many health benefits for babies. Nebraska Total Care wants to help members who are breastfeeding. We will give a free electric breast pump to any new mother in our plan. We will give:

• One electronic breast pump per member. For multiples only one pump will be given.
• Breast pump kit

You can ask for your breast pump during pregnancy, until 1 year after your baby is born. Your doctor will need to write a prescription for a breast pump. Eligible members can get one breast pump every two years.

• Nebraska Total Care 24/7 Nurse Advice Line1-844-385-2192
• Direct: 211, 402-444-6666 Toll Free: 2-1-1 or 866-813-1731Text: Text your zip code to 898211

Check with the hospital where your baby was born. Ask them about classes, support groups and other resources.

What Other New Habits May Help My Weight Gain

Pregnancy can create some new food, beverage, and eating concerns. Meet the needs of your body and be more comfortable with these tips. Check with your health care professional with any concerns.

• Eat breakfast every day. If you feel sick to your stomach in the morning, try dry whole-wheat toast or whole-grain crackers when you first wake up. Eat them even before you get out of bed. Eat the rest of your breakfast later in the morning.
• Eat high-fiber foods. Eating high-fiber foods, drinking water, and getting daily physical activity may help prevent constipation. Try to eat whole-grain cereals, brown rice, vegetables, fruits, and beans.
• If you have heartburn, eat small meals spread throughout the day. Try to eat slowly and avoid spicy and fatty foods . Have drinks between meals instead of with meals. Dont lie down soon after eating.

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