Are you pregnant?

We can help.

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, take a deep breath and try to calm your feelings. We are here to help you.

The first thing to consider is that the life growing within you is a child — your child. If the father has disappeared or is not taking responsibility, your child is counting on you for his or her life. Think of it. You are your child’s only chance at life. Let’s consider your choices.

Your choices:

Give birth & raise your child.

Or, choose adoption.

Why isn’t abortion a choice?

In Uganda, abortion is against the law. The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the Penal Code Act (Cap 120) specifies that no person has a right to terminate the life of an unborn child (with very limited exceptions).

Unfortunately, some people choose to break the law by performing illegal abortions. These underground abortionists often take advantage of young women who fear their pregnancy will be discovered by their family.

The real problem for a young women considering paying a large sum of money for an illegal abortion is that she may die or be seriously injured in the process. This is because many of the people who do illegal abortions may have little or no training in health care or medicine. As a result, too often, bad things happen.

Here are the facts: The leading cause of death for Ugandan girls ages 15-18 is pregnancy, and out of every five maternal deaths, one is caused by abortion-related complications. Once you allow an abortion to begin, it will be too late to change your mind and say, “Stop! I’ve changed my mind! I want to tell my family!”

Now is the time to think about your baby’s life as well as your own. Here is what you should do next.

Care for your health and the health of your baby.

Learn ways to give life to your unborn child.

Ask for help by clicking the chat button below.

The World Health Organization writes, “Maintaining good nutrition and a healthy diet during pregnancy is critical for the health of the mother and unborn child.”¹

Problems with your pregnancy can happen because of untreated illnesses and poor eating (diet). This is why it is so important to take care of yourself and your baby. As soon as you learn you are pregnant you should see a health care provider. During your clinic visit(s) you will learn which vitamins you should be taking to help your baby grow properly and be healthy. You will also learn the warning signs of problems with your pregnancy.

Kate Mitchell of the World Health Organization recommends a pregnant woman have at least four prenatal visits. “During those visits, providers focus on tetanus vaccination and screening, treatment of infections and screening for high blood pressure,” says Mitchell. “High blood pressure is really important because it’s an indicator of eclampsia and preeclampsia, which is a major maternal issue. There’s also talk about malaria prevention, as well as screening and treatment for HIV which can prevent mother-to-child transmission.”²

Ways to give life to your child

Ugandan women who do not have much money find pregnancy to be especially challenging. Our founder at New Beginnings International Ministries, Isoba Henry, suggests these ways to successfully give life to your child. He writes, “It may help your thinking on your pregnancy if you learn the story of Ester. Ester came to us in April, 2019 desperately seeking answers for herself and for the baby she was carrying in her womb. She was unable to locate her boyfriend as he had changed his phone number after finding out that Ester was pregnant.

Ester was very upset about her situation. She had no way to find the man because she had no knowledge of his whereabouts or even his family members. She told us the man was a hawker (a traveling salesman) who moved from place to place selling things. After their brief time of love together in a local village hotel room, he disappeared. Understandably, Ester ran to her mother. But she was not willing to take responsibility for Ester’s pregnancy and drove Ester out of the house, telling her to, Go find the father of the unborn child!

Ester was confused and opted for abortion as a way to solve this problem. But, amidst her confusion and feelings of rejection, she was told about New Beginnings International Ministries in Iganga. When she arrived, she was open with us about her situation and how she was planning an abortion to end her pregnancy. We advised Ester and encouraged her to give life to her child. New Beginnings stood with her all the way through her due date.

The wonderful news is, in September, Ester gave birth to her baby boy, Cowan. As you can see from her smiling face in this picture, Ester is so very proud and happy to have Cowan in her arms and in her life! We are also happy to report that with New Beginnings’ help, Ester’s relationship with her mother is now healed. Today, Ester is receiving education and training for a new job, which she is looking forward to beginning soon.

So, you see, with God’s help, there are solutions to even the most difficult and challenging problems. What should you do? Let me suggest the three things you see below.” — Isoba Henry

Decide today to do everything you can to protect the life of your child.

Contact family and friends you believe will stand with you in this decision to save your baby’s life.

If there are problems you cannot seem to resolve on your own, please feel free to contact us. You can reach us using the chat button at the bottom of this page. If we are unavailable at the time you attempt to chat, leave a message for us and we will reply as soon as possible.