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pregnancy and university.
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You will be able to claim child tax credit or benefit at the very least. I'm not sure what else. If you have student finance, you may get more if you list that you have a child as a dependant (not too sure about that though). Otherwise, you can always contact your university's finance department, student finance or citizens advice to see what financial help you can get.
Third year can be challenging, so you'll need to make sure that you have good support from family and friends, especially when it comes to childcare and sleepless nights. I've not been pregnant, but I've heard morning sickness can be pretty bad. If that is unfortunately the case for you, and you find yourself missing time, I think you may be able to get extended deadlines for essays.
I'm sure it's possible to stay at university and care for a baby. Just make sure that you are getting enough support
I know, but that's what its' commonly called http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/morning-sickness-nausea.aspx
I just wanted to say you've taken such a great step to reach out here on the boards and look for advice and support. Sometimes reaching out can often be the hardest thing to do so you should be so proud of yourself for being so brave :yippe:.
You're doing the right thing in asking lots of questions and thinking about your future and expressing your worries about your financial situation and your education.
In terms of university, most are committed to supporting pregnant students throughout their studies. University’s will usually work with you to develop a support plan to help make adjustments to suit your needs during your pregnancy and also after the birth and when you return to study. Do you have any information on your university website about how they might be able to support you? You can also go to your student services for further information and advice.
In terms of finance, like Maisy mentioned you might be able to claim Child Tax Credit – you can find out more here. There’s also some information on The Money Advice Service website about what benefits you can claim when you’re pregnant or have a baby. This website mentions that if you’re at university you could qualify for financial help to cover everything from living expenses, to travel and childcare – there’s more info on this here.
I also just wanted to say it's okay to feel a range of different emotions when you find out you're pregnant, this is really normal and something many people go through. What's really important is to take some time to make the decision that's right for you, but not delay in making your decision. No choice may feel completely right and that's okay. Ultimately, the decision is yours so don't let anyone else pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. I understand it can be difficult working out what to do or knowing what support will be there for the future, but there's some great support out there available to help you. I've listed some below:
Brook, a charity devoted to providing advice and support on pregnancy and contraception for young people. Brook also offers a text and webchat service.
Netmums – is an online community offering support to both mothers and fathers. I found a thread where other people have shared their experiences about being pregnant while at university that might be helpful to read through. I've linked it here.
If you want to talk things through confidentially, your GP or local sexual health clinic will be able to offer you some advice and support too.
Hope this helps, and do keep posting here whenever you need to. We are all here for you
- Lane