Single working pregnant women and family help during pregnancy

Single pregnant women: If you are pregnant and on your own, it is important that there are people who can support you. Sorting out problems, whether personal or medical, is often difficult when you are by yourself, and it’s better to find someone to talk to rather than to let things get you down. You may find it encouraging to meet other mothers who have also gone through pregnancy on their own.

Don’t feel that, just because you don’t have a partner, you have to go to antenatal visits and cope with labor on your own. You have as much right as anyone else to take whoever you like – a friend, sister, or perhaps your mum. Involve your ‘labor partner’ in antenatal classes if you can, and let them know what you want from them. Ask your midwife if there are antenatal classes in your area that are run especially for single women.

Think about the people who can help and support you. If there is no one who can give you support, it might help to discuss your situation with a social worker. Your midwife can refer you or you can contact the social services department of your local council directly.

Help and support

Thecoupleconnection.net is an innovative new service developed by One Plus One, the UK’s leading relationships research facility. Thecoupleconnection.net has been designed to help couples to cope with changes and to strengthen their relationships.

One Parent Families/Gingerbread

One Parent Families/Gingerbread helps one parent families that has a network of local groups which can offer you advice. They will be able to put you in touch with other mothers in a similar situation.

Your local Jobcentre Plus or Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) will be able to give you more advice. If you have housing problems, contact your local CAB or your local housing advice centre. Ask your local authority at the town hall for the address.

Pregnant women and relationships    

Pregnancy is a special time for you and your partner, but there may be a lot of people around you who are interested in your baby, such as your parents, sisters, brothers and friends.

People can offer a great deal of help in all sorts of ways, and you will probably be very glad of their interest and support. Sometimes it can feel as if they are taking over. If so, it can help everyone if you explain gently that there are some decisions that only you and your partner can take, and some things that you would prefer to do on your own.

You may also find that being pregnant puts you on the receiving end of a lot of advice, and perhaps a bit of criticism too. Sometimes the advice is helpful, sometimes not. Sometimes the criticism can really hurt. The important thing is to decide what is right for you – it is your pregnancy and your baby.

More advices

Your local Families Service (which may be called something else in your local area) can inform you about registered childcare, free early education places and other services available in your area.

You can contact them. You can also search for your local Families Service.

Working during pregnancy  

If you work, and you like the people you work with, you may have mixed feelings when you go on maternity leave. Try to make the most of these few weeks to enjoy doing the things you want to do at your own pace.

It is also a good opportunity to make some new friends. You may meet other mothers at antenatal classes or you may get to know more people living close by.

You may have decided that you are going to spend some time at home with your baby, or you may be planning to return to work, either full or part-time, fairly soon after the birth. If you think that you will be going back to work, you need to start thinking about who will look after your baby in advance.

It is not always easy to find satisfactory childcare arrangements, and it may take you some time.

You may have a relative willing to look after your child. If not, you should contact your Families Service for a list of registered childminders and nurseries. You may also want to think about organizing care in your own home, either on your own or sharing with other parents.

Care in your own home does not need to be registered, but you should make sure that your carer is experienced and trained to care for babies. However, if you are to claim financial help with the costs, either through tax credits or tax relief on help from your employer, the carer must be approved through the Childcare Approval Scheme.