This website has been set up to help both women and men faced with unplanned pregnancies, to find the information and help they need.
Our team offers support online, on the phone or they will refer you to a local organization. The local organization will help you make an informed decision when it comes to the unplanned pregnancy.
How to reach us
We are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Call us on 0800 6160. You can also send us an e-mail via contact. All team members speak English.
What are my options?
If you are pregnant, you have 4 options:
Abortion
You choose to end the pregnancy. This is called an abortion. The way to end the pregnancy depends on how far along you are and what feels as the best solution for you. Ending your pregnancy is possible until 22 weeks. If you’re between 22 and 24 weeks pregnant, a doctor may decide whether an abortion is still possible.
Even if you're under 18, an abortion can be an option for you. If you're 16 or 17 years old, you're allowed to make your own decision. If you are under 16, you will likely need your parents' permission to have an abortion.
You can read more information in the brochure 'I'm pregnant. What should I do?'
Raising the child yourself
You can choose to have the baby and take care of it yourself. During the pregnancy, it's possible that you may experience some mixed emotions and have lots of questions. This is why it’s a good thing to get things organized. Raising the child is something you don't have to do alone. You can get support from your partner and your parents, and there are organisations that can help you.
Even if you’re under 18, you can choose to carry on with your pregnancy and take care of the child yourself. However, you will not have parental authority over the child until you turn 18.
Foster care
You choose to have the baby, but the child will be raised by foster carers. Alternatively, there is also the option of temporary foster care. Your child will be brought up by foster parents until you make a final decision. You keep in touch with your child. Arrangements are made on how these contact moments are managed. This option can also be considered if you’re under 18.
Adoption
You choose to carry on with the pregnancy, but give up the child for adoption after birth. At the moment of adoption, the legal and social relationship with your child is terminated. It is important to give this a good thought. Many different organizations offer adoption support.
You can't give up your child if you're under 18. The child will be placed with a foster family until you become of age and you can officially give up the child for adoption.
You can read more information about adoption in the brochure 'Giving up a child for adoption'. This brochure is also available in French, Polish and Arabic.
Do I need to pay for an abortion?
You do not have to pay for an abortion if you live and work in the Netherlands legally. In that case, treatment at an abortion clinic is paid for by a special subsidy for clinics under the Wlz (long-term care act).
If you are staying in the Netherlands temporarily or illegally (undocumented) and do not have health insurance, you will have to pay the costs of an abortion yourself. If you don’t have enough money to pay, you can contact Dokters van de Wereld or Women on Waves (up to 9 weeks of pregnancy). They will work with you to see what is possible.
Undocumented migrant
When you are an undocumented migrant and in need of medical care you have the right to health care in The Netherlands. For all non-emergency care, such as care in case of an unplanned pregnancy, you can contact a general practitioner in your area of residence.
If you need assistance in finding medical help the Dutch organization Dokters van de Wereld can help. Their consultations are free of charge and confidential. More information about the organization can be found on their website.
Role of the man during the decision-making process
If your girlfriend or partner got pregnant, which was not meant to happen, this may have a big impact on your life as well. Your future may now seem very different from what you had in mind. Many women want to involve the man when they’re making a decision. But eventually it is the woman who will make the final choice on whether she will continue or end the pregnancy. If the woman’s choice is not the same as yours, this may be a challenge. You will find yourself in a situation in which you are no longer in control about your life. After all, it is the woman who decides whether you will become a father or not.
It is important to keep communicating if you want to help her make a decision. Listen to each other and try not to judge. Instead, allow yourself and her some space to think and readjust your ideas. This offers the best chances of going through the process together.
An independent and unbiased counsellor can help you organize all the information and thoughts that are involved in making a decision. You can attend a counselling session together. During the meeting, the counsellor will listen to the points of view of both the man and the woman. It is also possible to schedule an individual counselling meeting.
What is counselling?
If you are faced with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, you can get help to make a decision about your or your partner’s pregnancy. There are organizations all over The Netherlands where you can get counselling to discuss the available options for dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. All counsellors know a lot about pregnancies and the available options. Contact a counsellor via telephone, (video) chat, WhatsApp or make an appointment at a location near you.
What organizations offer these services?
There are many different organizations that can help you make a decision. Choose a location on the map to find your nearest counselling organization.
Help after the decision
Whatever choice you make about an unintended pregnancy, it is one that seems best to you at this moment in your life. You make a choice with what you know at that time, what you can handle and how you see the future. There is no right or wrong. When something new happens in your life, it can cause you to look back on the decision you made. A new relationship may cause you to look differently at your choice of raising yourself, foster care or adoption. Or you may find that you now have a desire to have a child, when you have chosen to have an abortion.
Should this make you sad or emotional, it is important to find someone you can talk to. A family member, a friend or your GP. Someone who does not judge you and understands what you are going through. If you have emotional complaints after an abortion, there is help available. You can contact a counsellor via telephone, videocall, or make an appointment at a location near you.
What organizations offer counselling after abortion?
There are many different organizations that can help you after a abortion. Choose a location on the map to find your nearest counselling organization.
Do you want more information or help?
Please contact us via 0800 6160 or chat.