If you can't keep a baby, options include adoption, foster care, or kinship care, all of which provide permanent or temporary care, with adoption transferring legal rights to adoptive parents. If pregnant, you can also consider an abortion to end the pregnancy, or seek support to parent the child, exploring financial/emotional aid, family, or support networks. Resources like social workers, pregnancy counsellors, and support lines can help you decide and access help, emphasizing that no decision is "wrong" as long as it's right for you.
Call your local Planned Parenthood to make an appointment for options counseling. Your options are keeping the baby, giving the baby up for adoption, or aborting the fetus. Don't wait! If you decide on abortion, the earlier done, the better. At your stage of pregnancy, an abortion would look like a heavy period.
The 5-3-3 rule is a loose guideline for structuring a baby's sleep schedule: 5 hours of wake time before the first nap, 3 hours of wake time before the second nap, and 3 hours before bedtime.
Build a support network
Try thinking of one or two people who you'd feel comfortable asking for emotional and practical support. This might be a friend or a family member. Or someone else that you and your children trust. If you're finding it hard to cope and need support, let people know as early as you can.
Giving the child up for adoption is the only option. Let your doctor know your plans and their office can help you get in touch with the right people to make thst happen. They can make it a smooth, seamless transition for you.
That is, the true population base rate of explicitly regretting having one's child(ren) is between 1.55% and 6.59%. Similarly, it can be calculated that the true population base rate of implicitly acknowledging regretting having one's children is between -22.6% and 32.9%.
The 7-7-7 rule of parenting generally refers to dedicating three daily 7-minute periods of focused, undistracted connection with your child (morning, after school, bedtime) to build strong bonds and make them feel seen and valued. A less common interpretation involves three developmental stages (0-7 years of play, 7-14 years of teaching, 14-21 years of advising), while another offers a stress-relief breathing technique (7-second inhale, hold, exhale).
The "3-3-3 Rule" for kids is a simple mindfulness technique to manage anxiety by grounding them in the present moment: first, name three things they can see; next, identify three sounds they hear; and finally, move three different parts of their body. This engages their senses, shifts focus from worries, and helps them regain control when feeling overwhelmed, like during test anxiety or social situations.
The "9-minute rule" in parenting, or the 9-Minute Theory, suggests that focusing on three specific 3-minute windows each day creates significant connection and security for children: the first three minutes after they wake up, the three minutes after they return from school/daycare, and the last three minutes before sleep, emphasizing distraction-free, quality time to boost well-being and reduce parental guilt.
The 40-day rule after birth, often called confinement or "The Golden Month," is a widespread cultural tradition emphasizing a mother's deep rest, healing, and bonding with her newborn, with family often handling chores and visitors, promoting physical recovery (like stopping bleeding) and mental well-being, rooted in ancient practices from Asia, Latin America, and religious traditions like Judaism and Christianity. Key aspects involve nourishing the mother, sheltering her from stress, and focusing solely on resting and bonding, a stark contrast to Western pressures to "bounce back" quickly.
Babies start in 'active sleep' (with faster, uneven breathing) and move into a deeper sleep after about 20 minutes. That's a good time to transfer them into their sleeping place. Many babies don't like being put down into a cot.
SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.
The hardest week with a newborn is often considered the first six weeks, especially weeks 2-3, due to extreme sleep deprivation, constant feeding demands, learning baby's cues, postpartum recovery, and a peak in inconsolable crying (the "witching hour"), making parents feel overwhelmed as they adjust to a new, exhausting routine. While the first week is tough, the challenges often intensify as the baby becomes more alert but still fussy, with major developmental hurdles like cluster feeding and increased fussiness peaking around 6-8 weeks.
This type of abortion can be performed in the early weeks of pregnancy (up to 9 weeks). Medication abortion uses a combination of 2 medications – mifepristone and misoprostol – to end an unplanned pregnancy. Medication abortion is a low-risk, non-invasive way to terminate (end) a pregnancy. It is around 99% effective.
If you feel unable to look after your child
It's not always easy to admit to yourself or other people when you feel like you can't cope. Support services are there to help you, not judge you. Telling someone what you're going through is the first step to getting support.
1-2-3 Magic divides the parenting responsibilities into three straightforward tasks: controlling negative behavior, encouraging good behavior, and strengthening the child-parent relationship. The program seeks to encourage gentle, but firm, discipline without arguing, yelling, or spanking.
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The Golden Rules for Children – Helping to Keep Life Simple!
Giving 20% of your attention will lead to 80% of quality time spent with your children. Your children crave your attention—not all of it; just 20%. Your attention is split into multiple areas: work, your marriage, your kids, your side hustle.
What Is a Good Mother?
Children exposed to maladaptive parenting, including harsh discipline and child abuse, are at risk of developing externalizing behavior problems (Cicchetti & Manly, 2001; Gershoff, 2002; Lansford et al., 2002) or aggressive and disruptive reactions to experiences of stress (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1981; Campbell, Shaw, ...
“Few childfree people feel a kind of cold regret. They might sometimes fantasise about how their life would have turned out if they'd had children - while still knowing they made the right choice for themselves and their life.”
The American Sociological Association recently conducted a study on this very topic and found that parents are more likely to be depressed than their childfree counterparts. In fact, people without kids were happier than any other group, including empty nesters.
Recent research suggests that as many as 7 – 8% of parents experience some type of regret after having children. You might regret having kids as a result of the massive changes and pressures that come with new parenthood. It can even be a symptom of postpartum depression (PPD).