Having Kids — or Not

What it is

Planning whether and when to have children, and parenting in a kinder way than you may have known.

Why it helps you

This is one of life’s biggest choices, and it’s fully yours. If you do parent, you can break the cycle.

Good to have first

Sexual and Reproductive Health.

This opens up

A family on your own terms.

Where to get help

Birth control and checkups

Find a Title X family planning clinic Title X (“Title Ten”) is a federal program that helps clinics offer birth control, pregnancy tests, STI tests, and checkups. Prices are based on your income, so people with little or no income often pay little or nothing.

Cost: Free or low cost, based on income
Who can use it: Anyone. You don’t need insurance.
How to start: Type in your ZIP code or city. Call a clinic near you and ask, “Do you offer birth control on a sliding fee scale?”
Good to know: Some clinics have closed or changed services since 2025, so call before you go. If you are on a family member’s insurance and don’t want them to know, tell the clinic. Ask them not to bill that insurance or call or mail your family’s home. See also Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Bedsider A friendly website that explains every kind of birth control: how it works, how well it works, side effects, and how to get it. It is run by Power to Decide, a national nonprofit.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Anyone
How to start: Open “Compare birth control” to see your options side by side.
Good to know: Some methods last for years and no one else can see them, like an IUD or an implant. That can matter if someone might tamper with your birth control.

If you are pregnant and not sure what to do

All-Options Talkline Trained listeners talk with you about pregnancy, parenting, adoption, abortion, or loss. They support your own choice and don’t push you toward any one path.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Anyone
How to start: Call 1-888-493-0092. You can say, “I’m pregnant and I don’t know what to do.”
Good to know: Open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern time). You don’t have to give your name.

Charley A private online chat that explains your abortion options based on where you live, even in states where abortion is banned.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Anyone in the US
How to start: Open the website and start the chat. It asks where you live and when your last period started.
Good to know: It is a chatbot, not a person. Use a device no one else checks.

M+A Hotline Doctors and nurses answer questions by phone or text if you are having a miscarriage (losing a pregnancy) or taking abortion pills.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: People in the US
How to start: Call or text 1-833-246-2632.
Good to know: Open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern time (5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific). They don’t sell pills. If you have very heavy bleeding, a high fever, or bad pain, go to an emergency room.

Support for new parents

Nurse-Family Partnership A free program that matches first-time moms with a nurse. The nurse visits during pregnancy and until the baby turns 2, and helps with feeding, sleep, safety, and your own goals.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: People pregnant with their first baby who meet income rules. You must sign up before 29 weeks of pregnancy. It is offered in many areas, but not everywhere.
How to start: Call or text 1-844-637-6667 and ask if there is a nurse in your area.
Good to know: You can sign up as soon as you know you’re pregnant. The program is now run by a group called Changent.

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline A federal hotline for anyone who is pregnant or has a new baby and feels sad, worried, or overwhelmed.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Pregnant people, new parents, and their families
How to start: Call or text 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-TLC-MAMA).
Good to know: Open 24/7 in English and Spanish, with interpreters for many other languages. For peer support groups, you can also call Postpartum Support International at 1-800-944-4773.

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline If you feel close to hurting your child, or you were abused as a child and are afraid of repeating it, counselors will talk with you without judging you.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Anyone worried about a child or affected by child abuse
How to start: Call 1-800-422-4453, or text or chat from the website.
Good to know: Open 24/7. If you’re at your limit with a crying baby, put the baby down safely in the crib and step away for a few minutes. Then call.

If you only do one thing first

If you don’t want to get pregnant right now, find a Title X clinic near you on reproductivehealthservices.gov and call to ask about birth control. It is your choice whether and when to have children, and a clinic can help you keep that choice in your hands.

Watch out for

Fake clinics. Some places that offer “free pregnancy tests” or “options counseling” are not medical clinics. Many exist to talk people out of abortion and may not follow medical privacy laws. Before you go, ask, “Do you have a doctor or nurse on staff? Do you offer or refer for birth control and abortion?”
Harsh “training” books. Some parenting books passed around in strict religious groups teach hitting babies or ignoring their hunger to make them “obedient.” Doctors warn these methods can cause serious harm. Babies cry because they need something, not to be bad.
Someone pushing you to get pregnant. Hiding or throwing away your birth control, or pressuring you to get pregnant or stay pregnant, is a form of abuse. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Being watched online. Searches about pregnancy or birth control on a shared phone or computer can be seen by others. Use a library computer or a device no one else checks.