talk 4 - the positive pregnancy test-mrs. n. davidt

8/3/2019 Talk 4 - The Positive Pregnancy Test-mrs. n. Davidt

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Most clients still come to the pregnancy resource center for apregnancy test (or confirmation of a home pregnancy test, ortest before taking the so-called Morning-After Pill or MAP).

They are sexually active and are late for their period orworried that they will be late (some come in before theiractual period is due).

Most clients do not see fertility as a gift and do notunderstand how God has designed their bodies to work.


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Pregnancy test kits work bytesting for the hormone calledhuman chorionic gonadotrophin(HCG).


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FS H (follicle stimulating hormone)stimulates growth and maturation of afollicle.

As the follicle grows and matures, it secretes estrogen in increasingamounts.

The rising levels of estrogen exert negative feedback on the pituitary togradually lower the levels of FS H.

However, estrogen exerts a positive feedback effect on the hypothalamus.Thus, just before ovulation, the hypothalamus secretes a larger amount of

releasing hormone which causes the pituitary to secrete a burst of LH(leutinizing hormone).

The effect of this burst of LH on the mature follicle causes it to rupture,release the egg, and start to form a corpus luteum.


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After ovulation, LH stimulates the corpus luteum to secrete progesteroneand estrogen to prepare the uterus for implantation.

The rising/high levels of the estrogen-progesterone combination in theblood exert a negative feedback effect on the hypothalamus and pituitary,causing levels of LH to decrease.

As LH decreases, the corpus luteum starts to disintegrate.

Unless an embryo has implanted, near the end of the post-ovulatoryphase, without the stimulation of LH, the corpus luteum stops producingestrogen and progesterone. Thus the endometrium is no longer maintained

and begins to deteriorate and is shed.


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Unless an embryo has implanted, near the end of the post-ovulatory phase, without the stimulation of LH, the corpus luteumstops producing estrogen and progesterone.

Thus the endometrium is no longer maintained and begins todeteriorate and is shed.

Unless an embryo has implanted, near the end of the post-ovulatory phase, without the stimulation of LH, the corpus luteumstops producing estrogen and progesterone. Thus the endometriumis no longer maintained and begins to deteriorate and is shed.


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If an egg was fertilized, it begins to divide as ittravels down the F allopian tube, and theblastocyst that reaches the uterus is about 100cells in size and ready to implant in theendometrium.

If implantation is successful, the outerembryonic membrane, the chorion secretes

human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) which maintains the corpus luteumduring the first trimester of pregnancy. Excess HCG is excreted in thewomans urine, thus many pregnancy tests test for the presence of HCG inurine.

Pregnancy test kits work by testing for the hormone called human

chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). HCG is secreted by the human embryowhen it implants in the lining of the uterus, three to seven days afterconception. If a pregnancy test detects HCG in a womans urine, apositive test result appears.


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A urine pregnancy test that is only one indication of pregnancy.

It is not a medical confirmation of or diagnosis of pregnancy,which can only be done by a physician.

When there is a positive, we do proceed, however, as if theclient is pregnant.


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Many centers use pregnancywheels to help clients estimate pregnancy due dates.

These wheels give a quick calculation of an estimated due datebased on the first day of a clients last menstrual period.

It makes it real.


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: Some centers give out booties to clients at this point tomake a point that she is having a baby, a baby is somethingto celebrate and she needs to make preparation.

Goal of our Pregnancy Centers : to equip clients with basicpregnancy information so that they can assess their own situationsin anticipation of a formal pregnancy diagnosis

: Some give educational brochures or other general informationthat describes pregnancy and its symptoms

: Some ask clients to list or tell you her pregnancy symptoms for an intake form


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A positive test client should be referred for a confirmationor diagnosis of pregnancy from a physician.

If your center provides medical services, the client may beeligible, based on your centers criteria, for an ultrasoundto confirm pregnancy.

As a pregnancy center consultant, you cannot make amedical diagnosis or give medical advice of any kind.


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Th e key point is : Just as with the terms for humans who arealready born the child is a human being from the moment offertilization/conception

first a human embryo,then a human fetus,then an infant,then a youth,then an adolescent,and so forthuntil death.


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When discussing abortion, many people refer to anunborn child as a fetus.

Others, especially pro-life advocates, are careful to usechild or baby .

Embryo, fetus, and other words are medical/scientificterms used to distinguish stages of human physicaldevelopment before birth.


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You are unlikely to have reason to use technical terms whenyou talk with clients.

Simply refer to your child or your baby , your little girl , or your little boy.

You might occasionally use embryo or fetus, but shouldusually combine them with the more common phrases.

For example, a consultant showing client illustrations ofembryonic development might say,

I f you are four weeks pregnant, your c h ild is at t h eembryonic stage of development s h own in t h is picture.


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All the scientific evidence shows that a new human life begins atconception/fertilization, not at implantation

: Thus fertilization and conception are the same thing.Implantation is a later occurrence.

This is important to understand because the Morning-After Pill(or M AP), as well as the birth control pill, can work by preventingthe uterine lining from building properly so the embryo canimplant properly.

: If the new human being cannot implant in this uterinelining, it is aborted.


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T hus, the MAP can act as an abortifacient.

Its promoters, however, want to obscure that fact byinsisting that pregnancy occurs only at implantation andthat the human embryo is merely a pre-embryo.

(T

here is no such thing!)


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Does the clientknow who the

childs father is?

Is she still in arelationship withhim?

Does she wanthim to beinvolved in raisingthe child?

Does he want to beinvolved?


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The number one way to help a young mother who is trying toparent, is to get the father of her child involved.

T oo often, women who have

abortions do so to please the father of their child.


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Others arrange for men to be at thecenter to meet with the father to

discuss whether marriage is apossibility, to address issues of childsupport and visitation, potential jobtraining, an adoption plan, etc.

If the biological father will not beinvolved, does the mother have otherresponsible men who can provideessential masculine input into thechilds life?


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The most urgent needs for any pregnant woman whochooses the option of Parenting (continuing the pregnancy)include :

Knowledge about appropriate health and nutrition during pregnancy.


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The nutritional needs of the child are met only through themother, so she must make sure she eats wisely.


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Many other maternal medical factors can affect the child, rangingfrom positive factors such as proper exercise and sleep habits onthe one hand to negative factors such as alcohol use, prescriptionor non-prescription drug use, and smoking on the other


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The importance of visits to the doctor during pregnancy should beemphasized with every pregnant client.

If she does not currently have a physician, your center will have alist of pro-life physicians to whom she can be referred.


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There are many great brochures, websites, books and videos onhealthy pregnancy to give to your client or have her come back towatch on issues such as healthy diet, sleep, weight gain, exercise,breastfeeding, etc.

Check with your center on what materials you use or Heartbeat

can make recommendations.


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To best care for herself, she will need to understand the development ofher unborn child in the context of her own fertility cycle in order to make

appropriate choices.

All positive test clients (regardless of whether they are considering theOption of Abortion or Parenting) need to know about fetal development.

Use a good brochure or film on fetal development to help the clientunderstand the development of her baby.


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"G od Himself who said, 'It is not good for man to be alone(Genesis 2 : 18) and 'who made man from the beginningmale and female' ( Matthew 19 :4 ), wished to share with

man a certain special participation in hisown creative work. T hus He blessed male and female,saying : 'increase and multiply' ( G enesis 1 :2 9)."

By speaking of "a certain special participation " of man and womanin the "creative work " of God, the council wishes to point out thathaving a child is an event which is deeply human and full ofreligious meaning insofar as it involves both the spouses, who form"one flesh " (Genesis 2 : 24), and God, who makes Himself present.


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When a new person is born of the conjugal union ofthe two, he brings with him into the world aparticular image and likeness of God himself.

The genealogy of the person is inscribed in the verybiology of generation. In affirming that the spouses,as parents, cooperate with God the Creator inconceiving and giving birth to a new human being.

In affirming that the spouses, as parents, cooperatewith God the Creator in conceiving and giving birth toa new human being, we are


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F atherhood and motherhood quite differently than he ispresent in all other instances of begetting "on earth.

Indeed, God alone is the source of that "image and likeness " which is proper to the human being, as it was received atcreation.

Begetting is the continuation of creation.


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This is what the Bible teaches in direct and eloquent languagewhen it reports the joyful cry of the first woman, "the mother ofall the living " (Genesis 3 : 20).

Aware that God has intervened. Eve exclaims : "I have begotten a

man with the help of the Lord " (Genesis 4 : 1)

In procreation, therefore, through the communication of life fromparents to child, God's own image and likeness is transmitted,thanks to the creation of the immortal soul....

It is precisely in their role as co-workers with God who transmitshis image to the new creature that we see the greatness ofcouples who are ready "to cooperate with the love of the Creatorand the Savior, who through them will enlarge and enrich his ownfamily day by day. "

John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) (Washington, DC: Catholic News Service, Origins, April 6, 1995), Section 43.


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Your center can Ex tend and E mpower your help to this clientbeyond this first visit if your client is open to a life-affirmingoption.


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Parenting without Marriage A pregnant woman will need toexplore in depth her family and friend support system,

available community resources, her financial situation and future needs.

T his type of information helps her to realistically plan and think through this decision.

Your community referrals might include housing,healthcare, education, food, job training, legalassistance

One-on-one mentoring with a volunteer at your

centerParenting education classes provided at yourcenter or referred out

Childbirth education classes provided at yourcenter or referred out

Church and spiritual support


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Parenting With Marriage - A pregnant woman that comes in thecenter will often be unmarried.

Sometimes the marriage option should be explored and is bestdone if the father of the baby is willing to come with her to the

center for further education and discussion.

Community referrals and classes as listed aboveAdditionally you might train male volunteers to

mentor men in fatherhood and godly husband

rolesMarriage and relationship classes for couples atthe center or referred out


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Adoption A pregnant woman needs to be approached with great sensitivity and will often have strong negative feelingstoward this option initially.

Adoption is a positive life-affirming option for an unintended

pregnancy.


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It offers great joy to a couple longing and planning for a child,places the child back within Gods design for marriage andfamily and gives the birth mother the ability to selflesslychose a better future for her child by making an adoptionplan.

Do not rule out the adoption option even though a clientreacts to it negatively at first. Sometimes she is more open tothis option when she is five-months-along or so (and the babyand her challenges are more real to her).


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Community referrals for healthcare, housing asneeded

Adoption workbooks (Loving and Caring have manygood ones) for her to evaluate the reality of her life and the hopes and dreams for herfuture and for her child

Referrals to Christian adoption agencies for her tocheck out

Birthmother support group at the center orreferred

Maternity home referral


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T he role of the helperis to offer support andinformation to the

client but not make adecision for her.

We must rememberthe LOV E approachand maintain theintegrity of therelationship betweenhelper and client.

talk 4 - the positive pregnancy test-mrs. n. davidt

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