In the movies and on TV, finding out that you’re pregnant is usually a moment for celebration. Actors smile, cry tears of joy, and hold each other as they dream of their rosy future.

In reality, more than half of all American pregnancies are unintended, or unplanned. Which means that pregnancy is probably just as often a source of anxiety, fear and uncertainty.  If you’re in that situation right now, you’re definitely not alone. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that studies reproductive health in America, 51% of all pregnancies in Connecticut are unintentional.

Help For Pregnant Women In Connecticut

In this guide, we’ll help you find the resources and services you need to keep yourself and your baby healthy. All of the programs we mention are based in Connecticut, or offered only to residents of the state, and most are free or pay-what-you-can.

Free Pregnancy Tests

In Hartford, you can receive a free, urine pregnancy test, which are very accurate, at Hartford GYN Center. Their tests are offered on a walk-in basis so you can just visit their office and get one. Here’s their address:

Hartford GYN administers free tests from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Mondays and Fridays, and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

In Bridgeport and Stamford, you can find Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center, another company that offers free pregnancy tests. You’ll have to schedule an appointment at Hopeline, and you can do so by following the link below:

  • 4749 Main Street
    Bridgeport, CT 06606
    203.540.5225

 

  • 838 High Ridge Road
    Stamford, CT 06905
    203.890.9229

http://www.hopelineprc.com/

Consider Your Options

You know that you’re pregnant, but the future isn’t set in stone. There are several options, including adoption, abortion and parenting, but which one is right for you?

Our counselors are available 24 / 7 to discuss your situation and begin thinking about the choices ahead of you. We don’t have an agenda, and won’t try to convince you that one option is better than another. We just want to know your story, your dreams, and help you get there. Call 1-855-711-1609; our services are always free.

Free Prenatal Care

Finding quality prenatal care, health care before your baby is born, is the most important thing you can do. Even if you’re considering an abortion, pregnancy complications can severely harm your own health. Connecticut has two federal programs that help low-income women and families get affordable, or free, prenatal care.

Connecticut Healthy Start

Connecticut’s Healthy Start program does three things:

  1. Offers free health insurance to pregnant women who meet certain qualifications, most importantly income level. To get insurance through Healthy Start, you need to be at or below 185% of the poverty level. Right now, if it’s just you in your household, you’ll need to make $21,589.50 or less every year to qualify. For a table displaying the poverty level for other family sizes, click here.
  2. Helps you find a doctor near you.
  3. Helps you find “community resources.” We’ll discuss those in a moment.

Everything you receive from Healthy Start is free of charge.

HUSKY

Husky is Connecticut’s free or low-cost health insurance program for kids. When you sign up for Healthy Start, your baby will be automatically enrolled in Husky for one year after birth, and you can renew your coverage through Husky after that.

You can find an application form that covers both Healthy Start and Husky here.

Community Health Centers (CHC)

When you sign up for Healthy Start, you’re getting insurance, which allows you to visit a network of covered doctors, receive care, and have the costs paid by the government. You can also go a different route, and visit a Community Health Center. CHCs are dedicated to offering free health care (not insurance) to uninsured or underinsured patients, including pregnant women.

Almost every city in Connecticut has at least one CHC, and many have more than that. One network, Community Health Center, Inc., has 13 locations throughout CT, with offices in:

  • Bristol
  • Clinton
  • Danbury
  • Enfield
  • Groton
  • Meriden
  • Middletown
  • New Britain
  • New London
  • Norwalk
  • Old Saybrook
  • Stanford
  • Waterbury

You can find addresses and phone numbers for each location here.