RSS Feed
April 26, 2017 11:08
Comments
April 26, 2017 11:02
Blogger
Alternatives to Abortion Services Program Helps Women in Pennsylvania
Based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives offers a comprehensive selection of parenting and pregnancy services as alternatives to abortion. In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Real Alternatives administers the state-wide Alternatives to Abortion Services program with the assistance of a government-provided grant.
The program serves pregnant women of all ages at no cost, with a focus on confidentiality and compassion. It operates through approximately 100 nonprofit pregnancy centers across Pennsylvania, who provide non- judgmental and nondiscriminatory services. Women experiencing a crisis pregnancy who feel pressured into making a decision to abort their child can turn to the program for counseling referrals in addition to pregnancy, parenting or adoption support.
A statewide team of 355 pregnancy professionals and trained counselors work with the program, and provide a range of social and education services designed to support pregnant women and their families. Services range from informational resources about parenting and childbirth to access to clothing pantries and housing assistance.
Reply
April 13, 2017 02:43
Your Rights in Regards to Abortion
Rights
Image: realalternatives.org
A non-profit organization, Real Alternatives focuses on providing support and resources to families and women in relation to parenting, sexual health, and pregnancy. Through its work, Real Alternatives highlights alternative choices to abortion and provides information about the rights of women, including those under 18, in regards to forced abortions. Sadly, 11 -14% of women who come to Real Alternatives programs in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan state someone has pressured them to abort. Real Alternatives offers the following advice for those who wish to prevent forced abortion:
1. Refuse to sign any documentation that indicates an agreement to an abortion, including any documents stating that you have received information.
2. Speak to medical professionals and make it clear that you don’t want the abortion and your rights receive protection under United States law. Remember that lawsuits are an option.
3. Find the address and phone number of your local county courthouse, which you can contact if you feel undue pressure is being placed on you to have an abortion.
4. Contact the state to discuss benefits assistance, particularly if refusing abortion results in the loss of financial support from parents. Take note that the father is liable to assist in supporting the child, even if he has offered to pay for abortion.
5. Contact Real Alternatives by calling 1-888-LIFE AID at any point to receive advice from a counselor.
April 2, 2017 14:09
Contraceptive Failure Rates and STDs
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
With state-wide programs in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana, Real Alternatives serves as a parenting and pregnancy support organization. For more than 20 years, Real Alternatives has helped hundreds of thousands of women. The sexual health quiz on its website highlights the potential for contraceptive failure.
According to the Contraceptive Failure in the First Two Years of Use: Differences Across Socioeconomic Subgroups study, which was conducted in 2001, 13 percent of women who use reversible methods of contraceptives, such as the birth control pill, will experience contraceptive failure, which could result in pregnancy or sexually-transmitted disease (STDs) in the first year of use. A further 8 percent will experience contraceptive failure during the second year of use.
The study also discovered that the effectiveness of contraceptives varied based on the woman’s race, age, poverty status, and relationship status. Of particular interest is the discovery that 21.1 percent of women under the age of 18 experience contraceptive failure that leads to unintended pregnancy.
The Center for Disease Control states the healthiest way for women to lower the incidence of sexually transmitted infections and unexpected pregnancy is to abstain from sexually activity until they are in a monogamous relationship. To effectively lower or prevent the risk of an unplanned pregnancy and/or becoming infected with a sexually transmitted infection which can lead to disease. Real Alternatives recommends the following:
First, delaying initiation of intercourse;
Second, reduce the number of partners you have if you are already sexually active; and
Third, decrease the frequency of intercourse you have if you are already sexually active.
March 17, 2017 19:08
Blogger
How Can I Help Real Alternatives?
Real Alternatives focuses on helping pregnant women choose adoption or parenting rather than abortion. Along with counseling and awareness initiatives, Real Alternatives provides pregnancy support programs and free parenting classes for parents of infants up to 1 year of age.
Certified as a “Best in America” charity by Independent Charities of America, Real Alternatives is dedicated to providing assistance to pregnant women and mothers by way of its hotline as well as through programs and services offered through its facilities in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana. In 2016 alone, Real Alternatives helped over 30,000 women.
Because Real Alternatives is a registered IRS 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, all donations to the organization are tax deductible. Additionally, individuals can donate vehicles to help Real Alternatives by going to http://www.realalternatives.org/Support/. To support the organization beyond financial gifts, Real Alternatives recommends spreading the word about its services and toll-free hotline, 1-888-LIFE AID.
March 17, 2017 19:06
Why Take Prenatal Vitamins?
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
Real Alternatives administers services through Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services programs in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana. A recognized nonprofit organization accredited with the Seal of Excellence, Real Alternatives has provided help to more than 300,000 women over the past two decades.
Prenatal vitamins are an important part of care when a woman finds out she is pregnant. Vitamins are crucial because they provide two nutrients important to a baby’s development but often lacking in diet alone – folic acid and iron.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps in the development of the baby’s neural system. By getting the proper amount of folic acid, the mother lowers the child’s risk of serious defects of the neural tubes as well as conditions such as spina bifida and cleft lip/palate.
Iron plays a significant role in the production of red blood cells. Mothers who don’t get enough iron in their diet run the risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia, which can lead to premature birth, low birth weight in the child, or in some cases, even death.
March 8, 2017 00:06
Blogger
The Miracle of an Unborn Baby’s Development
Real Alternatives reaches out to women and their families in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan to administer state-funded programs focused on pregnancy and parent education programs. The Harrisburg-based organization works through close to 100 centers in Pennsylvania and dozens of additional locations in the other two states. Real Alternatives’ services include distributing free pregnancy tests, offering compassionate and confidential counseling, and providing extensive connections to information on adoption.
The organization supports its pro-life perspective by referencing current scientific information on the unfolding of an unborn baby’s development in the womb.
The gender and genetic inheritance of a baby is determined at the moment of fertilization. As the baby’s body develops, it passes through three distinct trimesters.
In the first month of development, the baby already possesses the outline of a face. Nerve cells have begun to form, and circulation of the blood begins. During the initial trimester, the baby’s fingers, toes, and sense organs develop.
In the second trimester, a medical professional may be able to detect a heartbeat. The muscles and skeleton continue to strengthen, and the skin develops. The baby already has the ability to suck its fingers and can both hear and make swallowing movements.
During the third trimester, the baby frequently responds to outside stimuli. It often moves frequently, and lungs, brain, and reflexes have become finely developed.
March 8, 2017 00:02
How Real Alternatives Saves Taxpayer Money
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
A nonprofit that focuses on counseling women who are considering abortion, Real Alternatives operates throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania by offering advice, prenatal care, and support. The organization receives $7.2 million annually from Pennsylvania taxpayers to provide such services, with the Real Alternatives programs ensuring this cost is repaid many times over through the effectiveness of its programs, low administrative costs that fall below 8 percent, and excellent stewardship of the money that places financial accountability at the forefront.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of its programs, it refers to a 1999 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that suggests that each woman who received prenatal care saved $14,755 for the taxpayer that would otherwise have been spent on providing low birth weight babies with substantial medical care.
Adjusted for inflation, that figure increased to $20,767 in 2014. In that same year, programs operated by the organization provided prenatal care to 15,536, creating taxpayer savings of $322,636,112 as a return for the $7.2 million the organization received.
February 1, 2017 16:41
Blogger
Safeguarding Against STDs
Based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives boasts a network of more than 140 social serve centers in three states dedicated to supporting expectant mothers during their unexpected pregnancies and beyond. Real Alternatives also focuses on educating its clients about the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Every year, STDs impact the lives of nearly 20 million individuals in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health has determined that there are more than 26 different forms of these diseases, which makes the need for prevention greater than ever.
We need to be concerned about 26 known sexually transmitted infections that can turn into incurable diseases that cause cancer, infertility, or death. Some may mistakenly think that using a condom completely protects themselves. Though condoms provide some protection, they do not eliminate the risk completely. This is a dangerous and unhealthy situation in the middle of a medically known epidemic of sexually transmitted infections. The possible exposure to sexually transmitted diseases is tremendous. Education is perhaps one of the most powerful tools that can enable individuals to protect both themselves and their partners.
The Healthiest Choice:
Based on the serious dangers of today's sexually transmitted infection dangers, medical science and common sense have shown that the healthiest choice for young adults is to live a chaste lifestyle by abstaining from sexual activity until marriage.
By being informed of the dangers of a risky sexual lifestyle and the advantages of living a chaste lifestyle, you can effectively lower or prevent the risk of an unplanned pregnancy and/or becoming infected with a sexually transmitted infection which can lead to disease. You can do this by:
First, delaying initiation of intercourse;
Second, reduce the number of partners you have if you are already sexually active; and
Third, decrease the frequency of intercourse you have if you are already sexually active.
Accomplishing anyone of these goals logically results in a reduction in the risks of pregnancy, births, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Science has shown that there is only one way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy and from becoming infected with a sexually transmitted infection and disease....that is by practicing chastity resistance skills.
January 11, 2017 20:15
Blogger
Processing of Emotion for Birth Parents
Real Alternatives exists to provide life-affirming options to women working through an unexpected pregnancy. Real Alternatives provides compassionate care to women. Trained counselors discuss parenting, and share information about adoption. By listening to women and understanding a woman’s hopes, fears and dreams, Real Alternatives helps pregnant women at a very vulnerable period in her life.
Some women dealing with an unexpected pregnancy may not feel as though they are ready to parent a child, some lack resources, some don’t want to be alone in raising a child. For women seeking a way to provide for their child, adoption is a loving choice, another way of parenting their child. Many birth mothers who chose adoption will opt to have an open adoption. The birth mother will have the opportunity to choose the adoptive parents. The birth mother and the adoptive parents will have the opportunity to meet prior to the birth of the baby. This period of getting to know each other greatly eases fears and anxieties faced by both the birth mother and the adoptive parents. It is not uncommon for birth mothers and adoptive parents to be anxious about meeting each another and wanting to be liked.
Choosing the adoptive family has a very positive impact on the process. The birth mother will find comfort in knowing who is caring for her child. Sometimes, depending on the open adoption agreement, a birth mother may receive pictures of the baby and sometimes post-placement visits. This allows a birth mother to be reassured that her child is thriving in a loving environment. This is exactly what a birth mother wants for her child.
Adoptive parents often express sincere gratitude to the birth mother and recognize her sacrifice.
Ultimately, women who choose adoption, do not choose adoption out of selfishness but choose adoption out of selflessness.
January 11, 2017 20:14
Caring for Yourself as a New Mother
Through Real Alternatives, pregnant women find the resources they need to prepare for motherhood. Real Alternatives provides a number of supportive services that helps expectant mothers to care for both themselves and their babies.
After you have given birth to a child, self-care may not be the first thing on your list of priorities. However, wearing yourself down not only limits your ability to provide care but is detrimental to your own health and well-being.
It may not be easy to find the time to take care of yourself, but you can enjoy a few moments of quiet by resting when your baby sleeps. You may not be able to fall asleep yourself, but you can sit or lie down and meditate, read, or just relax.
Simple exercises also help you to feel your best physically. This may take the form of easy stretches, at-home yoga, or a walk around the block with your newborn. Getting out of the house also helps you to take care of your emotional needs, which include connection with others. New mothers need to have a community around them and to know that someone is available to listen to their struggles.
If you ever start to talk yourself out of attending to your own needs, remember that your own well-being is directly linked to your baby’s.
November 29, 2016 15:38
Important STD Prevention and Treatment Information
Real Alternatives is an organization dedicated to supporting women and families with a variety of issues related to pregnancy, parenting, and sexual activity. The Real Alternatives website, www.realalternatives.org, provides a wealth of information on sexually transmitted diseases.
The national epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) affect more than 19 million individuals throughout the United States, equating to over $16 billion in annual health costs. There are roughly two dozen distinct STDs a man or woman can contract, each with its own physiological or health effects.
There are a number of important facts individuals need to know when it comes to STD prevention and treatment. To start, STDs can be contracted by any sexually active person. While teenagers and young adults are most commonly diagnosed with STDs, individuals of any age or economic background can contract a disease following unprotected sexual intercourse.
Though symptoms of different STDs are often unnoticeable or infrequent, untreated STDs can escalate into serious, and sometimes fatal, health concerns. Women, for example, can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) as a result of untreated STDs, a condition that greatly increases the odds of infertility and can eventually become life threatening. Other STDs can increase a person’s chances of developing cancer.
The United Stated Center for Disease Control states that abstaining from oral, vaginal, and anal sex or to be in an a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner, is the the only completely effective method of preventing STD contraction. For individuals who are already sexually active, they should immediately seek to be tested for STDs.
Those who are sexually active can immediately lower their chances of contracting a STD if they 1) start limiting the frequency of their sexual activity; 2) limit the number of sexual partners they have; and 3) postpone sexual involvement until they are in long-term relationship with someone with out a sexual transmitted disease.
To learn more about STD prevention and treatment, as well as take a quiz on STD risk, visit www.realalternatives.org.
November 16, 2016 13:53
Self-Care During Pregnancy
As a non-profit organization, Real Alternatives helps pregnant women to find the resources that they need to carry a baby to term. Real Alternatives service providers work to ensure that clients stay healthy and safe during pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant, her body needs extra care. This includes a balanced diet that includes approximately 250 more calories than the expectant mother consumed before pregnancy. These extra calories should primarily consist of protein, though the diet must also include plenty of fresh produce and fiber.
Women with pregnancy-related nausea, commonly known as morning sickness, may find relief from ginger supplements. An obstetrician or midwife, who the expectant mother should see regularly for prenatal care, may also be able to advise on potential sources of relief.
Exercise can also help to make a pregnancy more comfortable. Experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of activity per day, though each woman should pay attention to her body’s signals and stop before exhaustion sets in. All exercise routines, regardless of length, should include water breaks to maintain hydration.
Hydration is also important as a regular daily routine, as it helps to keep the digestive system moving smoothly. Women with constipation may need extra fiber or a stool softener, while those who have leg or back pain may need to avoid standing for long periods of time. A pregnancy support band may also help with fatigue and low back pain. In general, pregnant women must be gentle with themselves and prioritize their own well-being, both for their babies and for themselves.
November 7, 2016 15:54
An Introduction to Developmental Milestones for Infants
After the successful birth of a healthy baby girl or boy, many parents begin to immediately look ahead to their child’s next important developmental milestone. While inadequate development may signal a health concern, parents must appreciate the fact that milestones are not exact and that all children develop at different rates.
The first series of developmental milestones generally play out around 3 months of age. Around this time, infants should start lifting their heads and chests when left on the floor, a precursor to crawling. Three-month-old children should move other body parts when stimulated, while voices and other activities should prompt facial responses. Around six months, milestones focus on the child’s interactions with the surrounding environment. The child should, for instance, reach out for favorite toys when they are nearby and laugh when having a positive interaction with another person.
Around nine months, developmental milestones become more nuanced. If a toy is taken from a child and placed, for example, behind a pillow, the child should make attempts to move the pillow and reclaim the toy. Children should also begin feeding themselves smaller pieces of food, such as Cheerios, and can begin to stand up on their own around this age. Stranger anxiety also starts to begin around nine months.
Talking and walking are arguably the two most important milestones for parents. Walking can occur anywhere from 9 to 18 months, though some 18-month-olds may be running while others are taking their first timid steps. Talking, on the other hand, begins as early as six months as children use different sounds to identify different items or emotions. This may not develop into full speech for some time, as a 36-month-old child may still be talking in three or four word sentences.
October 18, 2016 01:55
Real Alternatives Recognized for Innovation
Working with the Department of Health and Human Services in several states, Real Alternatives is a charitable organization responsible for administering the Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services program. The program has been recognized as one of the area’s most innovative nonprofit organizations. Real Alternatives was selected as a finalist for its state-of-the-art Automated Program Outcomes Measure. This innovation tracks the results of each client interaction. Because the outcomes are measurable, program analysis is more efficient and accurate, and critical data is available to identify program enhancements.
Sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal, the Nonprofit Innovation Awards are held each year to recognize local 501(c)(3) organizations who have demonstrated innovation in their daily operations. Finalists can be selected for recognition in one of five categories including brand identity/unique marketing, management operations, programs, collaboration, and nonprofit leadership excellence.
October 4, 2016 00:34
Blogger
Employment at a Nonprofit
A nonprofit organization created to support women throughout pregnancy and beyond, Real Alternatives opened its doors in 1996. Real Alternatives relies on an approved network of nonprofit community agencies to help it provide pregnancy and parenting support services for its clients. Over 285,000 women in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan have been provided compassionate care over the last 20 years through these Real Alternatives programs.
Nonprofit agencies, by definition, must provide a particular benefit to the public, and often further educational and or charitable causes. Real Alternatives programs do just that. Funding the work of hundreds of counselors throughout the three states, as well as volunteers, salaried employees serve as the backbone of a nonprofit, facilitating volunteers and creating organization and focus to advance the mission of the cause. For those with government contracts, salaried employees ensure contract compliance, high program performance and accountability for taxpayers.
Nonprofit employee salaries are often less than those of a for-profit counterpart. In cases where the nonprofit employs more than 100 people and involves government contracting, there is more parity in salaries between nonprofit and for-profit jobs. Additionally, despite the tax exempt status of nonprofit organizations, all employment taxes are still withheld from employees' earnings.
October 4, 2016 00:30
PANO Standards for Excellence Program
A pregnancy and parenting support organization created for women, Real Alternatives offers services throughout Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana. Within the state of Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives has received three consecutive Standards of Excellence accreditations from the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO).
PANO offers nonprofits in its state the opportunity to participate in the Standards for Excellence program, which aims to strengthen nonprofits’ business practices while furthering their respective causes. In order to help nonprofits operate at the highest level and ultimately achieve accreditation, the program provides resources that assist organizations with implementing the Standards for Excellence code.
Focused on ethics and accountability, the code comprises six guiding principles that incorporate information related to human resources, board governance, financial controls, regulatory and legal compliance, and a number of other areas. To assess the efficacy of different divisions of the nonprofit, the program offers educational materials in the form of training, checklists, and evaluation tools.
September 22, 2016 03:14
Placing a Child for Adoption
At Real Alternatives, experienced and caring individuals are available to help women who are facing unexpected pregnancy. Real Alternatives has the resources to connect these women with professionals who can help them through the adoption process.
Placing a child for adoption begins with a decision. The mother or expectant mother must choose whether she is ready to become a parent, and this can take some time. An experienced agency can help provide guidance throughout this process, but the mother should never feel any pressure.
Once the birth mother has made the decision to place the child, a licensed adoption agency can help her to develop a detailed adoption plan. This includes choosing if and how the mother will receive communications from the adoptive family. The birth mother will also receive assistance in creating a strategy for her hospital stay, deciding what type of adoptive family she would most like, and securing the resources necessary to have a healthy pregnancy.
Although it is not legally mandated for the birth mother to choose an adoptive family, many women find the process rewarding. The agency typically sends profiles of potential adoptive parents and allows the birth mother to select those with which she wants to have a deeper conversation.
The chosen adoptive family often becomes a part of the child’s life right from the start. Adoption specialists contact the family when the mother enters labor, and the adoptive family takes the child home from the hospital. There may be continuing contact with the child, depending on the type of adoption agreed to, but the birth mother is still likely to need strong emotional support after the decision to place her baby for adoption.
September 13, 2016 17:54
Support Tips for First-Time Parents
Real Alternatives provides a variety of resources to help pregnant women choose adoption or parenting over abortion. Among the many services available from Real Alternatives are pregnancy support and free parenting classes for parents of infants up to 12 months of age.
Caring for a newborn can be overwhelming, especially when the baby is your first. Preparation can help a great deal, particularly if such a process involves infant care classes. Such classes can teach a new parent how to change a diaper, feed and burp the baby, and soothe a crying infant.
It is similarly crucial for you to have help after the baby is born. All new parents must have people to whom they feel comfortable asking questions, whether those people are friends and family or the pediatrician and hospital staff. Loved ones may also ask what they can do to help out, and this is an ideal time to make such specific requests as help with meal preparation or errands.
New parents also tell of the importance of self-care. If you rest when the baby does, and arrange to take a break when you very much need one, you will be more available and will feel better mentally. Finally, if you feel as though your emotions might overwhelm you and put your baby in danger, your priority should be to find safe care for the child and get help for yourself immediately.
August 31, 2016 13:29
Republican VP Nominee Governor Mike Pence Endorses Real Alternatives
Indiana Governor Mike Pence
Image: irtl.org
Real Alternatives is a Pennsylvania-based provider of parenting and pregnancy support services spanning several states. Focused on providing no-cost, confidential counseling and prenatal care education, Real Alternatives emphasizes a life-affirming approach to reproductive health education.
In July 2016, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, the Republican nominee for vice president, appeared on The O’Reilly Factor and made a firm endorsement of pregnancy help organizations that rely on community funding. The context was a question on the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which made abortion on-demand legal across the United States. Pence urged that this issue be decided at the state level and noted that recent pro-life community gains are changing the status quo.
Governor Pence referred to a prominent $1 million pilot program in his state. Operated by Real Alternatives, this program served the needs of nearly 8,500 clients in 2015. The success of the program led to funds totaling $3.5 million being allocated to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families use in 2016. He noted that this funding came as women held senior leadership roles within his state government, with their accomplishments recognized and celebrated.
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
Since the 1990s, Real Alternatives has provided expectant and new mothers with free counseling, classes, and resources via its website and network of nonprofit centers. Operating predominantly in Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives can help women make wise prenatal decisions to ensure the health of their babies. Here are some useful prenatal tips for women.
1. Folic acid. Ensure your child’s healthy development, particularly during the early stages of pregnancy, by ingesting between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid daily. Numerous multivitamins contain folic acid and it is also available as a specialty prenatal vitamin.
2. Control your eating. Though you’re eating for two, you don’t need to double your caloric intake. In fact, you only need an additional 200 calories per day during the first trimester, and an additional 300 in the second and third trimesters.
3. Speak to your doctor. Visit your doctor regularly to check on the fetus’ progress. Further, consult with your doctor prior to taking any new medicines, including herbal products and over-the-counter medications, to ensure your baby doesn’t experience any unintended side-effects.