What you need to know:
Abuse is never okay. And it often gets worse during pregnancy.

Abuse can be:
  • Sexual
  • Physical: hitting, kicking or pushing you
  • Emotional: yelling at you, scaring you or calling you names

Living in an abusive relationship can harm you and your baby. Your baby could be physically injured, or you could miscarry or have preterm labor.

If you are being abused, know that you are not alone. Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.


What you can do:
If you are in a relationship where you are in danger of being harmed, get help. Call a hotline or ask your health care provider or another trusted person to help you make a plan. You might be feeling very scared at the thought of leaving, but you’ve got to do it for yourself and your baby.
 
 
Domestic Violence / Abuse


  
  © 2008 March of Dimes Foundation. All rights reserved. The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.