The Abortion Pill FAQs: 3 Thing to Know

1.) I already bought an at-home pregnancy test. Why do I need to come in and be tested with you?

The pregnancy tests offered by Thrive Women’s Clinic are lab-quality, high-sensitivity tests with instant results. Our tests are the best medical-grade quality that are available to medical professionals.

At Thrive Women’s Clinic, our pregnancy tests are up to 99% accurate and:

• are done in a clinical and private setting with licensed medical professionals
• results will be shared with you during your appointment
• are a part of our pre-abortion screening process for women considering abortion in Dallas

2.) I am 16, does a parent have to come with me for my appointment when considering abortion in Dallas?

No, you may come in without your parents knowing. Even though you are a minor, you have the right to confidential help. We can’t provide your records to any person without written authorization from you. This is done to protect your privacy during a time that you need a discreet place to discuss your options.

3.) What do you mean that I “may not need an abortion”? How can you tell?

Many women can avoid a decision about what to do with their unplanned pregnancy, because many end naturally in a miscarriage. A limited ultrasound exam done by an experienced and licensed medical professional at Thrive Women’s Clinic can determine if it appears that your body may be preparing the pregnancy for a miscarriage. Who wants to go through the pain, cost and risk of an abortion if it’s not necessary?

At Thrive Women’s Clinic, we know you have the power and the right to choose what’s best for you. Regardless of what you’re considering, from abortion to adoption, we provide all the education and resources you will need to make the best decision. We are here for you. All of our services are no charge with no insurance required. Call us at 214.343.9263 or schedule online with us today!

SPRING CLEANING >> Everyone loves the first half of this word, spring, because we think of warmer days and bright sunshine. Yet we dread the second half of this word, cleaning… But why? Cleaning signifies a bright and refreshing start! Learn how spring cleaning can be fun and not so daunting with these three tips.

Create a Check List: Make a list of each room or project you want to accomplish, listing them in order of importance. Place your first priority at the top so it’s sure to be accomplished! Place a box or circle next to each item so as you accomplish them you can physically check them off your list. This helps you track your progress and you feel rewarded after completing a task.

Take Inventory: Be sure to go through your cleaning supplies before starting. Do a mental walk through of each room you plan to clean and think about what items you may need. If you begin cleaning without the proper supplies, this will force you to stop and head to the store. This will halt your progress and may interrupt your focus.

Set Your Environment: Skip the coffee this morning and let your environment wake you up! Open all your blinds and windows, let the sun shine through and soak up the vitamin D.  Then find your favorite music playlist and crank up the volume – you’ll be an unstoppable cleaning queen!

Room by room, line by line, your check list will get smaller and then all of a sudden, you’re done! What a great feeling of accomplishment. Now you can grab a refreshing cup of lemonade, kick your feet up and enjoy your wonderful clean home.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Was it just me, or did your mom always pester you to make your bed every morning, too?  “It takes 2 minutes!” “You aren’t going to get to go to that event you’re looking forward to if you don’t start making your bed each morning!” “I’m done buying you the things that you ask me to buy until you start taking the time to make your bedroom look better.” – Love, Mom

But really… when I was younger, my mom insisted that I make my bed.  And I just didn’t understand.  I always had the same response, “Mom, I am literally going to crawl back in it in 14 hours.”

Somehow, that was never good enough.

As I have grown up, and I have my own home now, I suddenly know what my mom was doing.  She wasn’t just asking that I make my bed… she knew that if I could make making my bed a habit, it would do so much more for me.  Here’s what making the bed each morning says about you:

• You’re a very productive person. If you get up every morning and you make your bed a priority, instead of scrolling through your phone, you’re already off to a more productive start for the day.
• You have self-discipline. If you make your bed a priority, you are choosing to spend 5 minutes of your morning making your bed instead of wasting those 5 minutes elsewhere.  Whether that be scrolling on your phone, or messing around in the mirror, or playing with your dog… you are exercising self-discipline and you’re conquering the necessary tasks before the useless ones.
• You care enough about your mind, that you want to declutter it when possible. Removing clutter and/or the appearance of messiness, also removes mental clutter and messiness.  Make your bed.  Have a clutter-free room when you leave every day.  And in return, you will begin your day with a clutter-free mind each morning.
• You’re prepared for things you don’t want to do.   Who wants to make their bed?  Well, I personally don’t know anyone… however, by doing something you don’t want to do, you are preparing yourself and getting in the habit of doing tasks that you don’t particularly care about doing… each and every day.

It all starts with making the bed.  Once you start making the bed, and you get the feeling of satisfaction first thing in the morning, you will want to do more to feel accomplished.  For example, if you make your bed, and there is a pile of clothes in the corner… if you make your bed and declutter that area of your room, you will likely want to have a completely clutter-free room, and you’re likely going to put your clothes away too.  Why only do half of the project when you could accomplish the entire things and feel so much better?

Just try it!  Make your bed for a day, then a week, then a month… make it a habit!  You won’t be upset you did!

Summer is on its way.  We can tell by the warmer weather that is coming our direction.  Not sure about you, but we are excited!  The warmer temps, longer evenings, and more sunlight is making us impatient.  But we can do it, we can wait.  It will be here before we know it!

I think the reason that summer is always so exciting is because of the immense amount of time we get to spend with family and friends.  A lot of times, we take vacations with those people.  However, as we get older, and expenses grow up as well, sometimes it is harder to afford a vacation every summer.

Have no fear!  Here are a few affordable summer trip ideas for you and your summer-time folks while on a budget –

1. Jump in the car and drive! No matter where you live, you can always get in the car and drive.  Sometimes a couple day road trip is all you need with your besties.  Sun in the sky, windows down, fresh air, and singing at the top of your lungs is all affordable and totally doable.  The only expense you will have is gas money!  However, if you decide to get a way and stay at a hotel, you might have that cost as well.  Sometimes time away is all we need!
2. Hike or walk nearby trails. It’s a proven fact that spending time in nature and exercising can help reduce stress.  And if you don’t live near mountains or hills, you can find a trail and enjoy yourself just the same!  So, grab your water, gather your friends, and get your booty outside.  You are sure to forget about the outside world and feel secluded from your worries and anxieties.
3. Lock yourself out (or in!) If you live in the country, lock yourself out of your house (not really, but don’t allow yourself to go inside) and enjoy nature to it’s full extent.  Pitch a tent and camp with friends!  Spend your entire day and night outside, relaxing, and hanging out.  If you live in the city, and camping isn’t an option at your home, stay in!  Open all of your windows so you can enjoy the sunlight and do all the things you love.  Light all your candles, smell the fresh air, watch your favorite summertime movies, and step away from the world for a bit.

Vacation doesn’t always mean leaving home and spending intense amounts of money.  A day or two to get away and rest your mind is all a person needs.

Sometimes you don’t need a reason to get away… just go!  You deserve it.  Clear your mind, go vacation, and return back home refreshed and ready to take on the world!

Doesn’t it sometimes seem like every day we get busier and busier, to the point where we hardly have any time for ourselves? We hear people talk about simplifying their lives all the time – maybe an Instagrammer or a Youtuber that you follow, or your college roommate, or your cousin. But how to do it? If you feel like you’re drowning under the weight of your to-do list or slowly being surrounded by clutter in your own home, the idea of simplifying your life can seem impossible. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are a few quick(ish) and easy ways to simplify your life:

1. Stick to a schedule. Whether it’s a morning or nighttime routine, or a to-do list, or a full daily schedule, having a plan for your day can be a great help on especially busy days. If you’ve got a lot of emails to answer, give yourself a block of time in the morning to get them all done, or make a plan to go by the bank or call your landlord or other errands right after class. Making a plan is the easiest way to make your whole day less stressful.
2. Set yourself a bedtime (and stick to it). This is sort of an extension from point one but setting yourself a reasonable time to go to bed and then following through with it can go a long way in improving your day. Not only is it easier to stick to your nighttime routine if you have a specific time that you go to bed, it’ll also help you get more sleep – something all of us could use.
3. Declutter your space. If you’ve got the time, energy, and motivation, decluttering your entire house or apartment is a great project and can do a lot to help you get rid of stress and give you a more positive outlook. However, most of us don’t have all the time or motivation or energy to do that, so it’s okay to start small. Organizing a messy closet or sorting through stacks of papers are great places to start.
4. Start saying no. This may not be as easy as some of the other ideas on this list, but it might be one of the most important. We can’t do it all, no matter how hard we try, and agreeing to everything that people ask of us or saying yes to every opportunity we come across is definitely not the best idea. While it can be hard to turn down a great opportunity or say no to a friend, it’s so important to think about yourself and your time, too.
5. Minimize your to-do list. Some people might find it helpful to keep a master list of everything that needs to get done, but for most of us that’s just overwhelming! Instead, try making a more realistic daily list, making sure to keep it short. Not only will this give you a boost when you finish everything on your list, it will also help you prioritize and figure out which tasks are really the most important.

There’s so much going on in the world and in our lives that it can seem inevitable that we’ll wind up with overfilled schedules and not enough down time, but there are ways around it!

Whether you dozed through college French or loved it and then promptly forgot everything, you’re probably aware of the increasing demand for bilingual and multilingual job applicants. No matter what field you’re studying or working in – health services, teaching, technology, business – learning even a little bit of a second (or third) language is a great way to improve your resume and make yourself more marketable as an employee.

But if you don’t remember much from your previous language classes, you might not be sure where to start – and that’s okay! Learning a language on your own is very different from learning in the classroom, and it may take some time for you to figure out which methods work best for you. Here are few steps, though, to help you get started:

1. Choose your language. The first thing a lot of people think of when they want to learn a new language is how many speakers it has, and that makes sense. But it does you no good to learn a language with millions of speakers if none of them live or work near year. Instead, consider why you want to learn a language in the first place. Maybe you’ll choose Spanish or French to be able to communicate better with patients, or Chinese or German for your business. If you’re just learning for fun, think about a culture or country that you’re interested in or would like to travel to.
2. Get your materials. You’ve got lots of options here. Sure, you could shell out a lot of money for a full program, but it can be a lot to pay if the course ends up not working for you. If you’re short on cash, or just want to try the language out before committing, there are lots of free resources online to choose from – sites like Duolingo and Memrise make learning into a game, and it’s so easy to find an online dictionary or two to help you learn vocab.
3. Be flexible. Once you’ve got your materials, it’s important to frequently evaluate them and make sure they’re still working for you. Fun, game-like learning sites are great for some people, but you might find that you’d work better with a textbook or workbook, both of which you can find online (depending on how much you want to pay). And don’t be afraid to add new tools to your toolbox – once you’ve gotten the hang of how the language sounds, try searching for music or podcasts to get some listening practice.
4. Talk with native speakers. I know this post is about learning a language on your own, but there really is no substitute for practicing your skills with a native speaker. If you’re lucky, you might have a friend or neighbor who can help you out, but there are plenty of resources online to help you find speakers in your community or even over the internet if you can’t meet up in person.
5. Stick with it. Making your learning a habit is the biggest step – it’s all to easy to have a week or so of high motivation only to be followed by almost giving up entirely the next week. It won’t happen overnight, and it certainly won’t happen very quickly (or even at all) if you don’t put time into it. Try to devote at least 15 to 30 minutes a day to it, wherever you can fit it in, even if it’s just listening to music as you make dinner.

There are so many benefits to learning a second or third language, regardless of the reason – not only will you have a skill that can be incredibly helpful in your job and looks great on your resume, it can also make travelling more fun and is great for your brain. While it can be intimidating to go it alone, without the comfort of a teacher and a classroom around you, learning a new language on your own doesn’t have to be hard!

We live in a world where we’re surrounded by news every day – on our phones, on our computers, on television screens and newspaper headlines and through word of mouth. The news is all around us, but how often do we take the time out of our busy days to really focus on what’s actually happening around the world, or even in our own towns? But it’s important to know what’s going on in the world, so here are a few tips to help you stay informed:

1.     Look beyond social media. Sure, it’s easy to get your news from Facebook or Twitter, but so often all we see as we’re scrolling is headlines. And headlines aren’t enough to be informed about the news. They’re eye-catching, of course, but often misleading, and sometimes totally false. Social media is a great tool when it comes to connecting with friends and family around the world, but it shouldn’t be your only source of news.

2.     Read the paper. I know, I know – in the middle of our busy lives, who has time to sit down and read the newspaper anymore? But newspapers are a great way to stay informed while unplugging from your phone or computer for a while. Many colleges have subscriptions to major newspapers and magazines, which means you can often find a copy for free in your school’s library or student center.

3.     Turn on the TV. This is another traditional way of getting the news, but it’s still a good one if you want to be able to multitask. Watch the news while you fold laundry, for example, or turn on your local station while you’re getting ready in the morning. If you don’t have access to a TV in your apartment or dorm, most colleges have a student center or lounge spaces where you have control over the remote.

4.     Plug in your headphones. Podcasts are an increasingly common way to stay up to date on what’s going on in the world. You might already be into podcasts, and for good reason – just put in your headphones on your way to class or while you’re working out at the gym, and multitasking becomes so much easier. Plenty of major news publications have podcasts that will keep you up to date, so you can find one that works for you.

5.     There’s an app for that. Whether you want to get your news from a specific source (or two or three) or you want a compilation of multiple news sources, there are plenty of apps out there that can help you stay updated on current events. Put it on the home screen of your phone so you don’t forget about it, and try to make it a part of your daily routine to see what’s going on in the world.

6.     Check your email. Once again, a lot of major news organizations have a newsletter that you can sign up for, sending a roundup of top news stories to your inbox daily or weekly. This is a great way to get an overview of what’s going on in the world, but once again you shouldn’t stop there. Usually each brief snippet will be followed by a link to an article or two where you can keep reading, so take advantage of that!

As college students, it’s easy to feel like we live in a bubble, disconnected from what’s going on in the world away from school and class. But it’s so important to be informed about what’s happening in the world and there are lots of ways to do it, so find one that works for you!

Everyone likes sleeping in, right? Sometimes it seems like there’s nothing better than curling up under the covers and going back to sleep, knowing that you don’t have to get up for a while. But if you’ve ever had to rush to get ready before work or class and felt the pressure of not having enough time, you know how nice it would be to have a little extra time in the mornings. Still, just the idea of setting your alarm even earlier might be enough to make you start yawning. But as hard as it may be at first, there are lots of perks that come from getting up just a little bit earlier in the morning!

1. More time to adjust. Let’s be honest – it can take a few hours after your alarm goes off for you to really feel ready for the day. And if you’re waking up too late, that could mean that you’re not feeling ready until you’ve already been in class or at work for a while. Setting your alarm a little earlier (or a lot earlier, if you’re really ready to make a change) can give you more time to “wake up” before you need to be ready for the day, helping you be more productive when you do get to work or school!
2. Start your day with breakfast. How many of us have skipped breakfast at least once when we were running late or just “too busy” to eat? Probably too many of us. We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and taking the time to start your morning by eating breakfast can help kickstart other healthy eating habits throughout your day. When you’re getting up earlier than normal, you won’t have the same excuse that you’re too busy or running late, making breakfast a part of your routine again!
3. Get more done. Depending on how much extra time you want to give yourself in the morning, you could even spend that time getting some work done before your day even starts. If you feel more productive in the morning, that can be a great time to get ahead on homework or start a work project. Not only will you start your day on a productive note, you’ll also free up time later on that you can use for other things!
4. Enjoy some alone time. Even the most extroverted people can find that they need some time to themselves occasionally. Even if you live with family or roommates, early mornings are a great time to spend some “me time,” in whatever way works for you, even if it’s just enjoying your coffee in silence.
5. Get some exercise. If you’re having trouble sticking to a workout routine, getting up earlier than usual to get your exercise can be a great help. While it’s easy to come up with excuses in the afternoon or evening after work or class, those same excuses don’t work nearly as well first thing in the morning. Without all the distractions that come up during the day, you’ll be able to stick to your workout and start your day off right!

While getting up earlier in the morning often means you need to go to bed a little earlier the night before, this can be a great choice for several reasons. Not only will this restore your body’s natural sleep schedule, helping you feel more energized and rested, you’ll also have time to do other things that you normally have trouble fitting into your day. The idea of setting your alarm even earlier sounds awful, I know, but it can be a great way to get more done and start making other healthy choices!

If you’ve ever been in an interview setting, you may have been asked to describe one (or more) of your weaknesses. That’s a scary question for a lot of people, either because they don’t know what their weaknesses are or because they don’t want to admit the weakenesses to themselves (or to other people). And that’s understandable, since we naturally want to present the best version of ourselves. However, acknowledging and embracing our weaknesses is incredibly beneficial in several ways.

The most obvious one, of course, is that recognizing the areas where we’re struggling can help us figure out where we need to put in more effort. Working hard to improve in these areas is important, but you can’t do that if you don’t know what they are! Taking a little time to really think about your weaknesses and what’s holding you back can help you in the long run. For example, if you know that procrastination is a problem for you and this is something that is negatively affecting your life, it will be much easier to avoid it and try to break that habit.

Even if you don’t think you can fully overcome your weaknesses, knowing what they are can also help you find ways to work around them. While it’s important to acknowledge and understand your weaknesses, it’s also important to focus just as much on your strengths. While none of us are perfect, we all have areas where we excel and traits and habits that help us succeed. Being fully aware of all your strengths and weaknesses can help you find ways to use your strengths to help you work around your weaknesses.

Finally, acknowledging and understanding your weaknesses is helpful because it allows you to ask for help when you need it. If you know you’re not great at editing your own papers, you can seek out resources that will help you improve or find someone who is good at it to assist you. Asking for help is just as hard as acknowledging the things we struggle with, but it’s so, so important.

It’s never fun to reflect on our weaknesses – often we’re all too ready to lay the blame on something (or sometimes somebody) else when we mess up or don’t succeed. But our weaknesses are part of who we are just as much as our strengths are and failing to recognize them means we never learn from them. Embracing our weaknesses is never an easy thing to do, but the benefits make it absolutely worth it!