Pregnant and need help? There are a wide variety of resources available to Polk residents

For many women, finding out they are pregnant is a joyous occasion to celebrate with family and friends. Others who struggle with safe housing, food security or lack health care insurance, it can be stressful and overwhelming.

In the past five months, two newborn babies have been found abandoned in Polk County.

On Jan. 28, Polk County sheriff's deputies found a baby girl wrapped in a blanket on a small hill near Regal Loop Mobile Home Park off Bailey Road. The infant was alive and attached to the placenta. She was brought to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center before being placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

On Thursday, the Lakeland Police Department responded to a call of a dead newborn boy found in a dumpster behind Just Move off South Florida Avenue about 6 a.m. The police have since released photos of four people wanted for questioning in connection with the incident.

In announcing the discovery on Thursday, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said the newborn's death seemed particularly sad in light of Florida's safe haven law.

That law, enacted in 2000, allows individuals to anonymously turn over unharmed newborns under seven days old to any hospital, staffed fire or police station or emergency medical provider without any questions asked. Taylor noted there are two urgent care centers within a mile of the site where the baby was found, and a fire station just a little over a mile to the north.

Sought for questioning Lakeland police seek 4 people for questioning in death of baby found in a dumpster

South Florida Avenue Baby found dead in dumpster behind gym on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland

Near Mulberry Hour-old newborn found abandoned in woods

The Florida Legislature last year banned abortions after 15 weeks with very few exceptions. A six-week ban passed this year and was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis but is awaiting the result of a legal challenge to the previous 15-week ban before it goes into effect.

Nonetheless, there are a variety of nonprofits and resources available to help pregnant women in Polk County at various stages. Here's a list compiled by The Ledger.

Pregnancy resources

• Florida Department of Health in Polk County provides pregnancy care services only for Polk residents. Its available prenatal care includes physical examines, prenatal education, monitoring of fetal growth and development, pregnancy support groups and referral to available programs such as Healthy Start and Florida's Women, Infant and Children, or WIC, program. Locations: Auburndale Clinic, 1805 Hobbs Road, Auburndale or Lakeland Clinic, 3241 Lakeland Hills Blvd., LakelandWebsite: polk.floridahealth.govContact: 863-519-7910Religiously affiliated: No

• A Safe Haven For Newborns is a Miami-based nonprofit founded in 2000 to help support Florida's Safe Haven Law. It offers a 24/7 hotline for pregnant women to seek medical care, including urgent help, referrals to doctors, counseling, support and more. It can provide immediate guidance to a woman looking to surrender her baby or looking to place it with an adoption agency. There is no cost for services provided. Website: asafehavenfornewborns.comContact: 24/7 multilingual Florida helpline: 1-877-767-BABY(2229)

• A Woman's Choice is a nonprofit organization that identifies itself as a "women-run community clinic" offering education and medical testing, according to its website. It offers free pregnancy testing and an ultrasound to confirm viability along with educational classes called Life Steps by which individuals can earn boutique bucks to be used toward necessities, including diapers and wipes. It does not provide medical care. Location: 1234 E. Lime St., LakelandWebsite: yourchoicelakeland.comContact: 863-683-2341Religiously affiliated: Yes

• LifeChoice Pregnancy Center of Winter Haven will provide a free pregnancy test, ultrasound to confirm pregnancy and viability and pregnancy counseling along with adoption referrals for women. This provide does not provide prenatal medical care.Location: 235 E. Central Ave., Winter HavenWebsite: lifechoicewh.comContact: 863-293-0955, 24/7 hotline at 800-712-HELP (4327)Religiously affiliated: Yes

• Options for Women Pregnancy Help Clinic provides free urine pregnancy testing, an ultrasound to confirm viability and STD testing. Once a woman's pregnancy is confirmed, clinic staff said the individual is given an information resource folder including doctors who accept Medicaid, as they do not provide prenatal medical care. Locations: Four locations across Lakeland and Bartow, main clinic is located at 4435 Florida National Dr., Lakeland. Website: optionsforwomeninfo.comContact: 863-393-6988 or ofw@optionsforwomenphc.comReligiously affiliated: Yes

• Suncoast Community Health Centers Inc. offers prenatal medical care from prenatal through labor and delivery for women. The clinic provides treatment for the uninsured, who are billed on a sliding scale fee according to their family income and the number of people in their household.Location: Multiple locations including Women's Care of Lakeland, 1729 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland.Website: suncoast-chc.orgContact: For appointments, 863-940-2908. For information, 863-940-2908.Religiously affiliated: No

• Healthy Start is a free home-visiting program that provides education and care coordination to pregnant women with the goal of lowering risk factors associated with preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. It offers home visits, prenatal and parenting education, stress management and care coordination.Website: www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/childrens-health/healthy-start/index.htmlContact: 850-245-4465

Adoption agencies

• Catholic Charities Adoption Services is a private Florida nonprofit Catholic adoption agency that works with pregnant woman to provide counseling and create a plan for adoption. For individuals who are pregnant, its website states "medical expenses not covered by insurance or Medicaid are paid for by the agency" and women may be eligible to receive "reasonable living expenses" under state law. Location: 118 W. Lemon St., LakelandWebsite: ccadoptfl.orgContact: 863-670-6627 or 24/7 tollfree hotline 1-800-731-5480Religiously affiliated: Yes

• Heart of Adoptions Inc. has multipole offices including Orlando and Tampa where pregnant women can discuss and set up plans to have their newborns adopted, including selecting a family for the baby to live with. Its website makes clear pregnant women may be allowed reasonable living expenses during the pregnancy and up to six weeks following the delivery if birth mother is unemployed, underemployed or has a medically diagnosed disability. Location: 1604 S. Bumby Ave., Orlando or 418 W. Platt St., Suite A TampaWebsite: heartofadoptions.comContact: 1-800-GO-ADOPT (462-3678)Religiously affiliated: No

Abortion services

• Lakeland Women's Health Center provides women with access to affordable women's health care options, including abortion services as allowed under Florida law. Location: 4444 S. Florida Ave., LakelandWebsite: floridaabortion.comContact: 863-644-7541Religiously affiliated: No

• Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is an organization that reports it removed financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. This can be by directing individuals to providers in the Tampa Bay area or providing financial assistance to out-of-state clinics for Floridians who are over 15 weeks.Website: tbafund.comContact: 727-314-3956 or info@tbafund.com

Correction: An incorrect phone number was listed for Heart of Adoptions, which has since been updated. The nonprofit has multiple locations with the two closest to Polk County located in Orlando and Tampa.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Plenty of free resources are available to pregnant women in Polk