How can I catch up on my overdue bills at this point?

Asked by ItalianPrincess1217 (11979) January 27th, 2011 from iPhone

I recently made a choice that drastically changed my life forever. I left my husband. I now have a new life with a new man and we just found out there’s a baby on the way. As blessed as we feel, we’re struggling right now to make ends meet. I tried to get caught up on some overdue bills by applying for some payday loans but now I’m finding I’m worse off than before. The loans carry a ridiculously high interest rate and many fees. I’m over drafting my bank account every other week. I owe rent from last month still. I keep telling myself once my tax return comes, I’ll be caught up. But at this point even my entire return won’t be enough to cover my debt. This doesn’t even include all of my past due credit cards, of which I have 5. I have about 6 months to get my crap together and get my feet on the ground before the baby is born. Asking family for help isn’t really an option for me. They disagree with my decision to leave my husband so they figure, hey if she had stayed with him she would have plenty of money… Does anyone have any helpful ideas on how to begin getting my debt under control in time for my baby? Should I get help from a credit counseling place? A debt settlement company? A loan to pay off debt? (My credit used to be very good. Now I can’t even get approved for a store credit card. Not sure how I would ever qualify for a loan big enough to cover my debt.) Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. This is something that eats away at me on a daily basis. I worry myself sick.