If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, you are likely worried about what to do. You must gather information and weigh your choices carefully to make this important decision. We can help.
Your choices include parenting, adoption, and abortion.
Parenting
Many women are unsure of their ability to parent when they find out they are pregnant, but after you have time to adjust to the idea, you might decide that you have what it takes to parent.
When considering this option, you might have many questions:
- How can I support a baby?
- Can I continue my education or pursue my career goals?
- What if the father doesn’t want to be involved?
- How will I learn to care for a baby?
These are all critical questions that are valid when facing an unexpected pregnancy. The Women’s Resource Center can help you think about some answers to your questions.
Parenting can be challenging, but we want to support and help you succeed. Women’s Resource Center has resources available for new parents, including diapers and parenting classes.
Adoption
If you don’t want to be a parent, consider adoption. Birth mothers are offered many choices in adoption today. There are three types of adoption to choose from:
- Open adoption: Birth mothers choosing open adoption can pick the adoptive parents they want for their child from a database that will include pictures and information about their lifestyle and current family. Sometimes, the birth mother can even meet the potential adoptive parents so she feels confident in her choice. The birth mother and the adoptive parents will also create a plan for contact. Some families decide on much in-person contact, while others might be happier with just phone calls or text updates.
- Semi-open adoption: For birth mothers that want to communicate with their child and their adoptive parents but want their information to remain confidential, semi-open adoption might be the right choice. All communication in a semi-open adoption occurs through a third party, the adoption agency, or an adoption attorney. Identities of all parties remain confidential.
- Closed adoption: In a closed adoption, no contact between the birth mother and the adoptive family will occur. All information remains confidential.
Abortion
Abortion is a serious medical procedure that terminates a pregnancy. There are two types of abortion: medical and surgical. The method chosen is determined by how far along the pregnancy is, and other eligibility requirements.
- A medical abortion uses the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy. This method is sometimes called the abortion pill. It is only FDA-approved until 10 weeks of pregnancy.
- A surgical abortion involves the provider using surgical tools to open the woman’s cervix and suctioning to remove the embryo or fetus from the uterus. Depending on how long a woman has been pregnant, additional tools like a curette or forceps may be needed to remove larger pieces.
Women’s Resource Center can provide information discussing the risks and recovery process to help you prioritize your safety when choosing abortion.
Let Us Help
We want to provide the information and resources to educate you to choose confidently. Contact us today.