Facing an unplanned pregnancy can feel scary and overwhelming, especially if you don’t want to be pregnant. If you’re hesitant to choose abortion because of the health risks, or you’ve had an abortion before and don’t want another one, you may be wondering what other options are available to you.
The good news is you have alternatives other than abortion, and recent improvements with those options have given many women the freedom to make the best choice for themselves and their future.
Keep reading to learn more about these options.
Adoption
While you may be familiar with the idea behind adoption, you may not know that there have been many changes in the laws around adoption, as well as in society, and those changes have been focused on empowering and respecting the rights of the birth mother.
These changes mean that you have the power to decide what type of adoption is best for you.
- Open adoption: You can choose the family you want to adopt your baby and keep in contact with them. You can decide how involved you want to be in the baby’s life together.
- Semi-open adoption: You can still have contact with the baby, but a professional adoption agency will help manage communication between you, the baby, and the adoptive family, keeping your identifying information confidential.
- Closed adoption: You won’t have contact with the baby, and all parties’ identities are kept confidential. The court keeps adoption records sealed.
Choosing adoption is a challenging but incredibly loving decision to make. Many birth mothers feel that it is the best option when they know that they are not in a position to raise a child themselves.
Parenting
Two of the biggest fears around an unplanned pregnancy are that you are not ready to parent or are afraid that having a child at this time in your life will jeopardize your plans and dreams for your life.
In reality, the feeling of not being ready or equipped to raise a baby is felt by every woman, even those in a stable life environment.
But with the support of a strong community, most women grow and thrive as mothers.
The good news is that if you don’t have a strong community of friends and family where you live, there are support groups and programs in your area ready to step in and help.
From parenting classes to providing diapers and formulas to a group of fellow moms to encourage you and share your journey, you can rest assured you don’t have to face parenthood alone.
Many of these local programs will also assist you in continuing to pursue your career or dreams, allowing you to be a mother while continuing to develop yourself and your future.
Find More Information
Taking the time to learn all your options is an important step in dealing with your unplanned pregnancy.
The caring team at Lilli Women’s Center is here for you. We can help you learn important details about your pregnancy, discuss all your options and resources available to you, and answer any questions you have.
Contact us today to schedule your free and confidential appointment.
