What Choice do I Have?
When it comes to pregnancy there are two choices – carry the child to full term or end the pregnancy through abortion. The question about what choice do you have may go beyond just these two decisions. There are times in life when it seems hopeless to carry a pregnancy to full term so the answer to this question may be to abort the child. Previous posts talk about the methods of abortion based on gestation – this post will look at the two options if the pregnancy is carried to term.
The choices that come with carrying a pregnancy to term include parenting and adoption. Let’s take a look at parenting first. Maybe you are not in a financial position to raise a family or don’t have the support around you to help you. There are over 15 million households where children are being raised by mom. There are another 3.2 million where dad is raising the child. It is possible for a single parent to raise their child. It is not going to be easy, but long-term you will see this child grow up into adulthood. There are government agencies that help single parents as they begin their family. Subsidized housing is generally available in most cities that provide rental units based on income. Social services help with food costs and sometimes with childcare. Local pregnancy centers help with material needs for infants. Tapping into these resources makes parenting a little easier.
Adoption is the other choice available to the one who chooses to carry their child to term. You may be thinking that adoption is not a good choice after being pregnant for 9 months. Abortion may seem like a better choice than to give your child away. While adoption is a difficult choice, there are many who are desiring to adopt an infant. It does not say that you don’t love your child but that you love your child enough to ensure a life with loving parents.
The adoption process has changed over the years. The Adoption Network states that 60% to 70% of adoptions are open meaning “there is a degree of openness and disclosure of information between adoptive and birth parents regarding the adopted child.” In an open adoption, the birth mother has the option to have contact with the adoptive parents. In some cases, they may even have part in choosing the adoptive parents. This would be determined when talking with the adoption agency. As birth parents the choice of adoption would be up to you and how the adoption process would play out is the birth parent’s decision.
There may be many reasons why you are questioning an unplanned pregnancy at this time and what to do moving forward. This pregnancy will always be remembered. The number of pregnancies is a question that is asked of women in medical situations throughout their lifetime. The choice you make about this pregnancy will be remembered every time you are asked that question. This is not to bring guilt or condemnation, but consideration as to the future. When a woman has the right to choose, choosing life is one of them whether is it to parent or place with adoptive parents. Hands of Hope is here to help you with all the choices that lay before you. Call 828-247-4673, email info@hh4life.org, or message us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HandsOfHopeForLife to speak with a staff member. We are here to bring the facts that help you make an informed choice about your pregnancy.
Number of children living with a single mother or a single father in the U.S. from 1970 to 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/252847/number-of-children-living-with-a-single-mother-or-single-father/
Adoption Statistics, https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics
Open Adoption, https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/openadoption.pdf
10 Common Reasons for Putting a Child Up for Adoption, https://giftoflifeadoptions.com/10-common-reasons-for-putting-a-child-up-for-adoption/