After receiving a positive pregnancy result, and beginning to consider your options, you may be feeling like this isn’t the right time to be a parent. Perhaps you’re very young, are in a complicated relationship, don’t have the support that you need, or are already coping with financial difficulties. Understandably, you’re overwhelmed! By narrowing down your approach to this pregnancy, you may feel one step closer to making your final decision. Still, abortion and adoption are two different avenues with unique challenges, and it’s not always clear which option is best.
Many of the women who visit Avenue Women’s Center are navigating circumstances that feel impossible, and don’t feel equipped to be a parent. We get it! We’re advocates for women, committed to meeting your health and wellness needs. That’s why we offer free and confidential lab-quality pregnancy tests, limited medical ultrasounds, options consultations, and more.
Schedule an appointment and speak with a caring Avenue team member today!
Exploring Your Option of Abortion
If ending your pregnancy is one option you’re considering, it’s important to understand your state’s laws regarding abortion. Recent events have sparked confusion around abortion legality, so be sure to check your state regulations about abortion access. An abortion can be performed as a procedure (in a medical office, surgical center, or hospital), or by way of a set of pills (called a medication abortion). Your eligibility for certain abortion options may be limited based on how far your pregnancy has developed and where you’re located. Just like any pregnancy option, abortion comes with its own set of potential risks or challenges. It’s helpful to receive an ultrasound before moving forward with abortion because an ultrasound can date your pregnancy (to determine which abortion options are available) and assess for risks like ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy located outside the uterus). An ectopic pregnancy is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention apart from an abortion.
Exploring Your Option of Adoption
Adoption is an option that may help address your individual concerns about becoming a parent, while avoiding any potential physical or emotional effects of abortion. Forming an adoption plan certainly comes with its own set of unique challenges. But it’s also a positive and meaningful outcome for many women. Adoption provides an opportunity for someone else, who feels ready for parenthood, to fulfill their hopes for the future. Just as you’re wishing to fulfill yours! If you decide that creating an adoption plan is your best pregnancy option, you’ll have a say in who the adoptive parents will be, and whether this will be an open, semi-open, or closed adoption. Depending on your unique adoption plan, you may choose to have frequent, limited, or no communication with the adoptive family.
Understanding Your Options and Resources
Both abortion and adoption come with possible risks, costs, and other effects. Check out these previous blogs from Avenue Women’s Center, which provide more information on this!
Before you make any pregnancy decision, it may be helpful to further explore all of your options with a pregnancy consultant or doctor. it’s important to be fully informed and to carefully process which option is best for you before moving forward. If you’re feeling limited by your circumstances, know that there are many practical resources available. Regardless of your pregnancy decision, an Avenue pregnancy consultant may help you get connected with financial support, housing assistance, medical care, and other sources of support! One of these resources might play an important role in empowering you to make the choice you feel best about.
Whether you’re leaning toward abortion, adoption, or parenting, a compassionate Avenue pregnancy consultant is here to provide accurate information on all your options and resources. We offer a safe, welcoming, nonjudgmental space in which to consider your next steps.
Call, text, chat, or email to schedule, or stop by at your convenience! We offer remote appointments too!
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Reference:
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2021, September). Pregnancy Choices: Raising the Baby, Adoption, and Abortion (Frequently Asked Questions). Retrieved from: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/pregnancy-choices-raising-the-baby-adoption-and-abortion.
The information provided here is general in nature. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a medical professional. Before any medical procedure, it is imperative that you discuss your personal medical history, risks, and concerns with your doctor. If you have questions during or after a procedure, your doctor should be immediately contacted. Avenue Women’s Center is not an emergency center. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, such as bleeding and/or pain, seek immediate medical attention. Contact your physician, go to an emergency room, or call 911.