Finding out you’re pregnant when you didn’t plan to be can be hard. It’s okay to take time to figure out all your options and process what each option could look like not just in this moment, but further down the road. You don’t have to rush to make such a big choice.
Southside Women’s Services can walk you through each of your options and what questions to ask yourself when making this decision.
Pregnancy Options for an Unplanned Pregnancy
You have three options.
- Parenting – raise the child
- Adoption – choose another person or family to take care of the child
- Abortion – end the pregnancy through a surgical procedure or medication
Once you know all of your options and weigh the pros and cons, you can begin to work through what decision is best for you, your body, and your pregnancy.
Let’s look at each option a little closer:
1. Parenting with support
Parenting can be incredibly intimidating. A baby is a lot of work and a lifetime commitment. Thankfully, numerous programs and government organizations exist to help you in your unique circumstances. These organizations offer financial help for pregnant women including medical bill assistance, healthcare, food, housing, clothing, education, and guidance in finding a stable job.
If there is a part of you that wants to keep the pregnancy, but you don’t know how you’re going to make all the logistics work, connect with a strong community of client advocates and get the support you need at Southside Women’s Services.
To talk through parenting resources and financial assistance options, make an appointment with our staff today.
2. Adoption
Adoption is when you recognize that you are not in the best place to raise a child, and you want a different life for your child than you can give at the moment.
From a legal perspective, adoption means that you transfer your parental rights and responsibilities to another person who wants to raise the child. But, there are many ways that this relationship has changed throughout the years. Now there are three different kinds of adoption:
Open Adoption – An open adoption allows you to build an ongoing relationship with your baby after adoption. You and the adoptive family decide how this will look. It may look like exchanging letters or regular in-person visits.
Closed Adoption – A closed adoption means there is no contact between you, your baby, and the adoptive family after the adoption.
Semi-open Adoption – Semi-open adoption is a combination of open and closed adoption. It allows you to communicate with the adoptive parents to check in on your child’s life throughout the years while still living an independent life.
If you think adoption might be the best option for you, we encourage you to schedule an appointment today. We are here to answer any questions and help you find the support you need.
3. Abortion
If you don’t want to carry out your pregnancy, abortion can end your pregnancy. This is done through a medical abortion or a surgical abortion.
Abortion Pill – The abortion pill is a combination of two pills: mifepristone and misoprostol. It is prescribed to end an early pregnancy, up to 10 weeks.
Surgical Abortion – A surgical abortion is a procedure used to end a pregnancy most often after 10 weeks.
The type of abortion you can have is based on gestational age (the length of pregnancy after the first day of the last menstrual period) of the pregnancy and viability. If your pregnancy is not viable, medical professionals can talk you through what next steps are needed.
While we do not perform or refer for abortions at Southside, we will give you information on all options.
If you decide to take the abortion pill and change your mind, it might not be too late.
If you take the abortion pill and find that you have changed your mind, it might not be too late to keep the pregnancy. Abortion Pill Reversal is a safe, painless treatment used to reverse the effects of the first abortion pill, mifepristone, and allow the pregnancy to continue successfully. Call the 24/7 hotline at 1-877 558-0333. APR has a success rate of 64% to 68%. When used within 48 hours of the first abortion pill.
Questions to ask yourself when deciding what pregnancy option is right for you.
It can be overwhelming to make a decision when you don’t know where to begin. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help you figure out what pregnancy option is best for you.
- Is anyone pressuring me to make a certain choice?
- What am I losing by choosing parenting, adoption, or abortion?
- What am I gaining by choosing parenting, adoption, or abortion?
- Can waiting a week change how I feel about my decision?
- Is there a decision that would affect how I see myself and my self-worth?
When you ask the right questions and take the time to process your decision, you can be confident in the final choice you make without regret later.
You don’t have to make this choice alone.
Talk to a licensed medical professional to discuss your options and what might be best for you. At Southside Women’s Services in Evergreen Park, Illinois, we provide free services including: options counseling, pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, pre-abortion screening, community referrals, and more with no insurance required.
Make an appointment today.