Is Abortion My Only Option if I Don’t Want to Be Pregnant?
Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be scary, but abortion is not your only pregnancy option. There are two other options: parenting and adoption.
If you’re unsure you want to be pregnant or have an abortion, find out more about your alternatives. You are welcome to visit First Coast Women’s Services to talk with a caring staff member about your options and receive pregnancy testing and ultrasound for free.
Consider the Pros and Cons
When assessing your three options, take the time you need to think through the pros and cons.
While a con for parenting and adoption might be carrying your pregnancy to term, it could come with the pro of a new relationship with your future child and maybe their adoptive family.
Myths About Adoption
Of all the options, adoption is likely the most misunderstood.
It has no association with DCF (Department of Children and Families) and taking away children. Adoption also comes with background checks and home studies of adoptive families, so the idea of placing children with strangers is also a myth. You hand-pick the adoptive family from a variety of profiles.
You Can Customize Your Adoption Plan
Having an adoption plan is a beautiful thing and very flexible.
You can choose whether you want an open, semi-open, or closed adoption plan. Each plan designates how much contact you want with your child, how much information you share about yourself, and how you’ll communicate.
You can choose the plan that works best for you and your lifestyle.
You Can Receive Financial Aid
If you choose adoption, you may qualify to receive financial aid, especially for medical costs.
According to American Adoptions, “Though adoption laws vary in each state, many states allow adoptive families to assist birth parents with expenses related to the pregnancy. These expenses are designed to supplement other income, and can help with items such as maternity clothing, medical bills, transportation to doctor’s visits, food, housing, etc.”
In Florida, you can legally receive financial assistance for the following:
- Prenatal care and medical care throughout your pregnancy
- Legal counsel
- Emotional counseling is accessible at any point before, during, and after the adoption
- Transportation
- Childcare
- Maternity clothes
- Phone services
- Groceries
- Rent and utilities
- And more
Your Pregnancy Could Leave a Legacy
You may not have chosen to become pregnant right now. But you can do something that will impact others for good. By choosing adoption, you will make dreams come true for a waiting family. You can bring a child into the world that might grow up and be something extraordinary.
It’s Your Decision.
While you may not want to be pregnant now, you have options to consider. Two of them are adoption and abortion, and the third is parenting.
Before you decide, consider taking a free lab-grade pregnancy test with us and a free ultrasound to ensure you have a viable pregnancy. It is estimated that as many as 26% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, so let’s first help you to make sure you have a viable pregnancy and help you consider your options.
As you evaluate your options, you’re welcome to contact us for assistance.
We can answer your questions and point you toward helpful resources to give you more confidence about your next steps.