According to a 2016 study, it was found out that more than half of pregnancies are unintended in the United States. If you are not currently ready to be a parent, become pregnant, and wish not to keep the child, then you are not the only person facing such a situation. You can always ask your family member, like your friends, spouse, or even a doctor, who can help you reach your final decision with this unintended pregnancy.
A health professional or a primary care doctor could also help you and guide through the unintended pregnancy and tell you different way outs and resources. When pregnant, you have three options to follow: Parenting, Adoption, or Abortion. Whatever you choose will impact you personally for the rest of your life; this is why you should know about each option in detail before you decide on anything.
Unplanned Pregnancy Options – Parenting
Many women who get unexpectedly pregnant think and feel overwhelmed by the idea of keeping a baby with themselves and taking care of that baby throughout many years of their life. Yet if you wish to be a parent, it can be a divine and a rewarding experience of your whole life.
You can talk about prenatal care information from your state, provincial, or even the local social services department or to your doctor. While family planning clinics, physicians, NAF members, or social services also provide you with prenatal care facilities and options for birthing. Suppose you wish to continue with your unplanned or unwanted pregnancy and want to be a parent. In that case, your GP could arrange various tests and medical assessments for you and give you more information about other things.
Unplanned Pregnancy Options – Adoption
As most people are uncomfortable with aborting their unborn baby, they can also go with an adoption plan. You can go to your public or private adoption agencies; they will help you reach an appropriate family willing to raise your child the way you want. Some good agencies even help you with the legal and medical costs of the entire case.
Independent Adoption
Adoption has different types; an independent adoption process includes only the adoptive parents and the birth parents in the entire procedure. In this type of adoption, the adoptive parents could be your relatives or well-known ones whom you can trust. But, most states don’t allow independent adoption procedure, even if they are legalized in your state; you will need an attorney to help you with all the paperwork that is needed to register the adoption.
Different Types of Adoption
When choosing adoption, it can be either closed or open. A closed adoption states that you can have no contact with the adoptive family at any time or in the future. After the adoption has been done, the records are fully sealed, and your child, upon their own wish, could have access to these documents when he may turn 18.
An open adoption is convenient for some people because they are allowed to stay in contact with their adoptive parents. This contact can either be in the form of phone calls, direct visits to the child, or even through sending letters.
How Can You Find an Adoption Agency That Can Assist You
It is very important to look for a reputable adoption agency because this will mainly ensure your child’s adoption to the best possible parents or adoptive family. You can take start by talking to an adoption lawyer or the social worker of your state for a good referral. You need to ask the adoption agency for a minimum of three references. The agency should never pressure you to take any decision, and you should not pay the agency at all for the adoption services or even the counseling they offer you.
The takeaway of Your Child
To come to a final decision for an unwanted pregnancy can be a very emotional experience through and through. Every person goes through a different phase; you should always choose what you feel is right for you in your current situation. But having good medical advice or a strong network of support can make things way easier for you. It can be very helpful to talk to a social worker of your state or a therapist; they will help you process a mess of emotions you might be going through.
Unplanned Pregnancy Options – Abortion
If you are having an unwanted pregnancy and thinking that surgical abortion should be your only choice, then you need to slow down a bit. You should instead walk into crisis pregnancy centers or pregnancy resource centers; they will talk to you about everything you should know regarding surgical abortion and its aftereffects.
As there are many psychological, medical, and emotional risks related to abortion, the previous abortion services provided had highly adverse effects on women.
What Does Research Tell About Abortion?
· Women who had a medical abortion have an 81% risk of mental health issues compared with women who did not.
· Women who had chosen abortion have a 138% higher risk of mental health problems in contrast to the women who are giving birth.
· Women who are aborted have faced a 55% higher risk of problems related to their mental health in contrast to the women who had an unwanted pregnancy and gave birth.
· Women who had a history have pretty high rates of alcohol misuse, anxiety, depression, suicidal behavior, and marijuana usage in contrast to the ones who did not choose abortion.
Adverse Affects of Abortion
You can also go for emergency contraception instead of choosing abortion; it can leave adverse psychological effects on the women, as it has been researched for over 60 years of period. Abortion also affects the sexual health of a woman, whereas the guilt of abortion can lead the woman to emotional problems. Even the immediate psychological help can turn into new guilt in the later years, that woman could be suffering internally over the decision to have of abortion she took years ago, and now she’s been in menopause.
Counseling and Support for Unplanned Pregnancy
Before heading towards any abortion provider, we would rather suggest you go for support and counseling for your unplanned pregnancies because deciding what to do is not always that easy.
If you feel excessively overwhelmed, you can seek support from a specially trained counselor. This counselor can give you information about your pregnancy options and educate you enough so that you may take your decision easily. Remember that no counselor should force you to do anything; their job is to educate you and assist you while the decision still remains in your own hands.
Unwanted Pregnancy – Spend Some Time Reflecting on Your Options
It would help if you took plenty of time before you came to a conclusion and made sure only you decided about your unexpected pregnancy and not your family member. Write every single option on the top of the paper.
What to Ask Yourself about Your Options?
On every single paper, you should reflect upon the following:
· How does this option make you feel?
· What are some of the good aspects this option brings with it?
· What are the bad aspects of this option you are thinking of choosing?
· Is there anyone who has pressured you to make this choice?
· Imagine your life after five years; describe the mental situation and the psychological situation you would be in.
· Is this option best for only your child or only for you?
· What kind of information do you further need about this option?
· How confident are you about this option and pursuing it?
After spending some time and considering all the above situations about parenting, adoption, and abortion, you will gain a better idea about the option that you really wish to pursue.
Unintended Pregnancy – How Should You Take Care of Yourself?
Of all the above-mentioned pregnancy options, if you have chosen to be a parent or give your baby up for adoption, both cases require a healthy pregnancy and antenatal care for you to give birth to a healthy baby in special medical care.
· You should eat healthy foods. Your unborn baby needs enough vitamins and nutrients to grow healthy and strong in the mother’s womb. You should eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich foods, and whole grains.
· You need to take prenatal vitamins on a daily basis. These vitamins include folic acid, calcium, and iron.
· When a woman is going through pregnancy, her body needs excess fluid and more water intake than it did before.
· Women should go for regular prenatal care checkups at the hospital or private clinics. The ones who do not get prenatal care checkups regularly are more likely to give birth to a low-weight baby or face other complications.
· Avoid foods like raw or rare meats, soft cheese including feta, unpasteurized milk, liver, raw eggs, or even sushi.
· Drinking alcohol can be way dangerous for during pregnancy period woman. Alcohol can highly impact the baby’s health in the early stages of a woman’s pregnancy.
· Smoking is not suitable for you or your baby; it leads to a higher risk of infant death, premature birth of the baby, or miscarriage.
· You should get enough sleep as this also helps reduce stress levels. During pregnancy, women should avoid thinking too much; this can also affect the baby’s health.
Conclusion
Unplanned pregnancy is something that most people face; the main thing is to decide what suits your mental health and other resources. It is recommended to reach out to the family planning clinics.
Also, we have mentioned a few options you could follow during your unplanned pregnancy. You are not forced to choose any option; you hold the reins; you should consider the good and bad of every single option and choose wisely for what you want to pursue. Think about how your decision will affect you and your mental health in the coming years. Because deciding what you want to do for an unplanned pregnancy has life-long effects.
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