The outcome of a woman’s pregnancy is a challenging and personal decision. No one can tell you what is best for you in this situation. If you are confident that you do not want to parent your child, abortion and adoption are your remaining options.
Abortion
There are two legal methods of abortion, medical and surgical. Medical abortion, or “the abortion pill,” uses drugs to terminate a pregnancy, while a surgical abortion involves surgical instruments and suction to remove a pregnancy from the woman’s uterus. Women considering abortion should be aware of the risks before proceeding with the abortion.
Risks of medical abortion can include:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
Risks of a surgical abortion include:
- Uterine perforation (a small tear in your uterus)
- Uterine infection
- Uterine bleeding
A woman choosing an abortion should also monitor herself during her recovery and seek medical attention if she experiences any of the following signs and symptoms of complications:
- Heavy bleeding (soaking through a pad every hour)
- Severe abdominal or back pain
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Fever lasting longer than 24 hours
Adoption
Adoption is an excellent option for women who cannot parent their child for whatever reason but want to know their child is alive and safe in a loving family. While adoption has its challenges, many women find the sacrifice worthwhile and filled with joy.
The adoption landscape has changed much over the years and now offers many choices for the birth mother. As a birth mother, you will choose the type of adoption that best reflects your wishes. Choose from the following adoption plans:
- Open adoption: The birth mother chooses the adoptive family and sometimes can even meet them before the birth. Together, the birth mother and the adoptive parents will decide the type and amount of contact they will have as the child grows. Some families choose much involvement, like celebrating birthdays or having family dinners, while other birth mothers are more comfortable limiting contact to phone calls or text updates.
- Semi-open adoption: In a semi-open adoption, identifying information from all parties remains confidential, and all communication takes place through a third party, like the adoption agency. The birth mother decides how often she would like to hear updates from the adoptive family.
- Closed adoption: When a birth mother wants no contact from the adoptive family, she can choose a closed adoption. All identifying information of the parties involved is sealed and remains confidential.
Need to Talk?
This decision might be weighing heavily on you. While no one can make this choice for you, we are here to listen and offer information about your options, including adoption and abortion. Contact us today to schedule a free appointment.
This blog is for informational purposes only. This facility is not a licensed medical facility. We do not offer, recommend, or refer for abortions or abortifacients; therefore, we receive no financial gain from your decision. We are committed to provide accurate information about pregnancy options, abortion procedure risks and alternatives, and after abortion care.