You are the only person capable of deciding the outcome of your pregnancy. Considering your options may feel overwhelming, but learning more about your choices will empower you with the confidence you need to determine which outcome is the best choice for you.
Parenting may not be the best choice for all women, but sometimes women pass over this option because they don’t feel they have the support or resources they need. If you want to consider parenting, we want to help you understand the assistance available. Let us know if you want to talk about your parenting options.
If parenting is not right for you, other options are abortion or adoption.
Abortion
Abortion terminates a pregnancy. There are two forms of abortion available:
- Medical: A medical abortion, also called “the abortion pill,” uses two drugs to end the pregnancy. It is only FDA-approved for pregnancies under 10 weeks.
- Surgical: A surgical abortion is performed by a physician in a clinical setting and utilizes a series of rods to dilate a woman’s cervix. Suction and surgical instruments can then be inserted into the uterus to remove the embryo or fetus.
Abortion is banned in Arkansas except in cases where it is required to save a woman’s life.
Both medical and surgical abortion are serious medical procedures with associated risks. Weigh the physical risks as well as the mental health risks when considering abortion.
Adoption
Adoption involves carrying your baby to term and placing them with another family to love and parent them.
There are three types of adoption plans to choose from depending on what makes you most comfortable:
- Open adoption: If you want to choose the parents that raise your child and even meet them before birth, open adoption might be right for you. With the adoptive parents, you will develop a plan for contact after the birth. Some birth mothers play an active role in their child’s life, while others may prefer less in-person contact and ask for phone calls for updates.
- Semi-open adoption: There is semi-open adoption for birth mothers who want to communicate with the adoptive family but wish to do so while keeping their identifying information confidential. In this adoption plan, all communication between the birth mother and the adoptive family will occur through a third party, usually the adoption agency or adoption attorney.
- Closed adoption: Closed adoption is best for birth mothers who do not want contact with their child or the adoptive family. All information will remain confidential.
Learn More
Contact HopePlace for more information about your pregnancy options. Make an appointment to discuss your situation with a caring member of our team. We are here to listen and offer support.