I have health concerns. Will they affect the baby? Can I still choose adoption?

The truly scary part of getting pregnant is the unknowns — especially if you are facing an unplanned pregnancy. Many emotions and anxieties will flood into your brain. Financial concerns, how to tell the birth father, what your next step should be… If you are a birth mother wanting to place your baby for adoption, and you have health concerns, this could be going through your mind as well. 

It’s natural to be worried about how this is going to affect your pregnancy, your health, and your options. Especially when you want to make sure that you stay safe and healthy. *Be sure to consult with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns regarding specific health concerns you may have about your pregnancy. Certain ones can be difficult to predict or affect you in different ways while you are pregnant, and your doctor is going to be the best way to know how to handle this.

Adoption Choices of Texas has put together a list of potential health concerns that could affect your pregnancy. Please know that this is only a resource. It is for educational and informational purposes only, and should be taken as medical advice. Your doctor should always be your biggest ally in any health concern. If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, please seek a doctor immediately.

Endometriosis 

Endometriosis is basically when your womb tissue starts over taking your internal pelvic area. Hormones released during your period can cause this tissue to become swollen and extremely painful. Not only can it cause heavier periods, but it can also cause infertility. 

If you have endometriosis please confirm that you are actually pregnant with a doctor as this condition reduces the chances of getting pregnant and you don’t want to look into any options for the future until you have absolute certainty and a plan with your doctor. If you are confirmed to be pregnant and looking into adoption with this condition, build a support group with the adoptive parents and please keep them informed of anything that may happen.

PCOS

PCOS or Polycystic Ovary syndrome happens when a woman’s adrenal glands or ovaries produce more male hormones. Cysts can develop in those areas. The increase of risk for this is increased by obesity. Some signs that you may have PCOS are: thinning hair, acne and pelvic pain. PCOS also increases your risks towards diabetes and high blood pressure. 

The treatment for PCOS is varied depending on what you’re suffering as it’s very hard to diagnose. Your doctor may suggest losing weight as a way of helping you feel better. Be prepared for doctors to suggest this a lot, since this is the go to fix for everything. Controlling PCOS seems to be more about controlling the symptoms and side effects rather than an actual treatment. 

Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors. They usually occur after a woman hits puberty. The tumors grow both in and out of the womb’s walls. Some symptoms include peeing frequently, lower back pain, and feeling bloated in your lower torso. 

You may actually have fibroids and not even know it. Typically, you will be diagnosed when you go for a pelvic exam. The doctor can feel the tumors while doing the exam. This is important. Please keep up to date with all exams, whether it is a pelvic exam or even a mammogram. Most things can be treated if they are caught early. After the pelvic exam, your doctor may want to confirm it with an ultrasound, MRI or an X-ray. 

Because each and every birth mother is different, what your doctor suggests will vary from woman to woman. You may be given medications to help with the pain to shrink the fibroids. Another option your doctor may suggest is surgery. There are several types of surgery used for Uterine Fibroids. One is targeting the fibroids themselves. The other would be a complete removal of your uterus. 

STDs

The first STD to probably come to mind is HIV/AIDS. Once you have this, you have it for life. However, with the help of your doctors, it can be prevented from the baby getting it. Other STDs are just as dangerous and should be shared with your doctor immediately. If you are sexually active, please consider being tested regularly. It’s easier to take care of something if it’s caught early before it causes irreparable damage.

Not only can STDs destroy some of your reproductive organs like your fallopian tubes, they can cause you to get very sick and may also kill you. Two STDs to watch out for are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium that travels through your reproductive organs and wreaks havoc. Gonorrhea is another one caused by a bacterium however it is scary in that it is developing resistances to antibiotics. 

One resource your doctor might send you is to a high-risk pregnancy center. A high-risk pregnancy center focuses solely on complicated pregnancies. If your doctor suggests this, please keep in mind that this is no fault of your own. Every pregnancy is different and has its own unique ups and downs. 

Health Concerns and Unplanned Pregnancy

If you have any of these conditions or likely to develop them, please immediately talk to your doctor, especially if you think you are pregnant as many of these can also cause future complications with a pregnancy especially if you are relying on these conditions to decrease the chances of you getting pregnant. You may also have a preexisting condition that could be affected by being pregnant and affect if you are able to care for the child. If that is the case, you may want to consider adoption to ensure the best future for both you and the child. The most important thing is your health and that of your child’s. If you are looking at adoption in the event this happens, please be open and honest with the adoptive parents with information at your disposal to give to them as a resource. 

As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. You can call us at 888-307-3340, text us at 888-307-3340, or email us here. If you are hoping to adopt, please visit us here. We look forward to helping you through your adoption journey!

Meet the Author:Courtney Moore was born in Huntington Beach, California. She is currently attending college for English with a minor in History. Her love for writing started at the age of 11 when she won a class competition for a personification of candy in a short story. In her junior year of high school, she was an editor for her school’s literary magazine. In her senior year of high school, her then English teacher told her that she should pursue a career as a literary scholar. The main reason she decided to not pursue that path is that her passions lied more in the creation of writings than the review of it. 

She currently lives in Las Vegas with her very spoiled cat Abby, who she happily adopted from the local animal shelter. Courtney has been a supporter of animal adoptions her whole life.

Her interest in child adoptions began at the age of 14. It was at that age that she learned of how many children were in the foster system. Her own childhood was very unstable; however, she was able to stay with at least one of her parents for a majority of it. As she got older, her interests in adoptions grew. Her hopes are that, one day, the foster care system is fixed and is treated as it should be.