Unplanned Pregnancy: What are My Options in Texas?
Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be challenging, and it is completely understandable to be confused or concerned about what to do. Unfortunately, a large percentage of women in the United States will encounter this at some point in their lives. Each case may have their own challenges or struggles, but the primary question to ask is, “What are my options?”
Today’s research into this situation is vast, and sorting through all of it can be a daunting task. The important thing to keep in mind, though, is that Adoption Choices of Texas is here to help you determine what is best for you and your baby.
What are My Options with an Unplanned Pregnancy?
- Raising the Baby
So, you’re pregnant and looking into your options. One available option is the possibility of keeping and raising the baby. With this, it is important to sit down and methodically address the needs both you and the baby will have in the future. Are your finances in a place to support you both? Will you have the support and resources to properly raise the baby? Are you emotionally ready to raise a baby?
While these questions are all things you need to address when considering motherhood, be sure that you also look inward. Do you feel confident about this decision? Are you healthy? Can you carry the baby safely to term? Are you being pressured into this decision at all?If possible, reach out to an unbiased source to help you make a final decision. Good people to talk to would be:
- Your doctor or OBGYN
- A Counselor / Mental Health Professional
- A Trusted friend or family member
- Other women who have personal experience with unplanned pregnancies
- Terminating the Pregnancy
As a more medically-centered option, it is important to consider any and all health concerns. With an unwanted pregnancy, terminating your pregnancy is a perfectly valid option available to you. However, you’ll want to double check your state’s abortion laws to see what is allowed and when.
For instance, while abortion is legal in the state of Texas, you are required to recieve state-mandated counseling and then wait 24 hours before you’ll be granted the termination proceedure. You also must have an ultrasound at least 24 hours before the abortion takes place. An abortion is permitted until 20 or more weeks. After this point, your pregnancy cannot be terminated unless your life is endangered.
- Placing Your Baby for Adoption
If neither raising the baby nor option for an abortion seem like the best choice for you, placing your baby for adoption is the third and final available option you have. At Adoption Choices of Texas, we can help you create a customized adoption plan that suits all of your needs. You will have three different types of adoption to choose from, and you will be in control of the entire adoption journey.
We understand that this can be a difficult and overwhelming decision to make. However, if you choose to place your baby for adoption with our adoption agency, you will be assigned an adoption caseworker who will explain the pros and cons of adoption, answer your questions and help you navigate your adoption journey.
Unplanned Pregnancy: What Now?
When first looking into your unplanned pregnancy options, you may not know where to start. A great place to begin would be researching. Seeing what adoption agencies there are in your area, and writing out what you want out of your adoption journey. The next thing would be to ask questions and decide what adoption agency has your best interests in mind. You want to make sure that you feel confident, comfortable and well-informed when making a final decision.
At Adoption Choices of Texas, our adoption consultants are available 24/7 to answer any questions and resolve any concerns you might have. If you have questions regarding your options with your unplanned pregnancy, you can make an appointment with one of our adoption counselors or with your doctor or OBGYN. They are all great resources in helping your process and decide what is best for you and your baby.
As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. You can call us at 945-444-0333, text us at 945-444-0333, 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: From novels to newspapers, Alison Todderud has traversed many facets of the literary world. The fun thing about writing is that it is always evolving, which means there is so much left to explore. A graduate of the University of Montana and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Alison has spent her career building a background in various forms of writing.
Her most recent credits include the publishing of an academic study through the Pacific Northwest Communication Association, as well as a screenwriting credit with Onward Adeline, a film that premiered at the Virginia Film Festival in 2020. Alison also works with an international writing collective dedicated to the review and fostering of new writing talent.
Now, she has her eyes set on the editorial world. There is always room to grow as a writer, and Alison is eager to explore and adapt within the marketing discipline.
