Choosing Adoption

Finding oneself with an unplanned pregnancy can be scary, and trying to figure out what options you have can be stressful. When searching “unplanned pregnancy” on Google, the first things that populate are “free abortions near me,” “need abortion pills,” or the Planned Parenthood website. Many women don’t know they have other choices besides these, including adoption.

Giving your child up for adoption is one of the most loving things a mother can do. Not only is she choosing life over death, but she’s also providing a family with a child they never thought they could have. There isn’t a true statistic on how many families in the US are waiting to adopt, but experts estimate it’s somewhere between 1–2 million. And yet, only 4% of women with an unwanted pregnancy place their child for adoption, while over a million abortions happen each year.

Adoption has changed over the years. The birth mother is completely in control of the process and can decide what kind of adoption she wants. A closed adoption is one where the birth mother has no contact with the child and does not receive information about them. In an open adoption, the birth mother can choose how much contact she wants. She may receive letters, texts, and/or pictures from the family and may also have contact with the child through phone or video chat.

The birth mother also has control over what kind of family she wants her child to go to. Adoption agencies compile a list of choices, and the mother can review profiles and pick the one she feels is best. She can also choose where and how she’ll have the baby. Not only that, but she can give birth at no cost to herself. Agencies also provide counseling for the mother after placement.

Although abortion may feel like the easiest option, it may result in traumatic side effects that can affect the mother years down the road. By placing your child for adoption, you’re saving a life and blessing a family with something they never thought they’d have.

http://www.hli.org/resources/adoption-vs-abortion/