What You Need to Know about Adoption vs. Abortion

When women face an unplanned pregnancy and know they are unable to parent, they have two options: adoption or abortion.

You may find opinions of all kinds on this issue – from pro-life advocates to anti-adoption bloggers and everyone in between. You may have already dealt with confusion and conflict because many of these people believe that their answer is the right one.

What you need to know is that none of them can give you the right answer. The only “right” decision is the one that is right for you.

In order to come to that decision, you need to have unbiased, accurate information at your disposal. Here, you can find what you need to know about adoption and abortion as well as who can help you with your decision.

Find Help Today

While no one should ever make your decision for you, unbiased support can be crucial during this time. Fortunately, you have many options.

Michael Belfonte works closely with American Adoptions, a national adoption agency where you can learn more about adoption and decide if it is right for you. American Adoptions’ specialists will provide you with the counseling you need to make the best decision for you, whatever that may be. Contacting American Adoptions is always free for you and does not obligate you in any way to choose adoption. You can also contact your local Planned Parenthood, where you will also receive counseling, support, and information.

As you make this difficult decision, you can also find information on your options in the sections below.

Adoption

Adoption takes place when a woman selects an adoptive family for her unborn child, and then relinquishes her parental rights after the baby is born.

If you pursue adoption, you will work with a specialist to create an adoption plan. This plan will include what kind of family you want to raise your child, how much contact you want with them after you’ve selected them, who you want to be with you in the hospital, and much more.

Here are a few of the ways that adoption differs from abortion:

  • You can have control of your adoption plan – Women who choose adoption are in charge of every step of the process, from choosing the family to deciding how much contact they want to have.
  • You can see your child grow up – Because open and semi-open adoptions are so common today, you will never have to wonder if your child is happy and loved. You will be able to see for yourself.
  • You can help a family – Many families choose to adopt a child because they have struggled with infertility. Adoption is a gift not only for your baby, but for the family you choose.

By contacting Michael Belfonte or American Adoptions, you can learn more about the adoption process and decide if it is the choice you want to make. While there are many tangible benefits to adoption, it is not the path that all women take.

Abortion

An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy through either a surgical or medical procedure.

A medical abortion can be obtained with a pill or pills up to nine weeks into a pregnancy. Surgical abortions can be performed up to fourteen weeks and require a doctor to remove the pregnancy. If you are under the age of eighteen, you must have the consent of one parent if you live in Missouri and both if you live in Kansas.

Women may choose abortion instead of adoption for these reasons:

  • You can forego the physical toll of pregnancy and childbirth – Having a baby can be painful, stressful, and sometimes risky. You have the right to decide if you are not ready to experience pregnancy and childbirth.
  • You can maintain your privacy – Because they do not go through a pregnancy, women who choose abortions can more easily keep their decision private and reveal it when and if they want to.
  • You can undergo a safe procedure – Abortion comes with little medical risk and does not usually affect your ability to conceive later in life.

By contacting Planned Parenthood, you can receive information about your situation and your legal rights regarding abortion.

Making the Decision for You

Both adoption and abortion are permanent decisions, and they do share some similarities: both options allow you to continue with your education or career goals and decide when you are ready to be a parent. Both decisions can also leave women with feelings of grief or loss.

While the decision not to parent is always a difficult one, women who choose adoption may feel less of a sense of grief than women who choose abortion. Seeing their baby raised by the family they chose often offers some reassurance that they made the best decision.

For more information, visit your local Planned Parenthood and contact Michael Belfonte for a consultation.