• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Unplanned Pregnancy Support

January 25, 2011 by ds_65371 Leave a Comment

Most women imagine that becoming pregnant will be a magical experience that occurs at just the right time; however, for many, this will not be the case. Unplanned pregnancies are far from uncommon. Women who are forced to deal with unexpectedly finding themselves with child may have to face an array of emotional and logistical issues, and be required to make some serious life choices that they had hoped to never encounter.

Prevalence

If you find yourself unexpectedly pregnant, you may feel like you are the only one who has ever been in that predicament, but you are far from alone. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, in 2001 nearly 50 percent of all pregnancies in the United States were unplanned. Unplanned pregnancy is so prevalent, in fact, that the CDC focuses on reducing the rate of unplanned pregnancies.

Sources of Support

While some women choose to deal with their unplanned pregnancy alone, you certainly don’t have to. Professional counseling, talking with friends or even writing a letter to yourself in which you sort through your emotions can all prove effective first steps in dealing with the situation, reports NineMSN. If you seek confidentiality but still want a supportive ear, the American Pregnancy Association may be a good source of support. By calling this nonprofit organization at 1-800-672-2296, mothers-to-be can talk confidentially to a specialist about their options.

The Options

Women who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant ultimately have three options: To carry on with the pregnancy and keep the baby, to have an abortion or to give the child up for adoption. All of these choices have their complications, making selecting one option a complex task.

Abortion Resources

If abortion is the path that you elect to take, you will require help along the way. Before you commit to your decision, speak with a trained professional who can offer information and support. Contact Planned Parenthood at 1-800-230-PLAN to obtain information on termination options, including nonsurgical termination through the “abortion pill” as well as surgical abortion. While nothing can make the decision to have an abortion an unemotional one, speaking with a trained counselor can make it easier to think with your head.

The Adoption Option

If abortion isn’t for you, but raising the child isn’t, either, adoption is your best bet. Today, women who give up their babies for adoption have a host of options, including open adoptions in which they have varying degrees of contact with the child, either in person or through pictures. Arm yourself with the information you need to make this potentially difficult choice. Consider contacting American Adoptions, a nonprofit adoption agency that handles approximately 300 domestic adoptions annually, at 1-800-ADOPTION. This agency will send you an information packet that may help make the decision-making process a bit easier.

On to Motherhood

Women who continue their pregnancies and keep their babies may feel overwhelmed, but help is available from multiple sources. Explore online and community groups for expectant and new mothers, including childbirth preparation and breastfeeding support. Women in need of financial assistance can find help from state aid, including Medicaid and aid to dependent families; as well as the federal Women, Infants and Children, or WIC program, which provides food for low-income pregnant women and children under the age of 5. Local churches, philanthropic organizations and women’s refuge groups also offer resources for women with unplanned pregnancies.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About ds_65371

Erin Schreiner is a freelance writer and teacher who holds a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University. She has been actively freelancing since 2008. Schreiner previously worked for a London-based freelance firm. Her work appears on eHow, Trails.com and RedEnvelope. She currently teaches writing to middle school students in Ohio and works on her writing craft regularly.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

It’s One of Those “I Suck” Days…

Do you ever just have one of those I suck days? I do - a … [Read More...] about It’s One of Those “I Suck” Days…

Must Have

ToniBox

Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

If you are looking for something to occupy your children … [Read More...] about Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

Did you know?

how much weight should a baby gain

How Much Weight Should a Baby Gain?

What Does It Mean When Your Partner Curses at You?

What Does It Mean When Your Partner Curses at You?

Bake Frozen and Pre-Breaded Chicken

How to Bake Frozen and Pre-Breaded Chicken

safe to color Your hair while breastfeeding

Is it Safe to Color Your Hair While Breastfeeding?

Cook London Broil in an Electric Pressure Cooker

How to Cook London Broil in an Electric Pressure Cooker

Natural Remedies to Increase Sperm Count

Natural Remedies to Increase Sperm Count

what type of vitamins help fertility

What Type of Vitamins Help Fertility?

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.