Unplanned Pregnancy?

Reasons for Unplanned Pregnancy

If you are a couple or a single woman who is facing an unplanned pregnancy you may have to make some difficult decisions that will impact your life and the life and future of your child. The reasons for an unplanned pregnancy can be numerous including not using contraceptive methods, failure of the contraceptive method, sexual abuse or rape, innocence or simply ignorance about sexual and reproductive health. An unplanned pregnancy can be a nightmare for a woman who might be too young to bear the child, is a single mother, or simply because her economic situation makes it impossible to provide for another child. Whatever the reasons, you should know that you have some options that could help you resolve this problem, including one selfless choice that offers you the opportunity to turn an unplanned pregnancy into a positive situation for you and your baby, offering you emotional and financial support and the opportunity to give your baby a life full of love and security.

Emotions with Unwanted Pregnancy

Finding out about an unplanned pregnancy is usually, for many women, a very emotional event that can cause negative emotions such as anger, guilt, confusion, and sadness. Unplanned pregnancies occur very often due to different reasons and those feelings are perfectly normal. Nevertheless you should not make any important decisions before letting all those feelings out by talking to your close family, friends, and professionals. Facing your emotions and taking responsibility for the pregnancy is important in order to start your decision making process. Unplanned pregnancies can have substantial consequences for the parents, the unborn child, and the siblings in the family, especially for women who are confronted with significant problems that can have long term emotional and physical effects on their lives.

An unplanned pregnancy can also have serious consequences for the relationship between the biological parents, especially if only one of them welcomes the pregnancy and the other doesn't. Many families feel overwhelmed with an unplanned pregnancy and worry about finances, housing, time and energy needed to raise a child.

Your Options:

If you are faced with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy then you have basically three options: parenting, adoption, or terminating it. Any of these choices may have negative and/or positive consequences for the life and future of your baby, as well as life-changing consequences for you. Some of these choices may also have major psychological and emotional consequences on your life that can last for a long time. In any case you should do more research on the subjects or look for professional help if necessary.

The Choice of Adoption

Adoption is seen by most people as a responsible and courageous choice. In cases of unplanned or unwanted pregnancy adoption offers the selfless act of giving the child a chance to live and it may even give the child a much brighter future than the birth parents can offer.

Placing your child for adoption is not always the easiest choice, but an adoption can offer you the opportunity to turn an unplanned pregnancy into a positive situation for you and your baby.

Most birth mothers see adoption as the most loving gift they can ever give to their child because it offers them the opportunity of a life full of love and security.

Adoption Process

Step 1: Contact Us

The first step is to make contact with one of our Adoption Specialists. They can answer all of your questions, work with you to find the best adoption plan, and explain very detail of the adoption process. Colores Adoptions' specialists are available 24 hours a day at 877-677-9373 to answer your questions. Your contact with Colores Adoptions will be kept confidential.

Step 2: Information Packet

We will send you either by mail or e-mail an information packet with helpful information about the adoption process along with some forms to fill out about yourself. All the information you provide in these forms will be used confidentially. You may also call our adoption specialists if you have any questions about the information packet or the background forms. They will be happy to assist you at any time. Please note that by filling out the initial paperwork you are not committing yourself to choosing adoption. This initial paperwork only means that you are ready to explore and create an adoption plan. If you wish to complete the initial paperwork to get started with Colores Adoptions now, please call: 877-677-9373.

Step 3: Meet you Adoption Specialist

An adoption specialists will be assigned to you who will explain the adoption process to you and will answer any questions you might have. She will assist you in deciding what is the best choice for you and your baby. The Adoption Specialist will never pressure you into choosing adoption. She will only make sure that you understand all your options, rights, and responsibilities.

Step 4: Adoption Plan

Once you have decided that adoption in the best choice for you and your baby your Adoption Specialist will start discussing with you the details of your adoption plan. She will build an adoption plan according to your wants and needs and according to whatever timeline you prefer.

Step 5: The Baby is Born

Your Adoption specialist will take care in advance of all the necessary steps with the hospital. She will make the hospital aware of your adoption plan and any concerns or wishes you might have during your hospital stay. Once your baby is born your Adoption Specialist will review the adoption plan with you and will make sure that everything is being done according to the way you want.

Step 6: The Placement

At this stage everything will be ready and at this point, as long as you are still comfortable with your adoption plan, you will place the baby with the adoptive family. We understand that this can be a very emotional time for everybody involved. Colores Adoptions will provide you with guidance and support during this difficult time. Your Adoption Specialist will be by your side to help you through this rough time and will make sure that you feel comfortable with the placement. At the time of placement the legal adoption documents are usually signed depending on the states law and regulations. Your Adoption specialist will explain to you everything that happens in each step of the adoption process so that you can be prepared.

Step 7: Support After Placement

Your Adoption Specialist will also be there for you after the adoption placement. We encourage you stay in contact with your Adoption Specialist after the placement. She will help you understand and process different emotions you might feel at this point in the adoption process. These emotions are common after the adoption placement and your Adoption Specialist will provide you with the proper support.

Types of Adoption

An adoption begins with the decision of the birth parents to place their unborn child or baby for adoption with another family. The birth parents can play and active role in the adoption process and decide what kind of adoption plan is best for them. The birth parents can also be involved in the selection process of the adoptive parents and decide what kind of adoption they want to have.

Open Adoption

An open adoption involves an ongoing relationship between the birth parents and adoptive family. This means that both parties have exchanged identifying information and have contact with each other either through letters, pictures, phone calls, or visits. The extent of communication in an open adoption is up to the birth mother and adoptive the family. An open adoption provides answers to adoptee’s questions about his background and ethnicity, allowing him to have a better understanding about adoption and about the important contribution and love he received from his birth mother and his adoptive parents.

Semi-Open Adoption

A semi-open adoption is one step down from open adoption regarding contact; the birth parents and adoptive parents meet, however, they do not exchange identifying information. There may be ongoing contact between the two parties, but it’s typically less often, and it is facilitated through the agency.

Closed Adoption

A close adoption offers complete confidentiality. At no time is there any identifying information given to either the birth parents or the adoptive couple about each other. The birth parents allow the agency to pick adoptive parents from their approved, waiting couples, and the baby will be placed with them.

Semi-Closed Adoption

A semi-closed adoption allows the birth parents parents to look through a number of “profiles” of couples that are waiting to adopt. All couples have been studied by the agency, and are approved to legally adopt. The birth parents choose a couple to raise their child, but there is no contact, and no exchange of identifying information between the two parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have an unplanned pregnancy, what are my options?

There are 3 options to an unplanned pregnancy…

Parenting:

Parenting is a positive choice when one is prepared and able to provide for a child; not only financially but emotionally and physically. However, when in an unstable situation, the decision to parent may be reconsidered

Questions to consider:

Are you financially prepared and/or stable to care for a child?

Are you emotionally ready to be a parent and raise a child?

Is this the right time for you to raise a child?

Do I have support from anyone or do I know of programs that are able to help me?

Terminating the Pregnancy:

Terminating a pregnancy is a difficult decision in many ways, there are both physical and emotional impacts that must be considered. First you should learn about the different procedures and medical risks involved and what policies your state has about terminating a pregnancy before deciding.

Questions to consider:

Am I aware of the physical risks of terminating a pregnancy?

Do I have a strong personal or spiritual belief about terminating a pregnancy?

What are the restrictions and laws about terminating a pregnancy in my state?

Giving up for Adoption:

Adoption is a selfless choice for an unplanned pregnancy. It allows you to choose the future for your child and gives you the opportunity to place your child in a home environment that is emotionally and financially ready for him/her. With adoption, you have a choice to have an open or closed adoption, which means you can have communication with the adoptive family and see how your baby is doing, if that is what you wish.

Questions to consider:

Do I want to give my child the opportunity at a better life with a family that is ready for and looking to adopt a child?

Do you want your baby to have a good home and see him/her thrive in that environment?

Why choose adoption?

Choosing adoption is a positive alternative for an unplanned pregnancy. It allows you to give the child a chance at life and give one of the greatest blessings to an adoptive family. Many women who are going through an unplanned pregnancy do not investigate all her options, if you feel adoption is right for you, please contact an adoption specialist today.

What are the types of adoption?

There are three types of adoption: Open, Semi-open, and Closed.

Open:

This involves an ongoing relationship between the birthparents and the adoptive family. Both parties have exchanged identifying information, and the extent of communication is up to both the birth mother and the adoptive family.

Semi-open:

With a semi-open adoption, you still are able to meet the adoptive family if you wish, but there will be no identifying information exchanged. There may be ongoing contact between the two parties, but it may be through the agency.

Closed:

Offers complete confidentiality.  There will be no identifying information given about each other. With the birth parent permission, the agency can pick adoptive parents from our approved waiting families. Even if you choose a closed adoption, you are able to change to an open adoption if the family is open to it as well.

Who will help me work through this decision?

The decision to place for adoption is not an easy one. Although it is a tough decision, we will be there with you to support you through the entire process and offer counseling if you desire it. Throughout the adoption process your adoption specialist will be available to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Will I be able to pick the adoptive family for my baby?

Yes, you have the option to choose the adoptive parents for your baby. Every family has a profile book, which is a booklet that we can provide to you that consists of the adoptive family’s pictures, letters, and where you can learn more about the family’s life. We can present you different profiles with pictures and notes from the family so that you can learn more about who they are and how they live. If you would rather be matched by an adoption specialist, we are able to match you with an adoptive family as well.

How do I know that the adoptive parents are good people?

All our potential adoptive families go through extensive investigations and pre-requisites. A licensed social worker will meet with the adoptive family in their home to complete a series of interviews, which is called a home study. The adoptive parents must go through various checks for criminal history, FBI clearance checks, and child abuse and neglect clearances. We require them to provide us with important documentation such as birth certificates, copies of marriage licenses, medical reports of the adoptive family, etc. Once we have all the necessary and required documents and clearances from the adoptive family, they are able to become one of our waiting families. We would not present an adoptive family that does not have all of the mentioned documents.

Will I be able to meet the adoptive family in person?

Yes, if you wish the adoptive family can come to meet you before your baby is born and you can have as much contact with the adoptive family as you want, all depending on what you believe is best for you. You will obtain all the information that we are able to give you about the adoptive family. We do not give out their last name or address. Even though you may want a closed adoption, you are still entitled to receive all information.

Am I able to place for adoption without the birthfather?

Many birth fathers give their consent for the adoption. However, if the biological father does not wish to provide consent, you don’t know his whereabouts, or if he wants to talk to an agency representative, please contact us.