We’re proud of you. Because you’re asking questions, seeking answers, and looking at your options for abortion vs adoption, we’re confident you’ll make the best decision.
An unplanned pregnancy is never easy and only you know if abortion or adoption is the better choice. No one has the power to force you to do either. Get as much information about both options as possible because they each have a lifetime of consequences. Let the Pregnancy Care Center of Petoskey help you.
Abortion
No matter which abortion procedure you have, abortion is a serious medical decision. Although you may have been told getting an abortion is quick, easy, and painless, you never hear about the side effects and potential risks. Here are just a few you might want to consider:
Medical Abortion
The medical abortion method uses two drugs to terminate a pregnancy. It can only be performed if your pregnancy is 10 weeks or less.
According to the Mayo Clinic, medical abortion has several risks.
- Incomplete abortion, which may require a second procedure
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Fever with a possible infection
- Severe cramping
- Possible emotional issues of guilt, anger, and depression
Mifepristone, the second drug you take in a medical abortion can potentially cause:
- Excessive vaginal bleeding requiring a surgical procedure
- Problems with your adrenal glands that can darken your skin, cause diarrhea, lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting, depression, and other issues
- Changes in heart rhythms
Surgical Abortion
There are several different types of surgical abortion methods. Each of them uses a suction or vacuum aspiration procedure. The farther along you are in your pregnancy, the more invasive and technically complicated the procedures become. Here are some potential risks to watch out for:
- Perforation of the uterus
- Seriously heavy bleeding
- Damage to the cervix
- Cramping
- Possible emotional issues of guilt, anger, and depression
Adoption
Making an adoption plan is a difficult choice but sometimes you find the hardest decisions to make turn out to be the best ones. There are several different adoption plans to choose from and which one you choose is determined by the amount of contact you want with your child and the adoptive family afterward.
You, as either the expecting mother or birth mother, make all of the decisions. You decide the adoptive family, the environment you want your child to grow up in, and the amount of contact.
No reputable adoption agency or specialist should ever charge you for their services. In some cases, you can even get assistance with housing, food, medical costs, and more through an agency. There are three basic plans:
Adoption Plans
The most popular plan today is an open adoption. This plan means you exchange all contact information such as full names, addresses, and phone numbers with the adoptive family. You can communicate regularly and even visit if you’re near one another.
A closed adoption plan means you remain completely anonymous. No personal identifying information is shared between you and the adoptive family. Your name and the original birth certificate are sealed after the adoption is finalized.
A semi-open plan is somewhere in between the first two. You’ll exchange first names with the family, but you won’t have direct contact with them. You’ll communicate through a third party such as your adoption agency or specialist.
Deciding if abortion or adoption is right for you
This is a big decision, but you don’t have to make it alone. The staff at Pregnancy Care Center is eager to talk to you about both abortion and adoption options. The more information you have, the easier and more confident you will feel about your decision.
When you visit us for a free consultation, we won’t judge, lecture, or intimidate you. We are a safe place you can come for advice, information, and a shoulder to cry on if necessary. Contact us today. Let’s talk about your options.