I’m Pregnant and Considering Adoption in Kansas
Christine couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She blinked. Maybe if she blinked hard enough, the lines would go away. She opened her eyes. They were still there. Maybe she hadn’t blinked hard enough, or maybe the trick was two blinks. Two was definitely the right number because there was no way she could be seeing what she was seeing. She blinked again, hard. Those two little pink lines were still there, glaring at her, taunting her. There was no mistaking it: she was pregnant. This was her third pregnancy test, and the results never changed. She had to accept what was right in front of her face. It was undeniable. She sighed. What was she going to do?
She couldn’t fathom the idea of raising another child right now; she already had four children. Five? Raising five kids seemed unimaginable. She was already stretched to the limit financially. Jessica was having a hard time in school, and her food stamps had just been reduced.
She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she knew in her soul that she couldn’t keep the baby. Terminating the unplanned pregnancy wasn’t an option; she didn’t believe in that. Adoption? Mm… she’d never thought about adoption before.
I wonder what my Wichita adoption choices are? Christine had never considered adoption, and she didn’t know anyone who had, but she was curious about what the adoption process would entail, so she began to search. She sat down at her computer and tapped her temple. Mm, where to begin? She guessed a good old-fashioned Google search would suffice. She typed, “private adoption in Kansas.” After sifting through the annoying ads, she came across Adoption Choices of Kansas. She clicked the link.
Initially, she was overwhelmed by the barrage of information. Where to start? What type of adoption did she want? Would she need financial assistance or counseling? Taking a few deep breaths, Christine gritted her teeth and focused. She had to do this for herself and her baby.
She selected the “I am Pregnant” tab on the website and proceeded from there. Then she scrolled down to “Adoption Plan in Kansas.” Her first step would be to contact Adoption Choices of Kansas. Next, she would have to choose the type of adoption she wants — open, semi-open, mediated, or closed.
Open, semi-open, or closed? What did all these words mean? She learned through her research that an open adoption involves open communication between the birth mother and the adoptive parents, with the birth mother receiving periodic updates about the child’s growth and development. In a semi-open adoption, all contact between the birth mother and the adoptive family is mediated by an adoption counselor, but there is no direct contact between the two parties. A closed adoption entails no communication whatsoever between the adoptive parents and the birth mother; the only information the adoptive parents receive about the birth mother is her medical history.
Because of Christine’s current situation, she decided that a closed adoption would be best for her; she wanted to give her unborn child a loving family, but she didn’t want any communication regarding the child. Maybe later in life, if the baby wanted to find her, she would be open to that, but at this point in her life, she didn’t want the responsibility of being present in another child’s life. And that was okay.
The next step in the adoption process involved choosing her birth plan. Did she want her child’s father in the room when she gave birth? Would it be nice to have the support of an adoption counselor in the room? She and Kenny weren’t on the best terms, so she decided that having the adoption counselor in the room for moral support would be her best option. She definitely did not want to give birth alone.
Would she want counseling after the baby was born? She wasn’t sure right now, but she told herself to remain open to the idea. The adoption counselors at Adoption Choices of Kansas provide unlimited, free counseling sessions to birth mothers for as long as the mothers need. That was good to know, and it provided Christine with some reassurance.
She let out a sigh of relief. This was going to be hard, but she could do it. She’d given birth four times, and although she wasn’t going to keep this baby, she could give birth one last time.
The website provided her with solace about her choice. Adoption is a great choice, and Adoption Choices of Kansas seemed to be the best place for her to receive the support she needed during this difficult time. Christine made the best decision for herself, her baby, and the children she already has.
If you need adoption help now, please call us at 877-903-4488, text us at 316-209-2071, or visit us at Adoption Choices of Kansas.
Adoption Choices of Kansas serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call Us 877-903-4488 or Text Us 316-209-2071
Meet the Author: Rayna Batiste is an alumna of the University of West Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. Having graduated with honors, she hopes to attend graduate school at New York University, majoring in Journalism. Rayna is also a United States Air Force veteran who enjoys watching documentaries about pretty much any subject, learning, and spending quality time with her family and friends. She is also a fitness enthusiast and an avid Peloton user.
Her hobbies include brunch (yes, brunch is a hobby), fashion, makeup, and of course, reading and writing. Rayna has a real passion for the written word and correct grammar and syntax. She enjoys manipulating sentence structure and experimenting with punctuation in her writing. She’s what you would call a “werd nerd.” She was also recently featured at the Pensacola Museum of Art for her work, entitled Triangular Geometry.
