Placing Your Child Up For Adoption When Experiencing Teen Pregnancy
Being a teenager and finding out that you’re pregnant can make you feel like your world just ended. You are likely considering any and all options for your pregnancy, whether it be birthing the child and choosing to be a parent, terminating the pregnancy, or giving your baby up for adoption. Teen pregnancy is a scary reality for many young women, and every birthmother or prospective birth mother goes about their circumstances differently. The purpose of this article is not to persuade any birth mothers into choosing adoption. Instead, it is to validate any birth mother who may already be considering putting their child up for adoption.
Here at Adoption Choices of Kansas, we are dedicated to supporting women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Many expecting mothers lack the guidance and support necessary to navigate this difficult time in their lives, and Adoption Choices of Kansas strives to provide that exact support that so many birth mothers are lacking. With us, you gain valuable support through a trained counselor who is dedicated to supporting you regardless of the decision you make for your child.
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.
Your Resources For Adoption In Kansas
Many birth mothers considering adoption struggle to find and understand all the resources they have at their disposal, and this may be exacerbated when becoming pregnant as a teen. We understand that there are so many internal and societal pressures when becoming pregnant at a young age, which is why Adoption Choices of Kansas makes our resources readily available so that you don’t feel alone in this time. Some of the resources our Kansas adoption agency offers are:
- Financial assistance
- Help with finding both prenatal care and health care
- Safe housing or money for rent and utilities
- Free counseling (both during and after the adoption process)
Our goal is always to ensure the well-being of the birth mother and their child so as to ensure a smooth adoption process and a healthy lifestyle post-adoption. With these resources at your disposal, you will find many of your concerns erased, or at the least, that capable hands will handle them.
Reasons Adoption is a Great Option For Teenage Birth Mothers
Let’s get this out of the way: giving a baby up for adoption is not a selfish decision. Teen pregnancy is a challenging situation that has real implications on both the lives of the birth mother and the child. Putting a child up for adoption can often provide the best odds for success in life for both the birth mother and their child. No one can judge you without understanding your perspective. To put it simply, your decisions are valid. With that being said, here are some reasons adoption might be right for you.
1: Readiness to be a Parent
Becoming pregnant in your teenage years means reality has, and will continue to, set in. It is okay to accept that you’re young and don’t feel ready to be a parent yet, because quite honestly, you likely aren’t. Being honest with yourself and your ability to care for a child properly is essential to taking that next step and deciding if adoption is the right choice for you. There is no shame in acknowledging you aren’t ready and feel like your child would be better in other hands. You still have your own life to live, and having a child before you’re ready may lead to resentment in the future that no one deserves.
2: Your Child Has a Chance
Teen pregnancy often evokes two solutions in the minds of the birth mother: keeping the child or abortion. As we mentioned above, you may not feel capable of raising a child at your age, resulting in you turning to abortion as a solution. While a valid option, choosing abortion leads to increased feelings of guilt for many women. Therefore, a possible third option maybe adoption. Choosing adoption means giving a child a chance at life and mitigating the emotional turmoil you may be experiencing.
3: Your Child Can Be Supported Financially
The average cost of raising a child in the United States is upwards of $200,000 through the age of 17, excluding the cost of college tuition. This is obviously a significant amount of money that many people cannot afford, especially on their own. For many, having a child too young may ensure raising that child along the poverty line. Choosing adoption means giving your child a chance at financial stability, which in turn creates opportunities for your child.
4: You Can Live Your Life And Take Part in Your Child’s Life
Adoption doesn’t have to be a permanent goodbye between birth mother and child. As a matter of fact, should you choose an open adoption, you will be granted a certain degree of communication with your child. Limitations would have to be set, but this would allow you to have at least semi-consistent contact with your child, whether it be in the form of pictures, letters, phone calls, or visits. Many birth mothers find happiness in the fact that they can still play a part in their child’s life, even from a distance. If you’re afraid of the finality of adoption, then open adoption may be the best choice for you.
Placing Your Baby for Adoption
Teen pregnancy is a serious matter that requires careful and honest consideration. Pregnant teenagers must consider all their options, including the amount of support they may have, how ready they are to raise a child, and if they can truly provide in all the ways a child needs. Having a child, no matter the age means putting that child first every day. One of the most selfless things a potential teenage birth mother can do is be honest with herself about her ability to care for her child. There is always solace to be found in the fact that you’ve made such a selfless decision and that your child is now happy with their adoptive family.
At Adoption Choices of Kansas, we make it our mission to care for mothers experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. On average, we assist 100 women every year who have experienced an unplanned pregnancy. You can trust that you and your child are in safe hands when you come to us.
Choosing adoption is not giving up. If you need unplanned pregnancy help now, Adoption Choices of Kansas serves birth parents statewide and beyond. We can help with teen pregnancy, financial assistance, difficult situations, and more. Please call us or text us to learn more! Call Us 877-903-4488 or Text Us 316-209-2071
Meet the author: David T. Garcia is currently a student at Syracuse University working towards his degree in English with a concentration in film. He is a resident of Northern New Jersey and spends much of his time in New York City, whether it be for business or pleasure. David is looking forward to graduation so he can begin his life and pursue his ambitions. He has dreams of moving out to New York City and working as a young professional in the content writing space while also working on his own screenplays. In his free time, David enjoys spending time with family as well as watching movies and reading books. He has a passion for travel and looks forward to new experiences.
