Are you experiencing an unexpected pregnancy? Rates of accidental pregnancies are on the rise, so know you are not alone in this struggle. 

Women who don’t wish to continue their pregnancy have options: abortion, adoption, safe surrender, or parenting. 

Take a few minutes to explore these options below and see which one suits your situation and health outcomes best. 

How Does Abortion Work?

Abortion uses medication or a surgical procedure to terminate an existing pregnancy. If you decide to have an abortion, your doctor will select which procedure will be most effective depending on how far along your pregnancy is. 

Medical Abortion

A medical abortion uses a combination of the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol to end a pregnancy. Mifepristone prevents the pregnancy from attaching to the uterine wall and stops it from growing. Misoprostol causes uterine contractions to expel the pregnancy from the womb. 

Medical pregnancies, also known as the abortion pill, are only effective for pregnancies within the first 10 weeks. After that mark, women will likely require a surgical abortion. 

Surgical Abortion 

If you know your pregnancy is more than 10 weeks along, you will probably need a surgical abortion. 

A surgical abortion is done by dilating and opening the cervix then inserting a vacuum device or forceps to remove the pregnancy. The entire procedure can take up to 3 hours and women may experience some cramping and pain afterwards. 

Adoption

Adoption is not one size fits all. If you decide on adoption, you will have the opportunity to be part of your child’s life or completely hands-off. 

You will want to partner with an adoption agency so you have someone to guide you through the whole process. As the birth mother, you will be the one to select which family or couple gets to love and raise your child. 

Choosing adoption has both pros and cons. Pros include feeling a sense of pride and relief knowing your child will be loved and cared for because of your sacrifice. Cons may include a long grieving process as you emotionally and physically surrender your child to another family. 

Digging into the details of adoption may help you decide if this option is right for you. 

Safe Surrender

In Washington State, a parent may anonymously hand over their infant within 72 hours of birth. You can leave an infant at any hospital, staffed fire station, or rural health clinic without fear of prosecution.

It is critical that you have a safe plan for your baby. Call the hotline at 1-888-510-2229.
The hotline team will help you with parenting support, temporary placement options, adoption information, and the Safe Haven process. We want to help you make a safe plan for your baby.
For infants who are more than three days old, there are other safe options. Please call the hotline or go to the nearest emergency room.

Parenting 

Does the thought of parenting scare you half to death? You’re not alone in that either; in fact, almost all mothers feel a sense of inadequacy at some point in their pregnancy. 

Pregnancy clinics, like You Medical, often staff mentors to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you might have about parenting. 

You Medical also offers community referrals for things like housing, medical expenses, food pantries, child care and more. 

The Power to Choose 

Now that you know about your options, take some time to research and think about which solution is right for you. 

If you’d like to talk with someone and learn more about the above options, reach out to our staff by texting 313131. 

We understand things can feel overwhelming at times, but knowing you have people supporting you can make all the difference. You got this!