Teen Pregnancy

An unplanned teenage pregnancy is an overwhelming amount of responsibility and a life-changing event. You are likely researching your pregnancy options: parenting, terminating, and adoption.

Obviously, parenting means you will continue with your pregnancy, give birth, and take on full responsibility of caring for and raising your baby.

There are strict laws when it comes to terminating a pregnancy. Texas’s heartbeat bill, passed in March 2021, bans termination after 6 weeks. Most teen are just now discovering they are pregnant, or even after the 6 week mark.

There’s another option that is less considered… adoption! With an adoption plan, you will continue your pregnancy, give birth, and then place your baby with an adoptive family relinquishing all your parental rights and responsibility.

Even if you are thinking about placing your child for adoption, you face a lot of responsibilities. Placing your baby for adoption can lead to a better life for both your baby and you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an easy decision to make…

Texas Adoption Process for Teens

Our highly-trained and specialized adoption professionals have helped pregnant women from all walks of life, and teen pregnancy is no exception. From the moment you walk through our doors, you will be treated with respect and surrounded by support and compassion. You will be assigned an adoption caseworker who will lead you through the adoption process and answer any and all questions you have. You will have full control over your adoption journey and be able to choose what type of adoption you want, select your child’s adoptive parents, and decide how involved you want to be after the adoption has been finalized. Additionally, if you are found eligible, you can receive financial assistance for court-approved living expenses throughout your pregnancy and adoption journey.

Even if you are not completely set on the idea of placing your child for adoption, you can still contact our adoption agency and make an appointment with one of our adoption counselors. This will provide you with a safe, private and non-judgmental space to process your feelings, learn more about your options, and gain emotional support. You are important to us, and we will do our best to ensure that you have the most positive and empowered adoption experience possible with us.

Surround Yourself With Caring People

Whether or not you consider the possibility of adoption, it is important to surround yourself with people who are willing to give you the amount of support you need throughout your pregnancy and afterward.

Look to family members and friends who will listen and help you make choices that will benefit your baby and you. Choosing adoption will allow you to continue your education and pursue your life’s goals. It can also provide a more secure future for your baby. Even so, you may experience guilt, anger, depression and sorrow over losing your baby to adoption. Acceptance eventually occurs, but it takes time. That’s why you need caring people who will listen to you and provide you with support as you sort through your emotions.

Get Support From Outside Sources

Being able to openly share your feelings about your pregnancy and impending adoption can help so that you don’t feel alone. If you don’t have a strong social support network, seek professional counseling with a therapist who has experience helping birth parents with the emotional impact of adoption. Adoption Choices of Texas offers counseling through your adoption journey and after the birth of your child.

You can also look for social and emotional support from a support group for birth parents, especially teenage birth parents. Whether from professionals or others in a similar situation, counseling and emotional support can help you deal with any confusion or regret you might feel so that you can move on with your life.

Increase the Chances for a Healthy Pregnancy

Proper medical care AKA prenatal care is crucial for the healthy development of your baby and reduces your risk of pregnancy complications. Pregnant teens don’t always get the prenatal care they need, especially early on in the pregnancy. If you are smoking or drinking or using drugs, you must stop as soon as you find out you are pregnant.

You have no reason not to make an appointment with a doctor or other health care provider to get the medical care you need. Following a physical examination, he or she will offer advice on exercise and nutrition, as well as order screening tests. Do not try to go at this alone, terminate your own pregnancy, or keep it a secret. Think about being SAFE and HEALTHY.

Recognize the Signs of Postpartum Depression

Teen pregnancy can also lead to depression and may be a risk factor for postpartum depression. The feelings that accompany an unplanned pregnancy or the lack of emotional support throughout your pregnancy can put you at even greater risk for suffering depression afterward.

Postpartum depression is often accompanied by anxiety, sleep problems, extreme irritability, severe mood swings, and the inability to concentrate. Whether or not you keep your baby, postpartum depression, which affects twice as many teens as adults, can have serious implications.

Getting help addressing these concerns can decrease the stress and emotional strain you feel.

Consider Other Aspects of Your Situation

Aside from the emotional support you receive from those close to you, your moral values and spiritual beliefs may play a role in your decision to put your baby up for adoption. Your level of education and financial stability at the time of the pregnancy can play key roles as well. Your partner may also play a role.

Higher education usually is required to establish a career plan with a good outlook that will provide the income you need to raise a child. But if you drop out of school when you become pregnant or do not get adequate job training, you may find yourself unemployed or with limited job opportunities; both of which can have economic effects and may lead to living in poverty. This is the same for the father of the baby. Consider, are the 2 of you financially and emotionally ready to parent a child?

Add to the economic considerations the reactions of others when they find out that you are pregnant, and you may feel alone and incapable of raising a child at this point in your life. Yet the pain of giving up your child is something with which you must deal. Therefore, it comes down to deciding whether adoption is the right choice for you.

Adoption can be a complicated process if you’re alone. The experienced staff of Adoption Choices of Texas has worked with teens just like you. We can help you make an informed decision and, if you decide that it is the best option for you, can also aid you in navigating the adoption process. You can call us with no obligation, but to find out your options when facing an unplanned teenage pregnancy. Call or text us at 888-307-3340