Pros and Cons of Choosing Adoption
Are you pregnant and don’t know what to do? Maybe you just found out you’re pregnant, need help deciding what to do? Pregnancy counselors at Lifeline are here to come alongside you, as you figure out what’s best for you and your baby. Each pregnancy has three options: parenting, abortion, and placing a baby for adoption. Adoption isn’t talked about as much, but it’s one way to love and plan for your child that doesn’t require YOU to be the one to parent. We are here to help you consider the pros and cons of your options! Here are a few things to think about as you think about your choices.
Pros
- Your child can go on to have a full life with a family, with the opportunity to develop their personality, hobbies, etc.
- You are not responsible for paying for the needs of this baby. All expenses and opportunities will be paid for by their adoptive family.
- You don’t have to put your education or future plans on hold.
- You can still have a relationship with your child, through the adoptive family, for years to come.
- You get to pick the parents for your child, based on your desires and preferences, if you’d like.
Cons
- You will inevitably be sad and grieve the choice to not parent your child, even if you think it is the best decision for the both of you. It a selfless, but hard, decision to make.
- You will not have the ability to make parenting decisions for your child once they are under the care of the adoptive family. In the same way, you will not see your child every day. However, you can still have an open relationship with your child’s family, if you so desire.
- After you sign final papers, you are not able to change your mind and go back on your decision to make an adoption plan. (Although you can change your mind at any point in the process up until this point!)
- You will have gone through the entire 9 months of pregnancy but won’t be leaving the hospital with a child.
- Some may not understand your decision and may say you are giving up your baby. However, you can explain how you are making a loving plan for your child. Your counselor can help you think through how to best share this with others.
Want to hear more?
There are so many more pros and cons to making an adoption plan for your child. If you are in an unwanted pregnancy, or are pregnant and don’t want baby, contact a pregnancy counselor who will talk through all of your pregnancy options. We want to help you walk through all of these things with you one-on-one, as a support to you.