Parenting
- Is
parenting a good choice for me? Parenting is a difficult but
an extremely rewarding experience that requires both patience
and strength. You will need time to investigate your options
and to understand the challenges of raising your child.
Questions
you may be asking yourself … Am I too young? Will
my father or mother be supportive? How can I finish
school? How can I stay in this job that I just started?
Just remember you are in charge of your life. There are
many resources available to help you. You might be amazed by
the support of parents and friends.
Single
Parenthood
Many women make the choice to be a single parent. If you
want to stay in school or to continue your career, there
is help
available through the Nurturing
Network 800-866-4666, a
non-profit organization whose primary concern is for college
women and young professionals experiencing an unplanned
pregnancy.
The Nurturing Network can help provide you with housing,
counseling, medical assistance, child care, financial assistance,
educational,
and career programs as well as other helpful services. They
will help throughout your pregnancy and after the birth
of
your baby to assist you with meeting your goals.
Sometimes
other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends
are willing to help you meet the responsibilities of parenthood.
There is support available for single parents. Making
Lemonade: the Single Parent Network will offer you assistance.
Joint
Parenthood This
could be a positive choice for you and the father of your
child. Your goals might be easier to accomplish with the daily
support of your partner. Two parents creating a loving family
environment for their child can be rewarding. Many couples
who planned to get married decide to just move up the wedding
date.
"Hear
from a couple that considered abortion, but at the last
minute, chose to parent their child together."
For
parenting classes or for help call 800-395-HELP or visit www.optionline.org to find the Pregnancy Support Service Center closest to you.
Foster
Care If
you are having trouble making a decision, here is a choice
that can be changed. You can temporarily place your child
in foster care until you decide what is best for you and your
child. Take your time and decide if you want to parent your
child or possibly place your child for adoption.
The
YWCA’s Project Redirection offers peer support groups
and parenting classes for mothers under 22. Call Sondra Miller
at 216-881-6878 ext. 242.
Return to the top of the page
Adoption
- For
many women and men facing unplanned pregnancy, adoption is a
positive option. Adoption can give you the freedom to pursue
your goals and know that you have made a caring decision for
your child. There are many young couples that can’t have
their own children and are waiting to adopt a child. Adoption
Network offers counselors to guide the birth mother and
father through legal adoption with patience, trust and honesty.
Many birth parents have found peace of mind in placing their
child with loving adoptive parents.
Is
adoption the best choice for my baby and me?
Adoption is a positive option for many women and men facing
an unplanned pregnancy. It allows one to pursue their goals
while postponing rearing children. Birth parents can design
an adoption plan that will fit their lifestyle.
Options
to consider as a birth parent: Selecting
the adoptive parents for your child. Staying in contact with
your child through visits, photo’s and notes. Remain
anonymous and ask the adoption agency to contact the adoptive
family and make legal arrangements. Making your decision on
adoption after the delivery. Placing your child in foster
care while you decide on adoption.
Counselors
and support groups are available through most adoption agencies
to help with the emotions surrounding adoption. Take time
to explore and understand your options with adoption. Pregnancy
Support Service Centers are trained to help you decide if
adoption is for you. Check out www.optionline.org
or call 800-395-4357 for the Pregnancy Support Service Center
closest to you.
Are
both birth parents involved in adoption? Both
natural parents must voluntarily terminate their custodial
rights. If the father is unknown, a child can be released
for adoption by the birth mother. Contact a local adoption
agency or lawyer to learn about your state laws. USA People Search is a great resource to help you learn more about adoptions, such as: types, who can adopt, foster care and state and federal laws. For specific law questions, call
the Adoption Network Law Center at 800-FOR-ADOPT.
Jim
Fassel, former head coach of the NY Giants, shares
his story about placing his first child for adoption.
Return
to the top of the page
Abortion
-
Many young women decide to have an abortion because they believe
it will be a quick resolution to a difficult situation. In a
survey taken of women who have had abortions, 63% of them felt
“forced” by other people into the abortion, and
74% of the women surveyed said they would not have the abortion
again. Here is a story of a young woman who was pressured into
having an abortion by her boyfriend. Are you experiencing this
kind of pressure in your life? You have the power and the courage
to understand the consequences of your own actions. Explore
your options. Then decide what the healthiest option is for
you. "Look
inside REAL Choices" by Frederica Mathewes-Green, 1997
Just
the Facts on the changes developing in your body are worth investigating.
What
types of abortion procedures are there? There are two methods
of abortion:
Surgical
abortion
is the most common type of procedure. This is an invasive
medical procedure that is done in a hospital or abortion facility.
There are different methods of abortion that are performed
throughout all 9 months of pregnancy. It is important that
you know the exact method involved in the abortion and the
possible risks and complications that can occur. To be informed
read the information under “Surgical
Abortion”.
Chemical
abortion,
also known as RU-486, is a combination of pharmaceutical drugs
that can be taken orally or by injection to cause an abortion.
The process requires multiple doctor visits and induces severe
cramping and bleeding which women experience on average 7-30
days. There is the possibility of adverse side effects and/or
other complications. See Emergency
Contraceptive Pills for more information.
Are
there complications? There
are risks
involved, and it is important that you understand
how the complications and side effects can impact you. There
are many possible physical
complications which may include: infection, damage to
the uterus, infertility, increased risk of future miscarriages,
premature births, and an increased risk of breast
cancer.
"Incomplete
abortions occur too. Read
Gianna Jessen's life story, who is the survivor of an
incomplete abortion."
Psychological
complications are often experienced by women who choose abortion.
After an abortion, both women and men can experience: depression,
low self-esteem, crying episodes, nightmares, anxiety attacks
and difficulty in personal relationships. For information
about how abortion might affect your future click on “Psychological
complications”.
Are
there long-term effects from an abortion? The
after effects of abortion can be painful. It is normal for
women and men to grieve after a pregnancy loss by miscarriage
or abortion. Hope
after abortion will help you understand the healing process
and receive assistance for you or someone else dealing with
a prior abortion experience.
There
can be long term effects from an abortion, here
is a woman's experience.
We
almost aborted our oldest son.
Here
is another woman's account of a regretful abortion.
There
are emotional responses, referred to as Post-Abortion Syndrome,
that include grieving, self-destructive tendencies, and substance
abuse. For more information on PAS see “Post-Abortion
Syndrome” by David Reardon, Ph.D., Easton Publishing
1999.
What
are my rights as a woman? Know
your rights and be persistent. Don’t let
anyone pressure or coerce you into anything that
is not in your
best interest.
You
have a right to:
