Pregnant

If you're pregnant and do not have the emotional or financial resources to raise a child, adoption is an alternative worth considering.

Being pregnant, whether unplanned as a teen or single woman, is stigmatized. In addition to the emotional changes that come with pregnancy hormones, dealing with socially stratifying situations can be overwhelming. However, there are hundreds of thousands of potential adopters who are waiting for the opportunity to give a child a loving and supportive environment.

For many people, adoption is about second chances. A couple that is unable to conceive may see adoption as a way to still start the family they've always dreamed of doing together. A woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy will be able to still pursue any educational or career-oriented goals and start a family or lifestyle when she is prepared to. And, finally, the child will be brought into the world and placed with a family that his or her birth mother may have chosen with the hopes of raising the child as she would have liked to.

Being pregnant is a life-changing experience, but that doesn't mean it has to be met with embarrassment or shame. There are thousands of Planned Parenthood facilities that offer young pregnant women prenatal care and advice at affordable prices and with an understanding demeanor that a woman with an unplanned pregnancy may not receive elsewhere.