What are the teen pregnancy options available to you? How do you know which is best? We’ll explore the decision-making process in this post.
There are many decisions to make during pregnancy, and some are bigger than others.
If you have just found out you’re pregnant as a teenager, you may be feeling a lot of pressure at this moment.
From telling your parents, to telling the baby’s father, and then questioning what to do next; there are a lot of decisions to be made.
Teen Pregnancy Options: How do I decide?
Below, we’ll go through the common pregnancy options for teens, especially teens who are still in school.
Parenting with baby’s father
If your baby’s father is supportive and your relationship is healthy (and not a toxic relationship), you may decide to parent together.
We have worked with students who did this, usually with added support from their parents.
One teen couple in particular we worked with were able to find jobs, and their family provided babysitting while they worked different shifts. Their goal was to eventually raise their family as a couple, on their own.
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Parenting with support from family
One common option that teen moms choose is to parent their baby at home with help from their parents or other family members.
This option allows mom to continue to live at home (or with a trusted relative), finish school (online or in person), and have additional help taking care of the baby once he or she arrives.
Parenting with support from adult friends
At the Pregnancy Resource Center, we’ve worked with many teens who, unfortunately, didn’t have the family support they needed.
One young mom in particular, entered the foster care system and was able to raise her baby with the help of her foster mom.
We highlight this story to show that it matters who your child is around. Some friends are more capable than others. We also understand that some foster parenting situations are better than others.
Because friends your age are probably still in school or just starting out on their own, they may not be a reliable source to help you parent your child. We’ve even seen situations where the teen parent was taken unfair advantage of by adults who did not have their best interests at heart.
Responsible, reliable adults who are stable, however, may be willing to step in and help you during this time. The foster mom mentioned above turned out to become like a permanent family member in our client’s life.
Parenting alone
Parenting alone as a teenager can be really hard. This can mean finding housing, a job, and other resources to support yourself as well as your new baby.
The problem with parenting all alone is that unless you’re 18, you may have a hard time applying for certain types of assistance.
This isn’t to say that parenting alone is impossible, but finding outside resources in your community is going to be absolutely crucial. This is what we do at the Pregnancy Resource Center of Mountain Grove: connect you with the agencies, tools and other help that you need during this time.
Make sure you make an appointment at your local pregnancy resource center if you’re in this situation! Hit the chat button on this screen if you’re local to us, or need to find pregnancy help in your area.
Adoption
Adoption is a huge decision. It’s not something you should ever rush into.
But for some teen moms, it can be the best decision for them. We have worked with teen clients who carefully chose an adoptive family. Because they took the time to make sure it was a process they were comfortable with, they were able to feel at peace with their decision.
Keep in mind that if you’re exploring adoption, it’s just that: a process. You can ask to talk to an adoption counselor without any commitment or pressure. You might decide it’s not for you, or that you need a few months to think about it more.
Your emotions about parenting and pregnancy can change a LOT throughout your pregnancy. So even if adoption didn’t seem like the best idea at the beginning, it might be something you decide to revisit later, if you choose to.
Abortion
Abortion, including the abortion pill, is illegal in the state of Missouri at this time. But it’s a topic we receive many questions about in our office.
The Pregnancy Resource Center does not provide or refer for abortions. We do provide medically-accurate, in depth information on abortion to explain what really happens, including long-term and short-term risks.
Thinking about Abortion?
Schedule a free consultation with the Pregnancy Resource Center. Learn the facts first.
If you’re considering abortion regardless, get in touch with us by using the chat widget on this screen. You deserve to have ALL the facts before making this huge decision.
Teen pregnancy options: short term plans are ok!
When thinking through the above options, keep in mind that it’s ok to make plans for now. You can’t know the future, after all!
With help and support, you can make decisions that make sense for you; decisions that ultimately will give you peace in the long run.
We can help you talk through these plans and think beyond today – while realizing you may want to work towards different long-term goals.
Life is a journey, and there will always be unexpected events that come up.
Chat with us today using the widget on your screen, to schedule an appointment or ask any questions you might have about your teen pregnancy. We’re here for you.
Read next:
Pregnant as a teenager: What to know and do now