Finding out you’re pregnant when you didn’t plan to be can feel overwhelming. You may be worried about money, your health, school or work, or how the people in your life will react. Those feelings are real, and you don’t have to sort through them alone.
You have more options than you may think. Here are four life-affirming paths, plus where to find support for each.
Parenting
Many women facing an unplanned pregnancy decide to parent, whether on their own, with a partner, or through co-parenting or a shared-custody arrangement. If you’re unsure you can do it, you don’t have to do it without help.
Thousands of pregnancy resource centers across the country offer free support. This can include pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting classes, and baby essentials like diapers, formula, clothing and car seats. Some centers keep helping families for months or even years after the baby is born. Churches, community organizations and government programs such as WIC and Medicaid can also help with food, healthcare and other needs.
Open Adoption
In an open adoption, you choose a family to raise your child and stay in contact as your child grows. That might mean letters, photos, phone calls, video chats or visits, depending on what you and the adoptive family agree to. Many birth mothers find comfort in watching their child thrive and staying part of their story.
If you want less contact, a semi-open adoption is another option. Updates usually go through the adoption agency instead of directly between families.
Closed Adoption
In a closed adoption, the adoption is confidential and there is no ongoing contact between the birth parents and the child or adoptive family. Some women prefer this for privacy or a sense of closure. An adoption agency can walk you through each type of adoption, and the process usually costs a birth mother nothing.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes
If you’re in crisis and can’t care for your newborn, every state has a Safe Haven law, sometimes called a Baby Moses law. It lets a parent safely and legally surrender an unharmed newborn at a designated location, such as a hospital, fire station or EMS station, without facing prosecution. Age limits and locations vary by state.
In a growing number of states, you can also use a Safe Haven Baby Box. This is a secure, climate-controlled device installed at a participating fire station or hospital. It lets a parent surrender a newborn completely anonymously, with no face-to-face contact. When a baby is placed inside, the box alerts staff right away.
Safe Haven laws have helped thousands of babies find safety and loving homes. Sadly, some newborns are still abandoned in unsafe places every year. If you’re in this situation, please know a safe option is always available.
Free, confidential help is available 24/7:
- National Safe Haven Alliance: 1-888-510-BABY (2229), call or text
- Safe Haven Baby Boxes hotline: 1-866-99BABY1 (1-866-992-2291)
- Click here to learn more.
Learn more about the various stages of fetal development (conception, first, second, and third trimester) and don’t forget to follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok).