I’m Pregnant: What do I do?
Finding out you’re pregnant when you didn’t plan to be can be frightening and overwhelming. You may feel like you have no one to talk to, or that you have to take a certain course of action because of pressure from family or friends. Adoption Choices of Colorado supports birth mothers’ right to education around what options are available and their full autonomy in making the decision that is best for them.
In the event of an unplanned pregnancy in Colorado, taking a few deep breaths and reminding yourself of your choices may help you to take the next steps you need to take.
Placing Your Baby for Adoption
While most birth mothers are aware of abortion and parenting the baby as options, adoption is often less thought about. Adoption can be the perfect way to combine different sets of desires for many birth mothers. Open adoptions allow you to have an ongoing relationship with your child without needing to have the responsibility of being the primary provider and caregiver. Adoption allows you to work closely with a caseworker to look through profiles and choose loving parents who match your desires for your child’s life. You will be in total control of your adoption plan when you work with our adoption center.
If you desire more privacy, closed or semi-open adoptions allow for different levels of confidentiality. Adoption doesn’t have to look one specific way, and open adoptions are becoming increasingly popular and can be a way of creating a really beautiful family and support network for your child throughout their life.
Choosing Abortion
There are personal reasons to choose abortion when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. You may not be able to provide for a child or have other priorities in your life you are focusing on. This could include: school, work, or raising other children. Perhaps you are in an unhealthy and unsafe environment where you’re experiencing abuse or sexual assault. Maybe you don’t want to raise a child with your current partner or spouse. Or, perhaps you have health issues that would complicate carrying a pregnancy to term, or you’re simply not wanting a child right now. These are some common reasons, but everyone has a different story.
Many women face unplanned pregnancies every year, and many women choose to have abortions. You are 100% the person in control of this decision. Considering factors like family, relationships, school, work, health, goals, and personal beliefs can be a helpful starting point if you are considering abortion as an option. It is natural for these decisions to be easy or difficult, simple or complex. Having ambivalent thoughts and feelings around getting an abortion is totally okay, and we support you fully in getting the clear, factual information you need and in making the decision that’s right for you.
Parenting the Baby
If you are in a spot where you are personally, relationally, and financially ready to provide for a child, you may consider parenting your child. This is a great option for birth mothers who desire children and feel secure in their ability to raise and care for a child. Even though an unplanned pregnancy may be initially overwhelming, you may decide that you feel ready to have a child and take the steps necessary to prepare to be a mother to this little one.
It’s once again important to seek out resources in order to better understand the financial and personal investments required to raise a child. Looking at your life and desires holistically can give you a greater sense of confidence and peace in your decision making. You are once again fully in control of this decision. Don’t let anyone try to shame or judge you into keeping or not keeping your child.
I’m Pregnant: What do I do?
You might currently be overwhelmed or stressed out at the thought of choosing what to do. While we can’t make these decisions for you, we can support you in discussing your desires through our free counseling services. Through these safe and confidential sessions, our adoption counselors can help you talk through your emotions, thoughts, desires and fear and to process and navigate through your options. All interactions with our counselors and adoption professionals are supportive and nonjudgmental. Our team members are here to empower you through providing unbiased, clear information and care for your best interests, whatever those may be. The decision is entirely up to you.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Kara Bringewatt is an English major and psychology minor at Queens University of Charlotte. She plans to get her masters in social work and work at a nonprofit as a case manager for at-risk youth. She loves using writing as a means of creating community and bringing attention to causes she’s passionate about.
Kara is particularly interested in educational and mental health interventions for young people in foster care. She’s worked as a tutor, professional caregiver, preschool teacher and acting instructor, and loves being able to utilize her wide range of passions to support young people and plans on being a foster and adoptive parent.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!