What are My Unexpected Pregnancy Options in Colorado?
By Blessing E. Ikhimokpa
You’ve taken a pregnancy test. As you’re waiting for the results. You hope it’s not positive. When the time is up, you check the test. It reads positive. Now you’re wondering what you’re gonna do. You’re not prepared to become a birth mother. This wasn’t in your plans for your life.
If you feel like your back is against the wall because you’ve found out you’re pregnant. Don’t worry. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we have adoption counselors that will help ease your worry. By telling you, you have options when it comes to unplanned pregnancies. Our agency has trained, experienced counselors that will help take your stress away.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
What are My Unexpected Pregnancy Options?
For birth mothers dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. They have the option of raising the birth child and terminating the pregnancy. Or visiting an Adoption agency to place their birth child up for adoption. For birth mothers who are Pregnant and considering adoption. You’ll have to contact your local adoption agency. Then tell them you’re planning on placing your birth child up for adoption.
Can birth mothers in Colorado terminate their pregnancy?
In Colorado, birth mothers can terminate their pregnancy. In other states that terminating a pregnancy is illegal after 15 weeks. Birth mothers in Colorado can terminate their pregnancy at any time. This means after the birth mother has taken a pregnancy test. That same day, they can decide to go to the doctor. To terminate their pregnancy.
What are the adoption options in Colorado?
Similar to other states. Colorado has three adoption options to choose from. There is an open, semi-open, and closed adoption. Depending on the type of relationship the birth mother would like to have. It will determine which type of adoption they’ll choose.
For birth mothers planning on keeping in contact with their birth child. They can choose open adoption. In an open adoption, birth mothers can:
- Keep in contact with the birth child
- Have a relationship with the adoptive parents
- Send pictures
- Send text messages, emails
- Send and receive phone calls
- Have the adoptive parents in the birthing room
In an open adoption, birth mothers share contact information with the adoptive parents. To be able to keep in contact. But in semi-open adoption, the birth mother has decided they don’t want that. Instead, they’d be okay with the contact being made by the adoption agency. So that means the only thing they can share is photos. That the adoptive parents will send it to the adoption agency, then the birth mother will see it from them.
Now closed adoption is for the birth mothers that don’t want to be involved. Once they have given birth, they don’t want to be involved in the birth child’s life. If the birth mother would like, they still have the option to choose the adoptive parents. Otherwise, the adoption agency will choose for them.
What does the adoption process in Colorado look like?
An adoption process is what birth mothers considering adoption go through. It includes an adoption plan which is steps that will be covered during the adoption plan. That goes over:
- What type of adoption you’d like
- What type of assistance you’d like
- Who the adoptive parents will be
- Where the adoptive parents live
- The hospital/birth plan
- Whether you’d still want to counsel after the adoption process is complete
Why do birth mothers feel guilt after placing their child up for adoption?
When birth mothers place their birth child up for adoption, they sometimes feel guilty. This is because even though the birth child was unexpected. They start to feel like they could have done better. That they could have overcome the fact that it was an unplanned pregnancy, then raised the child instead. Start to wonder what their family members will think if they’ll start to think that the birth mother took the easy way out. Instead of putting her differences aside, she should have raised the birth child. Regardless of the fact, the baby was an unplanned pregnancy.
Who Can I Talk to about My Unexpected Pregnancy Options in Denver?
For birth mothers dealing with an unwanted pregnancy. They can contact their local adoption agency or go to Denver Adoption. Then tell them they’re planning on placing their birth child up for adoption. Then the local adoption agent will point the birth mother toward their adoption counselor. From there, the birth mother could schedule an appointment. Then from there, the birth mother could talk to the adoption agents. Who will help them create an adoption plan?
Dealing with an unwanted pregnancy can be stressful; don’t do it alone. 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.
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!