Adoption vs Abortion
Differences to consider
When a woman becomes pregnant and does not feel ready to parent her child, she may look into adoption or abortion. Adoption, in simple terms, is the process of choosing a non-biological family to legally assume parental rights to the child.
Abortion, in simple terms, is the termination of a viable pregnancy through surgical procedure or medications.
While adoption and abortion are inherently different, the shared emotional complexity and societal stigmas reveal a common thread in the weight of these decisions. Neither of these choices come easy, but here are 4 key differences when considering adoption versus abortion:
OUTCOME OF THE DECISION
Abortion ends a pregnancy; adoption allows for the pregnancy to continue – with the outcome of a baby. Both of these decisions lead to the child being separated from you, which can cause emotions or feelings of grief.
TIMING AND PHYSICAL IMPACT
With abortion, it may seem like a one-time, quick decision. The timing of an abortion decision often feels compressed or critical, however quick decision making isn’t always the best decision making. The physical impact of an abortion procedure, whether that is medical or surgical, may seem quick and easy. Yet, aftercare is recommended both for your physical and mental health. There is a lot that happens, and it is important to have education on the different types of procedures. This is something we can help you with at Parkridge. With adoption, there is a longer timeframe for decisions making, and an adoption plan can be made at any time during a pregnancy. There is more time to decide who will raise your baby and emotionally prepare. With adoption, you have the option of continued communication after childbirth – you get to choose how much. The physical impact is carrying the pregnancy and giving birth.
EMOTIONAL IMPACT
With abortion, most women express an initial feeling of relief but may experience emotional complications like anxiety, depression or shame afterwards. These feelings may come up immediately after an abortion procedure, or months to years later. It is important to have safe people in your life that you can process your emotions with. Parkridge provides free and confidential after abortion support if you or someone you know is experiencing any of those emotions after an abortion.
With adoption, many women share that they experience grief or sadness initially, but these feelings often shift as time goes on. Placing a baby for adoption is a hard, brave decision that is ideally a “win” for everyone involved and that the outcome can be really beautiful.
AFTER DECISION PLANNING
With an abortion, after the decision, preparation can look like making a plan so that you ensure you are receiving the best care possible—physically and emotionally. With adoption, after the decision planning can look like contacting adoption agencies, asking questions, and creating a plan for what you would like the adoption to look like. Adoption does not mean that the baby would end up in foster care. Adoption puts you in the driver seat of who you want to adopt the baby and how much contact you would like to have. Private infant adoption is completely separate from the foster care system.
There is no easy decision when faced with an unintended pregnancy – whether that be parenting, adoption, or abortion. It is important to think through each possible choice and talk to the safe and trusted people in your life. The staff at Parkridge would love to care for you as you walk through this difficult decision process.
A woman's right to know. information Material. (texas.gov)
(Read more about adoption here: American Adoptions - What Is Adoption? [Understanding the Basics])
