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Text: 617-777-0072
Facing an unexpected pregnancy can be scary, especially as a college student. You have big plans for your future. You were not planning to become a parent at this stage of your life. You may be feeling overwhelmed and confused. This is normal. The good news is that you are not alone, you have options, and – most importantly – there are places to turn for help.
Unplanned pregnancy among college students is common. In fact, about one in four young women get pregnant before their 20th birthday. There are many resources that offer help for pregnant college students. Below we share some of the ways you can get support right now.
Emotional Support
As you wrap your head around the news of your pregnancy, you may also be thinking about who you should turn to for guidance. You may wish to share the news with a trustworthy friend or family member. You may wish to tell the biological father. Think carefully about who you will tell—think about who will be most supportive, respectful, and who will not pressure you into a decision. Ultimately, this is your pregnancy and your choice. If you have someone like this to confide in, they may help you talk out your feelings and process the news.
If you do not want to share the news with anyone in your life, you still have other options. You may turn to your campus health clinic for references on where to go. Your college may have a counselor on campus or a support group wherein you may turn. There are also support groups online and in local communities. With a little research, you can find the right supportive network that offers help for pregnant college students.
Many young women do not know that they can also turn to an adoption agency for help. If adoption is a potential option for your baby, you may find this route especially helpful. An adoption agency can walk you through your options and discuss your options with you. They will help you weigh the pros and cons of each, and help you make the decision that is right for you. Even though you are at an adoption agency, there is no pressure to choose adoption.
At Adoptions With Love, there is never any pressure on expectant/birth mothers. If you are on the fence about making an adoption plan, our social workers will never push the decision. If you need someone to talk to about your options, we can lend an understanding ear. We never criticize, judge, or pressure expectant/birth mothers. If you choose adoption, we will support you through the entire process. Counseling services at Adoptions With Love are free and are offered to expectant/birth mothers before, during, and after the adoption takes place.
Financial Support
Facing an unplanned pregnancy as a college student can be intimidating, especially if you are already facing big tuition costs. How can you get financial support when you are pregnant and in school? If you are considering placing your child for adoption, a licensed, private adoption agency can help you get through this challenging time.
Some of the financial support you will find at Adoptions With Love, for example, includes:
- Housing assistance. Adoptions With Love can cover the cost of a deposit and several months of rent.
- Utilities, such as heating, electric, water, and the phone bill.
- Maternity clothing and other pregnancy-related necessities
- Medical care. If you do not have a doctor, Adoptions With Love will help you find one with whom you feel comfortable and who understands your emotional needs. The full services of a hospital or birthing center, complete with a supportive staff, will be there for you at the time of delivery. Adoptions With Love covers any uninsured medical expenses when you complete the adoption.
These are just a few of the ways that Adoptions With Love offers financial help for pregnant college students. The financial assistance is important, because it helps relieve some of the stress that expectant/birth mothers often feel during pregnancy.
Legal Support
If you are considering adoption, you may be nervous about the adoption process itself. When you work with a licensed adoption agency, all the hard work is left to them. They will ensure your baby is placed in a safe, loving, and stable home – one that you can choose. They will ensure your adoption is both safe and legal. Adoptions With Love works with experienced lawyers that specialize in adoption, and can offer you complete legal assistance. Adoption laws vary by state and can change, so it is important to have legal assistance on hand.
Just like the other services offered at Adoptions With Love, there is never any fee charged to expectant/birth mothers. Making sure that the rights of all those involved in the adoption process are respected and upheld is our utmost priority.
Support in Making an Adoption Plan
Making an adoption plan is no small feat. First, there is the important task of finding a family to adopt your baby. At Adoptions With Love, expectant/birth mothers have the power to choose the adoptive family. Your social worker can provide you with profiles of families who are ready and eager to adopt a baby. These families have all been screened with thorough background checks and home study process.
The home study process is several months long and includes the collection of personal, professional, and medical information. Families that are approved to adopt have proven that they are physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally fit to raise a child. Expectant/birth mothers can rest assured that the home their baby is going to offer safety, stability, and love.
The other important piece of the “making an adoption plan” puzzle is designing the plan itself. Do you want to maintain contact with your child’s adoptive family after the adoption is finalized? If so, you would want an open adoption. Are you only interested in getting to know your child’s adoptive family only before the adoption? In this case, you may want a semi-open adoption. If you do not wish to have contact with the adoptive family at all, you may wish to pursue a closed adoption.
At Adoptions With Love, all prospective adoptive families agree to at least a semi-open adoption. Your social worker can help you determine the plan that will best suit your needs and can also help determine the type of open adoption you may wish to have. You may wish to keep in touch via email, or phone conversations, or even in-person visits.
Whatever you decide, your adoption agency can serve as the liaison. We can work with you to design a plan that works for you and your child’s adoptive family, and we can write up that plan in a contract. The plan may be tweaked as the years go on, to accommodate a growing child. If you decide that you want a closed adoption, Adoptions With Love will keep letters and photos on file, anyway, in case you decide to open the adoption later.
Ongoing contact also means Adoptions With Love is here for you, both now AND in the future. Many birth mothers choose to keep in touch throughout the years. It is not just business; it is your second family.
For more information, please reach out to Adoptions With Love any time of day, any day of the week. We are here to listen and help you. There is no need to face this pregnancy alone. Call us at 1-800-722-7731, text us confidentially at 617-777-0072, or contact us online.
If you would like even more information on unplanned pregnancy in college, be sure to read our free eBook, Pregnant in College? A Guide for Young Women.