When your teen is pregnant, there are all kinds of emotions and questions that run through your mind. What do we do? How will my daughter go on to live a normal life? What choices do we have? These are just a few of the questions that you will likely have. According to the CDC, teen pregnancy is more common than people realize and there are many options that you can choose from to support your daughter.
And while you may have dreamed of the day that you would become a grandparent, chances are you did not expect it to be so soon. However, now that the time is here and your teen is pregnant, you may be wondering exactly how the baby will be taken care of so your child will have the best chance for a successful future.
Abortion is one way to end the pregnancy, but according to PRC Charlotte there are so many other options out there that you will want to consider. Continue reading the following article to learn what alternatives you have when your teenage daughter is pregnant.
Adoption as an Abortion Alternative
One abortion alternative for pregnant teens is adoption. If you and your teen are interested in having a willing family raise the growing baby, you can look into adoption options. Luckily, when it comes to placing the baby up for adoption, there are different options.
You may want to consider a closed adoption where the adoptive parents are given the baby and then all ties are cut. Another option is an open adoption where the adoptive parents are open to having you and the baby’s parents in their lives on a pre-determined basis. Both of these options are good and it is important that you give them plenty of thought. This will help you decide if adoption is something that you may be interested in.
Choosing Open or Closed Adoption
If you and the pregnant teen decide that adoption is something you want to further consider, there are some things that you will want to do. First, you should think about the type of adoption that you are interested in. After that, you will want to find a reputable adoption attorney or adoption agency that will be able to help you through the process.
As you look for representation, you will want to find someone who is open to the type of adoption that you feel will work best for you. Once you have found someone to work with, you will work together to find the parents that you feel will be best for your baby. If this is not something you feel comfortable doing or would simply rather not do it, you can have the attorney or adoption agency do this for you. After the family is chosen, you will want to decide how involved you want them in the pregnancy, if that is something you desire.
Grandparents Raise the Baby
Another alternative to abortion is to raise the baby yourself. Whether you do so with the help of the mother or simply on your own, doing so will allow you to be close to your grandchild and allow your pregnant daughter to do the things that many normal teenagers do, such as finish high school and go to college, get a job, and hang out with friends. This will allow you and the mother to be involved with the baby, but you will be able to help the teenager take part in the things that will help her have a more solid foundation for a more successful adult life.
Teen Parenting
You may also choose to help your pregnant daughter raise their child. In this situation, she may continue living with you, and the father may even move in if he has a desire to help raise the child. With your help, the pregnant teen will be the one raising the child, but she will have you there for support when needed. She may even be able to complete her high schooling if there is the option of a babysitter or if there are online options that work for you.
Also, if it is an option, she may work as you or others help watch the baby. This will allow the mother to help provide for the baby. As the mother completes school and is able to obtain an adequate job, it may even be an option for her and the baby to move to their own home. This will allow you the option to continue supporting your daughter and grandchild, but to do so in a more traditional manner.
As you can see, abortion is not the only choice when it comes to teenage pregnancy. There are other alternatives to consider, including adoption, both open and closed, along with the grandparents or the teen mother raising the baby herself. Each of these options have pros and cons and it is important to carefully consider which choice would work best for your individual circumstances. This is a big decision and no matter which route you take, lives will be changed with teen pregnancy.