If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy in Ohio, you probably have a lot of questions running through your mind:

• What are your options if you are pregnant?
• Where do I find resources for unplanned pregnancy?
• How can I get unplanned pregnancy help?

Heather, a mother facing an unplanned pregnancy said, “I was alone, scared, and very worried about what the future held for my unborn baby, my children, and me.”

Woman from all walks of life experience unwanted pregnancies, and have some of the same questions and feelings. It is common to feel fear, panic, uncertainty, and anxiety, but there are professionals who can guide you. They can help you build the support system you need and to determine the right unwanted pregnancy option for you.

If you are facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, no matter the circumstances around it, you are likely feeling a bit of this same panic and looking for a support system. An unwanted pregnancy can feel like an invasion, a burden, and sometimes can be traumatic. We created this guide to help.

What to do When You Have an Unplanned Pregnancy in Ohio

Women facing an unwanted pregnancy have three choices, none of which are easy. It is helpful to learn about each option with objective and accurate data. Whichever choice you make, there are resources available to you to ease some of the stress that each involves. The three unplanned pregnancy options are:

1. Adoption
2. Abortion
3. Parenting

What is Adoption?

Adoption is when a mother transfers her parental rights to adoptive parents who will then raise the baby as their own. In this scenario, the woman will carry her unplanned pregnancy to term and choose an adoptive family for her child. There are various adoption arrangements that can be made where a woman can maintain contact with her child. Often, prospective mothers find that adoption fulfills their desires for both themselves and their child better than they could have imagined. It also can fulfill the dream of a couple who want to grow their family through adoption.

Can I Meet My Baby’s Adoptive Parents?

If it is your desire to meet your baby’s adoptive parents, then you absolutely can. In fact, adoption professionals encourage this relationship during the adoption process and after it is complete. You can meet them, and you will also get to choose them.

To find adoptive parents in Ohio, you will partner with an adoption agency. With them, you will create an adoption plan which will include details about the type of family you want for your child. Then they will give you access to family profiles to review, and when you choose a family who interests you, that is when you will get to meet them.

If you want to, you will continue your contact with the family throughout your unplanned pregnancy in Ohio.  If you have chosen an open adoption, you can even continue regular meetings and contact throughout your baby’s childhood.

To begin your search for an adoptive family, you can contact the following Ohio adoption agencies:

National agencies:

• American Adoptions
• Gladney Center for Adoption
• Beacon House Adoptions

Local agencies:

• Adoption by Gentle Care
• Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc.
• Adoption Circle
• Adoption Link

National adoption agencies work with more adoptive couples than local agencies, so you will have a wider range of choices if you work with one of them. Local agencies work with couples in the Ohio region, so you will be more likely to find someone close to you if you choose that path.

How Do You “Give Up” a Baby for Adoption in Ohio?

The common language around this unplanned pregnancy option is to refer to the birth mother’s choice as “giving up” her baby. We want to be very clear that the choice to place a baby up for adoption is an immensely brave and generous act, and it is certainly not “giving up.” Adoption is the choice to offer your child the life that you want for them and to offer parents the gift of raising a child.

When you choose adoption, you will be guided through six steps:

1. Decide that adoption is right for you. Women choose adoption for a multitude of reasons and only you can decide if this option for unplanned pregnancy is best for you. There are professionals who are ready to give you free, impartial information as you make this decision. Contact us today for assistance.
2. Create an adoption plan with an adoption professional. One of the first tasks that you will complete with your adoption specialist is to develop an adoption plan that describes your needs, desires, and preferences for your adoption. This will be the document that directs the rest of the adoption process.
3. Choose the perfect family for your baby. Adoption professionals will match your needs and preferences with potential adoptive parents and offer you family profiles to review. From there, you will select the family for your child.
4. Develop a relationship with the adoptive family. Throughout your unplanned pregnancy, you will have the chance to foster a connection with your baby’s adoptive family. Your first contact with them will probably be a mediated phone call, and from there you can decide how you are most comfortable moving forward.
5. Give birth and sign adoption paperwork. Before you arrive at the hospital, you will develop a hospital plan which outlines your needs during your hospital stay. In Ohio, adoption paperwork cannot be signed until 72 hours after giving birth.
6. Foster the relationship that you want with your child and their adoptive family. As far as your relationship goes with your baby and their adoptive family, you will have the choice to arrange an open adoption, a semi-open adoption, or closed adoption. This will determine the nature of your relationship going forward.

Does Adoption Cost Money in Ohio?

Adoption is the cheapest option for unplanned pregnancy. It does not cost a prospective birth mother anything, and oftentimes the mother qualifies for adoption financial support as well.

If you are working with a credible and licensed agency, they will make sure that you are supported and that costs associated with your pregnancy are addressed. They should offer an unplanned pregnancy hotline that is available to you anytime and cover the costs associated with the adoption. If you are not receiving this support, you have the right to switch to an agency that will ensure you are taken care of.  

Is Adoption Right for Me?

Only you can answer this question, but sometimes it helps to hear why others chose this early pregnancy option when you are still in the decision phase. Some common reasons are:

• Expectant mothers are unable to provide the life they want to for their child. Whether it is stability, finances, or safety, it is common for birth mothers to want more than they can offer at the time they are facing an unplanned pregnancy. It comes from a deep place of love that a mother chooses adoption.
• Prospective birth mothers want to gift an adoptive family with a baby. Many couples look to adoption as their choice to grow a family. For some, it is their only option, and the generous gift of birth mothers make this a possibility.  
• Birth mothers want a continued relationship with their child. It is a common misconception that once you place your baby up for adoption, you will have no more contact with them. Modern adoptions are much more open and allow birth mothers to stay informed about their child and even to continue a relationship.

What is Abortion?

Abortion is an early pregnancy option in Ohio that terminates a pregnancy through medical or surgical intervention. According to Ohio law, the procedure must be performed at or before 20 weeks postfertilization except in the cases of life endangerment or severely comprised health. This makes it a time-sensitive option. Of the unplanned pregnancy options, abortion is the most controversial.

What Restrictions are on Abortion in Ohio?

Abortion has many restrictions in Ohio, so if it is a consideration for you, you will want to access some objective and accurate information about the procedure. Restrictions on Ohio abortion include:

• An abortion can only be performed at 22 weeks after a patient’s last menstrual cycle except for in cases of severely compromised physical health.
• A patient must receive state-approved counseling 24 hours before the procedure. This counseling is designed to discourage her from having an abortion.
• Public funding for abortion is only available in the cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. An abortion costs between $300 and $900.
• A parent of a minor who wants an abortion must consent before the procedure.

Who Provides Abortions in Ohio?

Another restriction that is common with abortion is the lack of access in. many states. If you are considering this unplanned pregnancy option in Ohio, here are some of the available clinics:

• Elizabeth Campbell Surgical Center – Cincinnati
• Your Choice Healthcare of Columbus – Columbus
• East Columbus Health Center – Columbus
• Women’s Med Center – Dayton
• Capital Care Network – Toledo (only provides medical abortion)

What Risks are Involved in Abortion?

Abortion is a safe procedure. Contrary to popular belief, it is very rare that it can affect your chance of becoming pregnant in the future. There are, however, some side effects that you will want to keep in mind:

• Cramps
• Spotting or bleeding
• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting

Additionally, abortion can take a toll on women emotionally. It is a difficult decision to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, and women often have a range of emotions after choosing this early pregnancy option: relief, sadness, elation, or depression. While most women report these emotions are temporary, there post-abortion counseling resources available to you if you are struggling and need some help.

Is Abortion Right for Me?

Again, you are the only person who can determine the answer to this question. You are certainly not alone, though, and there is unplanned pregnancy help available to you. Reasons that other women have chosen abortion include:

• They do not want to experience pregnancy. Pregnancy and birthing are hard on a woman’s body, and every woman has the right to decide if this is an experience they want to have.
• They need their privacy. Revealing an unplanned pregnancy has the potential to create a tumultuous or even dangerous situation for a woman.
• They do not want to delay their education or career. A pregnancy is disruptive to a woman’s life, and a woman has every right to choose if she wants this disruption.

There are reasons that abortion is excluded as an option for unplanned pregnancy – especially when it conflicts with an expectant mother’s values. If this applies to you, you will likely want to consider alternative pregnancy options.

What is Parenting?

Unplanned pregnancy in Ohio, and across the country, is very common. In fact, in 2011, 45% of all pregnancies in the U.S. were described as “unintended.”

For some women, the timing is the biggest issue, and many of these women choose to parent their child once the shock of pregnancy wears off. Parenting, of course, is the decision to carry your baby to term and retain parental rights so that you can raise them.

What are the Challenges of Being a Single Parent in Ohio?

For many women, choosing to parent their child means that they will be doing so as a single parent. This, of course, comes with its own complications such as:

• Making ends meet with one Income
• Finding a system of support
• Finding affordable childcare
• Finding time to care for yourself

What Resources are Available to Single Parents in Ohio?

Single parents find that raising a child can be challenging emotionally, financially, and practically. Fortunately, there are resources available to you once you make this unplanned pregnancy choice. Assistance can be found at the following organizations:

• WIC
• Local Social Services
• Postpartum Support International

Is Parenting Right for Me?

Hopefully, you have been able to read the reasons that women choose the other two options for unplanned pregnancy. If you have read them and they haven’t resonated with you, that could be a sign to you that parenting is right for you.

Some reasons that women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy in Ohio choose to parent are:

• They are able to support a family. With reasonable adjustments or with financial aid, some women find that they can afford to support a child.
• They can provide the home life that they desire for their child. Some women, through no fault of their own, find themselves in situations that do not offer their children the environment and opportunity they would like for them.
• Having children was a part of their life plan. For some women who have always wanted kids, their perspective changes after the shock of an unplanned pregnancy wanes, and they realize that this is their chance to parent.

You get to decide which of these options is best for you, and no one else can tell you what to do. Rest assured you are not alone, and there are professionals who can offer you the empathy and support you need at this moment. If you’d like to connect with one of these helpful professionals, you can contact us today.