If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia, you’re probably feeling a little overwhelmed. We want you to know we’re here to help.

Anyone facing an unplanned, unintended pregnancy might be asking difficult questions, such as:

• Are there unplanned pregnancy options for me in West Virginia?
• How can I receive unplanned pregnancy resources in West Virginia?
• What is unplanned pregnancy counselling in West Virginia?
• How can I move forward when facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia?

We know an unplanned pregnancy can be upsetting, but you shouldn’t panic. Here’s the good news: You get to choose your path forward, and you have options.

You’ll find out about your options when facing an unplanned pregnancy in this helpful guide. We’ll cover the resources for unplanned pregnancy that are available to you in West Virginia. Your first steps if you’re dealing with unplanned pregnancy are to:

1. Examine your options
2. Take advantage of available resources
3. Find your best way to go forward

The decisions you must make when facing an unplanned pregnancy are certainly difficult, but it’s important to know you’re not in this alone. You can get assistance from professionals waiting to offer you unplanned pregnancy help.

Read more if you want to learn about facing an unplanned, unintended pregnancy in West Virginia.

What Unplanned Pregnancy Options Do You Have in West Virginia? [Your Way Forward]

If you’re pregnant but don’t want to be, you may feel somewhat overwhelmed. Researching unplanned pregnancy options in West Virginia early in your journey can help you calm down and develop a plan. Are you wondering, “What are my options if I’m pregnant and don’t want to be?” You have three options when facing an unplanned or undesired pregnancy: parenting, adoption and abortion.

You’re the only one who knows what’s right for you and your child. Your situation is unique, and you get to decide what will bring you happiness and peace. Unplanned pregnancy counseling in West Virginia is important when considering your decision, though the choice is always yours to make.

Let’s discuss each of the three unplanned pregnancy options, as well as their associated pros and cons.

Option 1: Parenting in West Virginia

If you’re dealing with unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia, you may be thinking about parenting your child. For some expectant mothers who already have a family, unplanned pregnancy may just mean adding another child to the household.

Not everyone can parent, however. For some expectant mothers, determining the best path forward in an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia is far more complex.

• Every pregnancy is different.
• Parenting isn’t right for every expectant mother dealing with unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia.
• You have a right to take your time and think through the impact of your decision.

What does parenting your child really mean? It’s a commitment. You’re taking responsibility for your child’s upbringing and needs. If you weren’t planning to become a parent, the challenges associated with parenting can be compounded.

Under any circumstances, parenting can be difficult. Even when parents planned to become pregnant, they aren’t always ready for the commitment of taking care of another person. Facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia usually complicates that situation.

If you think parenting is your best way to deal with unplanned pregnancy, explore your feelings and decide if you’re up to the challenge.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding if you should parent in an unexpected pregnancy.

• You have the desire to be a parent.
• You are ready to make parenting a child your highest priority.
• The time is right for adding another child (or a first child) to your family.
• You are prepared emotionally, professionally and financially for the responsibilities that come with parenthood.
• You feel prepared to navigate the emotions of parenting a child.
• You will be physically and medically able to carry your child and meet the physical demands of parenting.
• You have a strong support system of family and friends who can help you as you raise your child.
• You are excited about the prospect of being responsible for another human life, but you’re willing to accept the challenge.

If these statements ring true with you, parenting may be your best path forward when facing an unplanned, unintended pregnancy in West Virginia. If you’re not sure, though, you should probably examine your other options before deciding. 

Deciding you want to parent is a profoundly personal choice, and you must account for the unique factors in your situation. If you choose to parent when facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia, there are some resources that can offer valuable support.

• West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services
• WIC
• Department of Health and Human Services Local Parenting Resources
• Postpartum Support International

Option 2: Adoption in West Virginia

If you’re unexpectedly pregnant but would rather not be, adoption provides another unplanned pregnancy option that allows you to give your child a stable, loving home while preserving your own future.

There could be many reasons that you aren’t ready to parent:

• Maybe you can’t afford to add another child to your family.  
• Or, maybe you’re concerned your unplanned pregnancy and parenting responsibilities would derail your career.
• Maybe you simply aren’t ready to become a parent.

If any of those statements apply to you, adoption may offer a way forward.

Putting your child up for adoption means placing your child with an adoptive family not long after they’re born. If you’re dealing with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy in West Virginia, your adoption agency will work with you closely to find a waiting family that would be thrilled to love and raise your child.

Throughout the adoption process, you remain in control of your choice. Your adoption plan guarantees your wishes are known and protected. If adoption seems like a viable unplanned pregnancy option for you, here are a few things to think about.

“Giving Up Your Baby” for Adoption Isn’t Giving Up At All

“Give your child up” for adoption isn’t really giving up. Choosing adoption is brave and bold. You’re putting your own desires aside out of love in order to provide the brightest future for you child.

There are many reasons women choose adoption from among the options for dealing with unplanned pregnancies in West Virginia. One of the most compelling reasons is that adoption gives you the peace of knowing your child will grow up in a safe, loving environment.

You Always Choose the Adoptive Family

When you choose adoption, you’re also choosing the perfect prospective adoptive parents for your child. This choice will have a lifelong positive impact on your child’s future. Putting your child up for adoption gives you the comfort of knowing your child will be safe and loved by parents you selected when dealing with your unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia.

All potential adoptive families you consider are pre-screened by adoption agencies to confirm they’re ready to meet the financial, emotional, and social needs of your child. Adoptive families who work with an adoption agency must also complete a required home study performed by a licensed adoption agency. That can be another source of comfort as you make your choice.

Retain Your Bond with Your Child Through Open Adoption

When you choose open or semi-open adoption, you’ll have an opportunity to play a significant role in your child’s future.

Open and semi-open adoption lets birth mothers stay in touch with adoptive parents and the adoptee after placement. Many mothers facing unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia discover open adoption is a purely positive experience.

You May Qualify for Adoption Financial Assistance

You should also know that as a birth mother considering adoption, you’re likely eligible for adoption financial assistance to offset the costs associated with facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia. Carrying a child is expensive, and you may be able to receive help with most of your pregnancy related expenses, including some living expenses.

Only you know if adoption is the best path if you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia. Here are some points to consider:

• You want your child to have a life full of opportunity but know parenting isn’t possible right now.
• You have love for your unborn child, but there are factors that will prevent you from parenting.
• You need financial assistance to afford the costs of carrying your baby to term.
• You have no health-related issues that would make it dangerous for you to carry the child to term.
• You want to have a relationship with your child, but you just aren’t ready or able to parent.
• You want to select the perfect family for your unborn child.
• You like the idea of helping a couple expand their family through adoption.

Do these statements resonate with you? If so, adoption may be the best of the three options for unplanned pregnancy. Adoption has its challenges,  but for many birth mothers, it’s the best choice.

The good news is there are resources available to help you as you consider adoption. Below are a few agencies that offer help to women facing unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia who are considering adoption:

• American Adoptions
• Bethany Christian Services
• Burlington United Methodist Family Services
• KVC West Virginia

Option 3: Abortion in West Virginia

Parenting and adoption may not be possible for you if you’re dealing with an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia. If that’s the case, you do have another option to consider: abortion.

Your decision regarding unplanned pregnancy can be influenced by a lot of factors, such as:

• You may have concerns about the professional impact of parenting
• You may be worried about the emotional impacts of adoption
• You may be overwhelmed by the financial impact of carrying and raising a child
• You may be concerned by potential medical issues stemming from pregnancy

No matter what your reservations about parenting and adoption may be, you should know there’s another option when faced with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy in West Virginia.

Abortion is a medical procedure intended to remove the pregnancy tissue and the products of conception from the uterus. It’s the second-most common option for women facing an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia. That said, the number of abortions in West Virginia and across the country is declining.

Abortions fall into two categories: elective and therapeutic.

Elective abortions are performed solely to end an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy in West Virginia. Some pregnant women may not be able to safely carry a child and deliver due to health risks. Those pregnancies may be ended through therapeutic abortion.

Federal law establishes a woman’s right to choose, in some states ending an unplanned or undesired pregnancy with abortion may be regulated by restrictive laws.

Those restrictions include:

• A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided.
• The use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is prohibited.
• The parent of a minor must be notified before an abortion is provided.
• Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape, incest, or fetal impairment and when the procedure is necessary to prevent long-lasting damage to the patient’s physical health.
• An abortion may be performed at 20 or more weeks postfertilization (22 weeks after the last menstrual period) only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised health. This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy.
• The use of a safe, effective and commonly used method of second trimester abortion is prohibited. Abortions using dilation and evacuation are permitted only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised physical health.

If you choose abortion, you’ll need to find a clinic or medical center in your area to perform the procedure. In West Virginia there are three facilities that perform abortions, so make sure there’s an abortion provider near you.

There are a few things to think about when considering abortion following an unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia, such as:

• You don’t want to, or aren’t able to, be a parent right now.
• You already have children and can’t take on the additional responsibility of another one.
• You want to one day be a parent but the timing isn’t right now.
• You cannot, or don’t want to, carry a baby to term.
• You risk your health by carrying a baby to term.
• You have professional or social goals that you’ve not yet accomplished and raising a child would hamper your ambition.
• You’re unsure of your partner’s commitment to parenting and don’t want to parent a child alone.
• You can’t accept the financial responsibility of raising a child. 

None of the options for dealing with unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia are totally free of emotional consequences. Abortion is no different.

Only you know if you can move forward with the outcome of your choice. None of the options are right or wrong when facing an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, but always consider your decision from multiple perspectives before choosing.

Next Steps in Your Unplanned Pregnancy Journey

An unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia can be chaotic and overwhelming. The main takeaway of this guide is that you’re not alone. 

Try not to panic. Take a deep breath, rebalance yourself, and ask, “What are my options for unwanted pregnancy in West Virginia?” You’re in control of your destiny, and only you can choose your path forward, even if your unplanned pregnancy is upsetting at first.

Every unplanned pregnancy is unique. Only you can decide the right path for you and your child. Think about the positives and negatives associated with these options and speak with a professional for guidance and counseling on the impacts of each choice.