If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy in Wyoming, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed, or even panicked. You are not alone. There are adoption professionals available who offer empathetic and objective help for free.

Reach out to an unplanned pregnancy counselor who will help you to determine which of the three unplanned pregnancy choices are right for you.

They will provide you information about the following unplanned pregnancy choices:

• Adoption
• Parenting
• Abortion

This guide will offer you some insight into what you can expect from each of the unplanned pregnancy options in Wyoming.

What is Adoption in Wyoming?

Adoption is the decision to provide your child the life that you want for them and to transfer your parental rights to an adoptive family. With this unplanned pregnancy option, you can choose the adoptive parents for your child and choose the relationship that you want to have with your baby and their adoptive family. With an open adoption in Wyoming, you can have a continued, loving relationship with your child.

Adoption professionals agree — open adoption is the most beneficial option for the whole adoption triad: birth mother, adoptee, and adoptive family. If you are interested in pursuing an open adoption agreement, you can find an adoption agency to assist you.

The right agency offers you guidance toward an open adoption and more:

• Unplanned pregnancy help
• Assistance while creating your adoption plan
• Help looking for adoption opportunities
• Legal representation and counsel
• Assistance receiving adoption financial assistance

Do I Get to Choose My Baby’s Adoptive Parents?

Yes. For many mothers, selecting the perfect adoptive family is the most important choice they get to make during the adoption process. It certainly is the most impactful decision upon the life of your child, as it will determine their childhood environment and opportunities.

If it is your preference to continue an open adoption relationship with the adoptive parents, this decision will also affect you. You will want to find a family who you feel connected to also.

When you partner with a reputable agency, you will be offered adoption opportunities and help choosing a family for your child.

Here’s how it will work:

1. You will create an adoption plan with a description of the ideal family for your child and the type of post-adoption relationship you desire.
2. Your adoption specialist will compile a list of family profiles that fit your description.
3. You will study the profiles, think through your options, and select the adoptive family for your baby.
4. You will get the chance to meet your chosen adoptive family and start communication.
5. Finally, you will continue your adoption relationship as your child grows and matures.

Contact one of the following licensed adoption agencies to begin your adoption journey:

• American Adoptions
• Alliance for Children
• Bethany Christian Services
• Gladney Center for Adoption
• Wyoming and Colorado Children’s Society
• Catholic Charities of Wyoming
• Connecting Hearts, Inc.

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

This option for unplanned pregnancy has a lot to offer. It can be a beautiful and rewarding experience that is the beginning of a lifelong, family-like relationship. Adoption is one way that you can:

• Give your baby the life you envision for them,
• Give a hopeful adoptive couple the chance to raise a child, and
• Continue your pregnancy for the sake of your child.

After you choose adoption, your adoption specialist will guide you through these five basic steps:

1. Write an adoption plan. One of the responsibilities of an adoption specialist providing you with unplanned pregnancy help in Wyoming is to help you develop your adoption plan. An adoption plan describes in detail your unique needs and preferences as they relate to your adoption journey.
2. Choose the perfect adoptive family for your child. Adoption opportunities will be presented to you in the form of family profiles that will give you some insight into the kind of families who are hoping to adopt. You will review the profiles that your adoption specialist gathers for you, take your time with your considerations, and – when you are ready – choose an adoptive family that offers the life you want for your child.
3. Start your relationship with the adoptive family. During a phone call mediated by your adoption specialist, you will have the opportunity to ask the adoptive parents any questions you have. Following this call, you will begin communication and contact with whatever guidelines that make you most comfortable.
4. Deliver your baby and sign final adoption placement paperwork. Your hospital plan that you develop with your adoption specialist during the early stages of your unplanned pregnancy will serve you well on delivery day. It will guide adoptive parents, adoption professionals, and healthcare providers to make sure that your experience is what you want it to be. After the birth of your child, you will sign final adoption paperwork for placement.
5. Continue a relationship with your child and their adoptive family. With this unplanned pregnancy option, you will get to choose what your post-adoption communication and interaction looks like. You can determine the frequency and mode of any interaction you continue. And, while most modern adoptions are open or semi-open, it is perfectly acceptable to choose a closed adoption in Wyoming if this is what you need.

Does Adoption Cost Money in Wyoming?

When you consider the three unplanned pregnancy options in Wyoming, adoption costs the least.

This is because it is absolutely free. You will not pay for:

• Adoption agency services
• Pregnancy-related medical costs or
• Legal counsel

In addition to this standard care, many women are also eligible for other forms of adoption financial support. The kind of assistance and the amount of aid depends on your particular circumstances. 

Common types of financial assistance for adoption can cover living expenses like:

• Rent and utilities
• Groceries
• Transportation
• Cell phone and data
• Childcare
• Counseling

Is Adoption Right for Me?

No matter you unplanned pregnancy decision, it will not be easy. For some women, it takes most of the nine months they are carrying their baby to make this decision, and that is OK. You can choose adoption at any stage in your pregnancy – or even afterwards.

Some reasons women give for deciding to pursue this unplanned pregnancy choice are:

• They are unable to give their child the opportunities they want to. It is common for unplanned pregnancies to occur during a time in a woman’s life that is difficult for her to picture herself parenting a child. There are many situations that can make it difficult for a woman to choose to raise her child. Adoption provides them chance to bravely offer a different way for their child to be given certain opportunities and experiences.
• They want to gift a hopeful adoptive couple with a child. There are thousands of couples across the nation who are hoping to adopt. These are hopeful adoptive families who want more than anything to raise a child in their home. The choice to place your baby for adoption is selfless and courageous and will enrich the life of an adoptive couple.
• They want to maintain contact with their child. Open adoption encouraged by adoption professionals, and requested by many adoptive parents. If you desire an ongoing loving relationship with your baby after adoption placement, this alternative pregnancy option might be right for you.

You are not alone as you make this decision or as you navigate the steps of this unplanned pregnancy choice. If you are considering putting your child up for adoption, contact us to speak with a professional today.

What is Abortion in Wyoming?

Abortion is a medical or surgical procedure that terminates an unwanted pregnancy. If you are opposed to carrying your baby to term, this might be the alternative pregnancy option that is right for you.

Of the unplanned pregnancy options in Wyoming, abortion is the most controversial. There are vocal advocates and vocal opponents, and the decision to follow through with this early pregnancy option can be a difficult one. Depending on religious and moral convictions, it is not even a consideration for some women.

What Restrictions are on Abortion in Wyoming?

Abortion legislation is ever-changing and the accessibility to the procedure varies depending on where you live.

In Wyoming, this alternative pregnancy option is somewhat limited. Women can have an abortion prior to viability, which is around week 22-24, except for when a woman’s life is endangered or her health is severely compromised. 

Some restrictions on Wyoming abortion include:

• A minor seeking abortion care must receive the consent of their parents before accessing the procedure.
• Public funding for abortion in Wyoming is limited to cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. Abortion costs depend on your situation, but on average, are between $300 and $1500.
• 96% of Wyoming counties had no clinics that provided abortions in 2017. This means that 91% of Wyoming women would have to travel outside their county to access the procedure. 

What Risks are Involved in Abortion?

There is very little risk associated with abortion. This procedure is commonly understood by healthcare providers as a safe procedure.

Healthcare workers have used abortion as an unwanted pregnancy option for the last 40 years. Only in very rare cases have there been any long-lasting effects. There have been few cases that have can negatively affected a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant again in the future, but more likely are the following side effects:

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

Is Abortion Right for Me?

Abortion is an alternative pregnancy option that offers a specific solution to an unplanned pregnancy. It is not right for every woman, but it is the constitutional right of every woman to have this option.

As you ask yourself, “Is this the right unwanted pregnancy option for me?” you will want to consider the reasons that many women given for deciding on abortion as their unplanned pregnancy choice:

• They are not ready or do not want to ever experience pregnancy. Carrying a baby to term is hard on a woman’s body – and especially when a woman has any underlying health issues. Similarly, giving birth poses risks to a a woman too. Each woman has the right to weigh her options and decide if she wants to experience pregnancy.
• They require their privacy. Unfortunately, there are situations that can put a woman in compromising or dangerous situations due to her pregnancy. Revealing an unwanted pregnancy may not be in a woman’s best interest, and she has the right to choose her safety over her pregnancy.
• They can’t afford to disrupt their education or their career path. An unplanned pregnancy can interrupt a woman’s pursuit of her dreams and disrupt the trajectory of her life. It can even jeopardize her ability to provide for herself. Each woman has the right to decide if they want this disruption in their life.

If some of these reasons resonate with you, this early pregnancy option might be right for you. If not, you will likely be more interested in the other alternative pregnancy options in Wyoming. If you are willing to carry your baby to term but are not ready to raise a baby, you might want to consider adoption. Contact an adoption professional to learn more.

What is Parenting in Wyoming?

Parenting is, of course, the decision to carry your baby to term and to raise them in your home. This might be an unplanned pregnancy choice that you make with a partner, a family member, or by yourself. Either way, you will be making the most common unplanned pregnancy decision, and you will keep your parental rights.

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

For many women who choose to take on the responsibility of parenting, they are making the choice to become single parents. This has the potential to make the common struggles of a parent even harder. If you are facing this reality, you will want to think through the obstacles you might face when choosing this option for unwanted pregnancy in Wyoming.

Some of these challenges are:

• Paying for household needs
• Establishing a support system
• Finding affordable childcare
• Taking care of yourself

If parenting is your preferred unplanned pregnancy option, but you are unsure about how you might overcome some of these challenges, there are several organizations that will offer you support:

• WIC
• Local Social Services
• Postpartum Support International

Is Parenting Right for Me?

To choose parenting is life-changing and can be incredibly rewarding. However, it is not a choice that you should ever feel pressured into. You are in control of your unwanted pregnancy and get to make the decisions. Remember there are unplanned pregnancy resources available to you and that you are not alone. Reach out to professionals to help you make this decision if you are still uncertain. It also might help you to read about some circumstances that make parenting a more viable unplanned pregnancy decision:

• A woman is in a situation that allows her to financially support her family. Parenting costs a lot of money, and when a woman’s income or circumstances is conducive to covering these costs, deciding to raise a child is a much easier choice.
• A woman’s life is safe and stable. Stability comes in a lot of forms. The first thing people often think about is money, but equally important is the environment that live in. When things like relationships, careers, and housing is stable, this can make parenting a more feasible choice.
• A woman wants to have children at some point in her life. Kids are not a part of every woman’s life plan. But when a woman has fostered dreams of raising a family from an early age, parenting after an unplanned pregnancy makes a whole lot more sense for them.

This decision is yours to make, but you are not alone as you decide. Licensed professionals will accompany you on this journey and help you to sort out your concerns. They will help you decide which unplanned pregnancy choice is right for you. Contact us today to be connected to an empathetic, informed professional.