Parenting as a pregnancy option

An image of a couple holding an infant

Questions to consider

If you’re exploring parenting as a pregnancy option you may want to ask yourself:

How will parenting change my current lifestyle and the goals or plans I have?
What challenges do I expect? Think about financial needs, emotional needs, and other needs.
How might I meet these challenges?
What kind of support can I get from my friends and family? Think about child care, housing (both short and long term), baby items and emotional support.
What community resources are available to help me meet my parenting needs?

US Department of Health and Human Services - Information about federal, state, and local programs and services for their children and families.
Child Welfare Information Gateway - Parenting tips and resources, and how to locate help in one’s local community.
Zero to Three - Informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.
Healthy Families America - Strives to provide all expectant and new parents with the opportunity to receive the education and support they need at the time their baby is born.
Parenting Now - Parenting groups, support, advice and networking.
Insights Teen Parenting Program - Provides positive options for young parents.
Oregon Parenting Education Directory - Programs listed by county compiled by Oregon State University.
UrbanMamas - A dynamic online community for mamas who share tips, advice, ideas, fun, challenges and more.
Parent Helpline - Emotional support from trained advocates to become an empowered and stronger parent.
Tufts Child and Family Web Guide - A collection of parenting websites that have been systematically reviewed by Tufts University and contain information that is grounded in evidence-based practice and research.
Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries - OARN supports, strengthens, and develops Oregon’s network of independent Relief Nurseries to maximize family resilience and prevent the abuse and neglect of young children.

Are your counselors biased toward adoption?: Although we have “adoption” in our agency name, our counselors are committed to providing unbiased, all-options counseling to all people who are pregnant or parenting. Our first priority when working with any pregnant person is to support them in exploring all of their options. The majority of people who access our counseling services do not ultimately choose to plan an adoption.
Do you continue to offer counseling if I choose abortion or parenting?: Yes, our counseling continues to be available to provide support, resources, and referrals after an abortion or parenting choice has been made. We are not a mental health provider, but can help people explore other resources for ongoing help and support as needed.
Do you provide parenting resources and support?: We provide information about supports available and help people connect with community resources for all options, including parenting.
How much does options counseling cost?: Our options counseling is free, and is offered for as long as needed.
What are the options for an unplanned pregnancy?: Someone facing an unplanned pregnancy can choose to terminate the pregnancy by having an abortion, or can choose to continue the pregnancy. If they choose to continue the pregnancy, they can choose to parent the child or plan an adoption.