Last week we talked a bit about True Care and the services we provide for women in and around Natrona County who experience an unplanned pregnancy. We highlighted the options a woman has for her pregnancy and provided some information about abortion. This week, we’ll look at the option of carrying to term and the two choices within that option that a woman can make regarding her pregnancy.
Carry to Term – Parenting
Within the carry option, a woman can choose parenting or adoption. Parenting is a long-term commitment that requires sacrifice. Although it’s not easy to be a parent, it can be fulfilling and joyful. Parenting has been done by many inspiring women including corporate executives Lesley Hale and Stacey Bendet and musicians Laura Story and Alicia Keys.
There are many wonderful resources in Casper to help a woman become the best mom she can be. The Public Health Department offers the Nurse-Family Partnership program and Mercer Family Resource Center provides several parenting programs. Many of us are on a tight budget, so finding clothing at a discount can be helpful and occasionally extra help for groceries is also necessary. True Care’s Resource Coordinator as well as the Resource Coordinator at Community Health can help women struggling emotionally, physically, and financially by providing numerous community referrals. Being a single mom is not impossible and we can help you find the support you need.
Carry to Term – Adoption
If you want to carry to term but don’t think parenting is a good option for you right now, adoption provides an avenue for a woman to carry her baby but to not be fully responsible for raising the child. Specific numbers aren’t officially known, but some estimate that one to two million couples in the United States look to adopt. Birth mothers have much more control over the adoption process of their children than they did decades ago. The adoption can be open, in which the birth mother not only chooses the parents, but also stays involved with her child and his/her adoptive family; this can include regular visits, playtime at the park, even dinners together. The semi-open adoption option allows the birth mom to be somewhat involved in the child’s life, usually through letters or phone calls, but not necessarily in-person visits. And, in the closed adoption plan, the birth mother may choose the parents of her baby but she has no other involvement in the child or his/her adoptive family. These three different scenarios help the birth mother decide which best fits her needs and desires as well most benefits the child. True Care is not an adoption agency, but we can provide resources and contact information for the licensed adoption agencies in Wyoming.
Helpful Programs
One of the resources we offer at True Care for our patients facing unplanned pregnancies is the Baby & Me Program. Through ten classes, meeting one-on-one with an Advocate, a patient will learn how to be the best parent possible and, if interested, explore the option of adoption. Over the past three years, we’ve helped more than 200 patients learn about pregnancy, caring for a baby, and the loving option of adoption.
Know for Sure, Know Your Options
Are you or someone you know facing an unplanned pregnancy? Let us help you answer three important questions: (1) Am I really pregnant? (2) If so, how far along am I? and (3) Do I have a sexually transmitted disease (STD)? (if you do, and it goes untreated, that disease could affect your future fertility). We will also help you explore and more fully understand all of your pregnancy options. Call 307-215-9684 to make an appointment.