If you’ve already had an abortion, you may have good reason not to want another. 

Those reasons may include that you:

• Struggled emotionally after your last abortion
• Felt pressured into it last time, and this time, you want to choose for yourself
• Feel regret, guilt, or shame about the choice you made
• Are worried about further risks to your health another procedure could have

Whatever the case may be, you might still feel nervous about navigating your unexpected pregnancy. There are two other wonderful options available to you if you do not want an abortion: parenting and adoption.

Parenting

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of parenting?

It’s natural to wonder how you will finish school, continue your career, or make ends meet. You may stress about housing, medical care, and whether you have what it takes to parent.

Here’s the good news. Many organizations and resources are available to help make parenting possible and equip you. You can still earn your degree, continue your career, and work toward a stable financial future, even while pregnant or parenting.

Talk with our Women’s Clinic of Antelope Valley team about your needs. We can connect you with community organizations, including maternity homes, to assist with housing, childcare, and more.

Parenting can also be a learning process. You shouldn’t feel like you have to know everything from the beginning. It’s common to feel unprepared but that’s where we come in.

Our clinic offers free, customized support and resources depending on your situation and parenting classes to ensure you feel prepared. Schedule an appointment today to learn more details about how we can help.

With the appropriate support, you can navigate parenting successfully. 

Adoption

If you’re not ready to parent, there’s still an option available to you: adoption. 

While adoption can be an emotionally difficult decision, it is a brave and loving choice that gives your child a promising future with a qualified adoptive family.

Many women have a lot of preconceived notions about adoption, but the truth is modern adoption has never been more accessible or flexible. 

Depending on your situation, you may receive financial and material assistance and counseling. Also, you get to decide the family and level of communication in three different arrangements:

1. Open Adoption: You have the opportunity to connect with the chosen family before your child’s birth and have ongoing communication afterward. This allows you to foster a bond with the adoptive family and your child by sharing personal details such as full names, addresses, and contact numbers.
   
2. Semi-Open Adoption: This arrangement enables you to maintain communication with the adoptive family and your child, as all emails and letters are facilitated through the adoption agency. It offers a higher level of privacy than open adoption, as it does not involve exchanging any identifying details.
   
3. Closed Adoption: Should you prefer to avoid contact with the adoptive family, opting for a closed adoption would be your choice. In this scenario, an adoption agency selects a family that aligns with your criteria. Identifying information is kept confidential, and there is no interaction with your child.

Get The Support You Need

Both parenting and adoption require a lot of thought and planning, but each offers a rewarding path forward regarding your pregnancy.

Women’s Clinic of the Antelope Valley is here with you every step of the way, starting with your first appointment. If you recently found out you are pregnant, here are the steps we recommend:

• First, verify your pregnancy at our clinic with a free pregnancy test. 

• Second, receive a free limited OB ultrasound to confirm that the fetus is located within the uterus, confirm the heartbeat, and determine the gestational age (how many weeks pregnant you are).

• Third, talk with us about how we can best support you. Even if you’ve already had a pregnancy test and ultrasound, we invite you to schedule an appointment to learn about community support.

Contact us today to get the information and resources you need to help you make a confident decision.