Pregnant, but you don’t feel ready to be a mother? You’re not alone. Unplanned pregnancies happen to millions of women in the U.S. each year. While the majority of these women have the spiritual strength, family support and financial security to confidently raise their babies, others may not. This leaves thousands of women searching for the right place to turn for help with their unwanted pregnancies.
Unplanned Pregnancy Centers
Unplanned pregnancy centers offer services including unplanned pregnancy counseling to help women explore all their pregnancy options. Counselors can help answer questions, offer advice and talk through the pros and cons of abortion, adoption and parenting. At Sira in Gainesville, unplanned pregnancy counseling is provided for free, as are all our services. Depending on the path you choose, we can even connect you with other free community resources to help you along the way.
Adoption Agencies
If you decide placing your baby for adoption is the best solution to give him or her a loving home, adoption agencies can help connect you with the right adoptive family. Many adoption agencies offer support and resources to help you and your baby remain safe and healthy throughout your pregnancy. They can even help you create an adoption plan to specify the type of adoptive family you prefer, how much (if any) access you want to your baby after the adoption and more. There are some important differences between nonprofit and for-profit adoption agencies, however, so starting the conversation with your pregnancy center counselor will provide the clearest picture of what might work best for you.
Community and Religious Organizations
For many women, the biggest concerns about raising an unplanned baby have to do with either being able to afford it, how it might impact their relationships and/or being able to stay on track with life goals. While these are all legitimate concerns, thankfully, there are numerous organizations designed to help you with all of them. For pregnant women in need, community and religious groups can often provide healthcare, housing, food support and more, at little or no charge. Some will also provide relationship counseling and mediation services. And many schools, colleges and universities now offer specialized programs to allow expecting and new mothers to manage their class loads in a way that allows them to complete their educations.
In a challenging time of conflicting thoughts and emotions, it’s helpful to have someone you can turn to, someone to help you make informed choices. In Gainesville, Sira provides pregnant women help for today and hope for tomorrow. All of our services are 100% free and confidential, with no insurance required.
To schedule your free session with a pregnancy options counselor, contact Sira today at 352-377-4947.
