Am I ready to be a parent? What to do if I’m not ready to be a parent? How to decide to keep a baby or not? What are my options if I’m pregnant in Idaho?

If you’re a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy in Idaho, it’s understandable that any of the above questions may be going through your mind, and undoubtedly many more. It’s completely natural. An unexpected pregnancy can be a stressful event, and feeling unsure of your next steps is to be expected. If this describes your current situation, our first advice to you is to breathe. It’s going to be okay. You aren’t the first woman to feel confused about an unexpected pregnancy, nor will you be the last. At this stage, it can be extremely helpful to learn as much as you can about your three Idaho unplanned pregnancy options so that you can make the best decision for yourself and your baby.

It’s important to know that, although we are an adoption agency, the intent of this article is simply to educate women about the unplanned pregnancy options available to them, which includes adoption in Idaho. Adoption is not for everyone, and this article is not intended to persuade anyone to pursue any specific choice.

If you're ready to talk to an adoption specialist about adoption in Idaho, reach out to us through our free online form.

1 .Parenting

The first question to ask yourself if you’re experiencing an unplanned pregnancy in Idaho is, “Am I ready to be a parent?” If the answer to that question is a resounding yes, then congratulations! Being a mom can be awesome, and you might as well quit reading this article right now. No one should ever convince you to choose abortion or adoption in Idaho if you are ready and wish to parent your child. If, however, you aren’t sure if you’re ready for that step in your life yet, you may want to consider some of the realities of parenting:

• In 2015, it was estimated that it costs around $233,610 to raise a child until the age of 17, and that’s a number that’s only going to rise. Babies are expensive, and if you haven’t been saving and preparing, this figure can seem impossible.

• Will your educational and career goals be more difficult to pursue while becoming a mother?

• Will anyone help you to raise the child? To many women experiencing unplanned pregnancies in Idaho, it’s important that their children be raised in two-parent homes. Of course, this absolutely isn’t necessary for a child to be safe and loved and provided for, but raising a baby alone can be hard.

• Do you want to be a mom right now? Do you want to be a mom at all? If the answer to either of those questions is no, it’s important to remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

If you still aren’t confident that you’re ready to parent, there are still two additional Idaho unplanned pregnancy options.

2. Abortion

Obviously, abortion is a touchy subject. You might expect an adoption agency to gloss over it, but that isn’t the case here. Abortion is absolutely an unplanned pregnancy option in Idaho, and it’s important that you know everything you can about it if it’s something you’re considering. Since it is so sensitive, however, we encourage you to seek out information only from reputable sources, such as Planned Parenthood. If you’re interested in abortion facts specific to Idaho, you may want to know that:

• In 2014, there were five facilities in Idaho that provided abortions. Approximately 95 percent of the counties in Idaho did not have one of those facilities, and 65 percent of Idaho women lived in those counties.

• As of January 1, 2018, a woman must receive state-directed counseling (which includes information designed to discourage her from abortion) and wait 24 hours before having the procedure.

• The parent of a minor must consent for a minor to have an abortion.

3. Adoption

The third unplanned pregnancy option in Idaho, then, is adoption. Of course, this is a topic we can go on and on about, but for the sake of this article we’ll keep it short. Most people don’t know about the benefits of adoptionthat don’t come with the two other unplanned pregnancy options:

• You get to remain in your child’s life without parenting. This means you can see him or her grow up happy and healthy, without becoming a parent before you’re 100 percent ready to.

• Because they are raised in households that are financially and emotionally prepared for them, adopted kids are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities and pursue higher education.

• Adopted kids get to grow up with not one but two sets of parents who love them and place their needs above all else.

Of course, this article probably has not magically pointed you toward the correct unexpected pregnancy option for you. We do hope, though, that it’s helped you to learn a little bit about each of your choices, and that you won’t hesitate to call American Adoptions at 1-800-ADOPTION for free, noncommittal information.

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