An unplanned pregnancy can be very difficult to deal with, especially if you are dealing with a job and maybe even school. On average, most American women want two children, according to the Institute of Family Studies. This means a woman will spend approximately three years pregnant, and the rest of her time will be spent trying not to get pregnant. As such, unplanned pregnancies are not unheard of, and you are not alone in your experiences. One option you can consider when handling your unplanned pregnancy is adoption, which is the process of working with a licensed adoption agency to find a loving family that can raise your baby as their own. Adoption is a term you’ve probably heard of, whether it be from a movie or even from a TV show. However, the portrayal of adoption is often misconstrued, and depictions of adoption also don’t always portray the nuances involved with adoption, such as the different types of adoption. Thus, in order to clear up any misconceptions surrounding pregnancy, it’s important to understand the history of adoption and statistics, the trends of adoption in the US, and especially how we can make more efforts to destigmatize adoptions. If you are currently facing this situation, you can get in contact with Adoption Choices of Nevada .

Nevada Adoption Help  

Adoption is the process of legally giving up your parental rights over your child to another parent so that they can raise them as their own. At  Adoption Choices of Nevada , we understand that you may be feeling overwhelmed at the word “adoption,” but you do not have to go through the process alone, nor do you have to do all the research on your own. Even if you are unsure whether or not you want to pursue an adoption, our staff is more than willing to help you answer questions. Our staff will look at your situation individually to help you in the best way possible. 

The adoption process is entirely in your control, but it is a journey that you do not have to go through alone because our birth parent counselors will be with you at every step of the way, answering your questions and providing guidance. The first step is to get into contact with our adoption caseworkers.

After that, you will be working closely with your birth parent counselor to create an adoption plan, where you can choose the type of adoption you want to pursue. You will also create a birth plan, which will discuss how you may want to deliver your baby and a plan for post-placement contact with your baby and the adoptive family. 

Beyond helping you with adoption, adoption services also provide other resources for expecting women like you. One of the most important services our adoption agency provides is financial assistance. Pregnancy is already difficult as is, so we want to alleviate some of the stress so that you can focus on your pregnancy. 

The first step to receiving financial aid is to get into contact with our staff so that they can look at all your options and help you get everything you need. Additional expenses that can be covered are counseling expenses. Adoption and pregnancy can be very emotional times, so we want to provide you with a support system that can help you work through complicated emotions and help you come to peace with your decisions.

Adoption Trends 

As adoptions are growing to become more widely accepted, it’s important to understand that adoption has been a concept that has existed as early as ancient Rome. In the US, adoption laws were first passed in 1851, which recognized adoption based on child welfare. It’s clear that adoption has been around for a very long time, and since time has passed, many laws have passed to ensure that adoption is a safe process, such as adoption home studies. 

Since adoption has been around for a very long time, there have been a lot of trends in US adoptions that can help you understand how the adoption process came to be what it is today. In 2011, the proportion of pregnancies that were unintended was 45%, and it is important to note that the proportion of unintended pregnancies is concentrated among low-income women. Although you may feel as though you are alone in your experiences, the statistics say otherwise, and you can find comfort in the fact that there are women like you who are also experiencing an unplanned/unintended pregnancy. Consequently, there are many resources that can help you through this experience, such as local pregnancy support groups. 

Breaking Down the Stigma of Adoption 

In the past, most adoptions were mostly closed and remained mostly private between adopted children and adoptive families. This may have been due to the idea that only a biological family could be a “true” family, but that is simply not true. Biological relatedness does not create a family— unconditional love and commitment create a family, and that can be done through adoption. 

As society comes to be more accepting of the changes in the family model, adoption has become a more widely accepted option for women who cannot take care of their baby, and increasingly more adoptions are open adoptions. Open adoptions are adoptions where communication between the birth parent, adopted child, and adoptive family is ongoing, and in fact, almost 95% of adoptions today have some degree of openness.

Another stigma involved with adoption is that you are “giving” up your child when you put them up for adoption, but this is not true. It is never an easy choice to put your child up for adoption. In fact, it is a choice that is built on love and the realization that you may not be ready to become a parent or that you simply don’t have the means to take care of your child—as such, choosing adoption is one of the most selfless things you can do for your child because you are giving your child a loving family and home, which can be extremely hard. 

Despite the growth in openness and acceptance around adoptions, there are still a lot of stigmas that surround adoption, which can make it hard to reach out to loved ones when you decide to pursue an adoption. However, you should remember that you are making a selfless choice, and whether or not you choose to go through with the process, you will be the one living with your choice. Although dealing with the stigma of adoption can be difficult, Adoption Choices of Nevada will empower you in your decision by keeping you informed throughout the entire process so that you don’t have to go through this alone. 

Adoption Help is Available 

Whatever situation you may find yourself in, you should always understand that help is available. All you have to do is reach out to our adoption services in Reno, and our staff will keep you informed so that you can make the best decisions for your future and the future of your baby. 

Adoption Choices of Nevada has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. You can call us to speak to someone now. Contact Us 24/7: 855-940-4673 (Toll-Free) | 702-474-4673 (Las Vegas) | 775-825-4673 (Reno) | 775-738-4673 (Elko) | 775-884-4673 (Carson City).

Meet the author: Victoria is a sophomore at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and she is currently a Literature, Media, and Communications major. She currently runs her own blog, where she shares her poetry and creative writing projects. When she is not working or studying for school, she is often reading or writing, as she seeks to pursue a career in writing.