Maybe you have been deleting pregnancy-related searches, hiding a positive test, or avoiding conversations because you are worried someone will realize you are pregnant. When an unexpected pregnancy feels difficult to share, abortion may seem like a way to make sure no one ever has to know.
Before deciding for that reason alone, it can help to look at why you feel the pregnancy has to remain hidden and what each option would actually involve.
The Hope Bridge Pregnancy Resource Center offers free, confidential appointments where you can share your concerns and get information about your pregnancy options. Schedule an appointment today for a private conversation about your situation.
What Are You Worried Will Happen?
Maybe you expect your parents to be angry, think your partner will leave, or worry about what pregnancy could mean for school, work, finances, or housing.
The response you’re imagining may not be the response you receive, and circumstances can change. You also don’t have to tell everyone at once. If there’s one person you trust, you might start there.
Most importantly, no partner, parent, friend, or anyone else has the right to force or pressure you into having an abortion. Someone else may have a strong opinion, but you should have the opportunity to ask questions and make your pregnancy decision without coercion.
If You’re Considering Abortion
If abortion seems appealing because you hope to keep the pregnancy private, learn what the process itself involves before deciding.
Medical abortion uses mifepristone and misoprostol and involves vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping as the pregnancy is expelled. Possible risks include heavy bleeding, infection, or an incomplete abortion requiring additional treatment. Surgical abortions use different methods depending partly on gestational age.
Texas law currently prohibits abortion, with a limited exception when a licensed physician determines that a pregnant woman has a life-threatening physical condition that places her at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function. Women can’t be held criminally or civilly liable for obtaining one.
If You’re Considering Parenting
You may be hiding your pregnancy because parenting feels challenging under your current circumstances.
Try separating the idea of parenting from the specific problems making it difficult to picture. Is the biggest concern money? Housing? Childcare? School? Your relationship?
Once you identify the main concerns, you can begin considering which resources or changes might address them. Parenting does not mean abandoning your education, career plans, or other goals. It may mean making different arrangements and finding additional support.
Our team can help you think through what parenting would require in your situation, connect you with resources, and support you through our Building Blocks Mentorship program.
If You’re Considering Adoption
If continuing the pregnancy feels possible but parenting does not, adoption is another option to learn about.
Adoption today can give an expectant mother a significant role in the process. Depending on the adoption plan, you may be able to choose the adoptive family and decide what level of future communication you’d like.
Open, semi-open, and closed adoption arrangements offer different levels of contact and privacy. A licensed adoption professional can help you understand how placement works, what rights you have, and what assistance may be available during pregnancy.
Learning about adoption doesn’t mean committing to it, but it can show you what support is available and how you could create a plan based on your needs.
Have a Private Conversation Before Deciding
You may not be ready to tell your family, partner, or friends yet. That does not mean you have to make a major pregnancy decision based only on keeping the pregnancy hidden.
Schedule a free, confidential appointment with The Hope Bridge Pregnancy Resource Center, or call (972) 442-3700, to ask your questions and learn more about each option.
The Hope Bridge Pregnancy Center does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.