Getting Help with Your Teen Pregnancy: Why You Should Consider Adoption if You are 16 and Pregnant in Missouri

An unplanned pregnancy is difficult at any age, and being sixteen is already hard enough as it is. But when you combine the two? It is definitely a difficult and emotional journey. No wonder there are so many movies and TV shows that try to depict what being sixteen and pregnant is like.

Except that your unexpected pregnancy  isn’t just some movie like Juno or some reality TV show like 16 and Pregnant. This is your life, and this is really happening. You’re a real person, not just some statistic or overly-dramatized scripted character. That’s exactly why Adoption Choices of Missouri is here for you.

Whether or Not You Choose Adoption, Do Not Wait to Seek Help as a Pregnant Teenager

So, you’re sixteen and pregnant in Missouri. What happens next? That’s up to you. The first thing you should do is inform your parents or legal guardian and schedule a doctor’s appointment.

Telling your parents and going to a doctor’s appointment is probably the last thing you want to deal with right now. But the quicker you get telling them out of the way, the quicker you can get any supplemental care or prenatal treatment you may need. And the quicker you can get the information you need to make a decision on whether you would like to pursue parenting, abortion, or adoption.

The longer you wait to speak with someone and decide what you would like to do, the more your other options will be closed off to you. For example, in Missouri, abortion is only legal up to 22 weeks from your last menstrual period. Even if you do decide to keep the baby and go ahead with parenting, waiting longer will only mean less time to save money and buy important items that the baby will need. Although you can choose adoption at any point in your pregnancy, even up until you are in the delivery room, you will not have as much time to look through prospective adoptive family portfolios and choose the right adoptive family for you.

The Top 5 Reasons to Choose Adoption if You are 16 and Pregnant in Missouri

• Your Voice will Be Heard. Your consent comes first. You are the one in charge here. As the birth mother, you will have the final decision over every aspect of the adoption process. From choosing adoption in the first place and deciding what type of adoption suits you, all the way to picking out an adoptive family and making your birth plan, yours is the absolute and final say. Your adoption caseworker will work with you and make sure that you are comfortable with everything that is happening and that your wishes are being met throughout your entire adoption plan.

• Financial and Medical Assistance. Stress is bad for expectant mothers and their babies, and you should not have to stress yourself out trying to make ends meet or afford medical care while you are pregnant. There are many forms of financial and medical assistance available to you through adoption. Your adoption caseworker will help you every step of the way to make sure that all of your basic needs are met. Assistance may take many different forms, including but not limited to: safe housing, transportation, groceries, medical care, and legal representation. The sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner we can begin working to provide you with any financial aid or relief you may need.

• Different Types of Adoption to Choose From. Adoption is more than just the process of picking out an adoptive family and giving birth. It is about your life during post-placement too. You get to choose the level of involvement you would like in your baby’s life after the adoption process. You have the option of choosing between an open, closed, or semi-open adoption. Closed adoption is the type of adoption that gets more heavily portrayed in the media, and it means that you are not involved and do not maintain contact after the adoption process is over. However, open adoption allows you to keep in touch with your baby and the adoptive family throughout your lives so that you can still get to know the person he or she grows up to be. Semi-open adoption falls between those two, usually relying more on written correspondence like letters or emails.

• Support Counseling. Not only is Postpartum Depression a real and serious condition, but it is also realistic to expect that you will experience some level of uncertainty and grief over such a life-changing decision. Counseling and emotional support  is yet another resource we provide to help with adjusting to life throughout the adoption process and during post-placement afterwards. We are not just here to help with the financial struggles and paperwork. We understand that you may need help with everything you are going through emotionally as well.

• You and Your Baby can Both Live Your Best Life. You and your baby should both be able to live your best life. But that might not necessarily mean living it together. And that’s ok. We like to say that adoption is not “giving up” your baby. Instead, you are placing your baby for adoption in a loving home so that he or she can have the best opportunities in life. Raising a baby is difficult at any age, but at sixteen you already have so much on your plate and so much to look forward to in life. You want to be sure that your baby will be provided with all the time, attention, and constant care that a baby requires. Adoption is a selfless act of love, not a selfish one.

Choosing Adoption is Always Your Decision, Even as a Pregnant Teenager in Missouri

Being a teenager can be so frustrating. Your parents and teachers always think they know what’s best for you and try to tell you what to do like you’re still a little kid, but you’re almost legally an adult. You’re even old enough to drive now. You may be sixteen and pregnant in Missouri, but this is your baby. That’s why it’s important that you are the one who makes this decision. If you are considering adoption, know that you will be in charge of every aspect of your adoption plan. Don’t wait until it’s too late and time makes the decision for you, contact Adoption Choices of Missouri today to find out if adoption is right for you.

Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 1-816-527-9800

Meet the Author: Kelly Felix is a graduate from the University of New Orleans. She holds a BA in English as well as a BA in Sociology. Her English concentration is in journalism, and her specialties in sociology are gender studies and environmental sociology.

When she isn’t voraciously guzzling coffee or devouring books, Kelly can be found either bent over a canvas working on her art or at her computer playing video games. She has hands-on classroom teaching experience from her time working as a substitute teacher for Kelly Services. Kelly also completed an in-house editorial internship at Pelican Publishing Company, and she finished the goal internship program at Green Light New Orleans. Kelly generally exists in a state of suspended disbelief, but when she’s not there she resides in New Orleans.