Adoption After You’ve Been Sexually Assaulted in Missouri

If you’ve been sexually assaulted and are facing an unwanted pregnancy, you may feel lost, confused, and angry right now. All of these emotions are valid. It’s important to know that you have options, and Adoption Choices of Missouri is here to help you make the best decision for you and your unborn child, even if you are choosing adoption after being sexually assaulted in MO. According to the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network, every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. These numbers are staggering, but please know, you are not alone. 

What are my Options after Sexual Assault?

You have three options regarding your unborn child after sexual assault: parenting, termination of pregnancy, or adoption. Making a decision like this may seem daunting, but that’s what Adoption Choices of Missouri is here for.  

Choosing to Parent Your Child

While choosing to parent your child may be difficult initially, it could be the best option for you and your situation. If you desire to be a parent and the support of your friends and family, choosing to parent may be your best option. No one is suggesting that it will be easy to care for your assailant’s child, but there are plenty of mothers who do decide to keep their babies. The most important thing is that you decide you are comfortable with it, and if parenting isn’t an option for you, which is perfectly okay, there are other courses of action you can take. 

Terminating Your Pregnancy

It is legal to terminate your pregnancy up to 22 weeks in Missouri or more if the woman’s life is in jeopardy. There is a 72 hour waiting period before the procedure. This may be the best option for you if you cannot possibly fathom raising or carrying your assailant’s child. Terminating a pregnancy is a completely viable option for an unwanted pregnancy, especially if you are a victim of rape. In Missouri, your husband or boyfriend can’t interfere with your decision to terminate your pregnancy.  

Adoption is Always an Option

Adoption is also a great choice. Adoption allows you to give another family the gift of either starting or expanding their family. We have adoption advisors who are ready to assist you during every step of the adoption process. Adoption Choices of Missouri will help you with pregnancy expenses, including rent, food, transportation, and maternity clothing. In addition, we will ensure you are receiving sufficient medical care; nothing is more important than your and your baby’s health during this delicate time.  We aid you in developing an Missouri adoption plan that is specific to you. Your adoption plan will include your birth plan, choosing who will adopt your baby, and who you want present during your labor. After determining your financial needs, we’ll focus on matching you and your baby with the right family and the type of adoption you want.  The three most common types of adoption are open, semi-open, and closed. The type of adoption in MO you choose will dictate how much or how little communication is exchanged between you and the adoptive family. One of the last steps in this process is giving birth. Your adoption counselor will act as your advocate during labor and delivery. Finally, you will have to give your consent for the adoption, and the baby will leave the hospital with their new family. In addition to all the other services we provide, we will also guarantee that you receive support counseling. Our support counseling can be one-on-one therapy or group therapy. We sometimes offer birth mother retreats that allow you to connect with other birth moms. Birth mother retreats foster friendship and community and reminds you that you are not alone. 

How Adoption Choices of Missouri Can Help You

Adoption is one of the best decisions you can make if you are facing an unwanted pregnancy, particularly if your child was conceived due to sexual assault. You give your baby the opportunity to have a family and a chance at a better life. We understand that this process can be scary, which is why we try to make it as easy as we possibly can. Being a victim of sexual assault is difficult in and of itself. At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we are here to help if you decide that adoption is the right choice for you. 

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a sexual assault, here are a few resources you can call outside of our agency:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline: Call 800.656.HOPE
• National Sexual Assault Online Chat and list of resources can be found here
• MOCSA Crisis Line: (816) 531-0233 or (913) 642-0233

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 816-527-9800 Meet the Author: Rayna Batiste is an alumna of the University of West Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. Having graduated with honors, she hopes to attend graduate school at New York University, majoring in Journalism. Rayna is also a United States Air Force veteran who enjoys watching documentaries about pretty much any subject, learning, and spending quality time with her family and friends. She is also a fitness enthusiast and an avid Peloton user. Her hobbies include brunch (yes, brunch is a hobby), fashion, makeup, and of course, reading and writing. Rayna has a real passion for the written word and correct grammar and syntax. She enjoys manipulating sentence structure and experimenting with punctuation in her writing. She’s what you would call a “werd nerd.” She was also recently featured at the Pensacola Museum of Art for her work, entitled Triangular Geometry.