When a woman got pregnant out of wedlock in 1950, she had two realistic options. The first was to marry the man who impregnated her. The second was to give birth to the child and put it up for adoption. There was hardly ever an abortion. In 2000, when a woman got pregnant out of wedlock abortion became an option along with keeping the baby with or without a husband. Putting your child up for adoption didn't seem like the best thing to do anymore.
While there has been a move towards adoption once more, there is still the threat of abortion. "3 out of 10 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old." (Planned Parenthood) That's a surprising number when coupled with this statistic from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life's website: "One baby is aborted every 26 seconds in the United States alone." If these figures are true then there are many babies dying every year because they are unwanted.
Why might a mother not want her baby? As a class we came up with a woman not wanting the physical changes that come with birth. These changes happen both during the pregnancy as the body makes room for the baby and after the birth when the body has been changed and can't quite recover. A woman might also wish to keep her sexual activity a secret because she feels she shouldn't be participating in it. There is also the feeling of a child holding you back. "74% [of women] say having a baby would interfere with work, school, or other responsibilities. 73% say that they cannot afford to have a child." (Minnesota)
Having a child is a huge change and the uncertainty can be daunting but abortion isn't the only option when one is undesirably pregnant. Adoption is a very plausible and selfless option that also allows you to maintain your current lifestyle. It is an option that can bless others who yearn for children. While some may say that they don't consider adoption an option because it feels like giving the child away, it is an option because they are giving it away. They are allowing a person to have a life even if it's not with them. This link is to a video which features a woman who lived through the abortion process and was put up for adoption. This woman was able to have a life because the abortion didn't work. This woman lived happily with parents who love her.
If a woman is committed to giving the child up, I would encourage her to seriously look at adoption as the answer instead of abortion. Consider what you have to offer the child just by letting it leave until it is delivered. Think of the unknown good that the baby in your womb could accomplish if it was able to live and thrive into adulthood. If you feel inept or unable to be a parent, look to others to fill that role who wholeheartedly desire children.
