Understanding Options
If you have received a prenatal test result for your child, we are here to support you. Our services are free. Talk with one of our nurses to determine if parent care coordination would be helpful for you.
You have the right to receive information about all options to allow you to make the best possible decision for your family, along with enough time to make an informed decision.
It is possible that the option of abortion was offered to you when you received your baby’s diagnosis. It might have been presented to you as the best or the only option. Abortion, early induction, or termination is often offered as the quickest resolution to a prenatal diagnosis. It comes with certain medical risks to the mother, especially if offered in the second trimester or later. It also comes with certain emotional risks to parents. It also is the most immediately permanent decision, which is something to consider in the decision-making process.
Carrying to term is an option for you and your baby, even if you have been told your baby is not expected to live. Research shows carrying to term carries an apparent emotional benefit to mothers. There are many resources available to assist parents through the challenges of carrying to term and caring for a child after birth, or through a loss, some of which are included in this website. An additional option when carrying to term is adoption. There are adoption agencies that specialize in adoptions for children with special medical needs.
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