If you’re pregnant and struggling financially, having an abortion may seem like the logical choice. But is it the best option?
Colorado Medicaid only covers abortion in cases protected by the Hyde Amendment—legislation that includes rape, incest, and life endangerment. Otherwise, you must cover the total abortion costs, which vary based on the procedure type and your gestational age (how far along you are).
Currently, commercial insurance providers are not required to pay for abortions in Colorado. Whether this service is covered depends on your individual plan.
What Should I Think About?
Before making a pregnancy decision, learning essential health information is best. Life Choices provides limited obstetric ultrasounds performed by a trained nurse.
Receiving an ultrasound is crucial. Ultrasounds reveal critical information, including your pregnancy’s viability (if it’s growing with a detectable heartbeat), gestational age, and location. These details determine your options and detect health conditions like miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
If you’ve suffered a miscarriage, you may require treatment. An ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the fertilized egg implants in a location other than the uterus, is very dangerous. This condition requires immediate medical attention.
After confirming your pregnancy’s health, you should consider your options.
Pregnancy Options
Before deciding, understanding your options is crucial. You should make an informed choice.
Abortion
Abortion is the only option that terminates the pregnancy. Depending on your gestational age, you can have a medical abortion or surgical abortion.
A medical abortion uses mifepristone to block progesterone and misoprostol to cause uterine contractions that expel the pregnancy. It’s FDA-approved through ten weeks of gestation.
This process causes abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding. You could also experience headache, diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting. Risks like infection and heavy bleeding, though rare, are possible.
A surgical abortion uses medication, surgical instruments, or suctioning to remove the pregnancy. You’ll also experience bleeding and cramping.
Risks like uterine perforation, scar tissue on the uterine wall, damage to the cervix, and infection are possible. The chances of these occurring are low but increase when the abortion is performed unsafely or your pregnancy has a more advanced gestational age.
Parenting
While parenting is a significant responsibility and takes much hard work, it can be enriching. Caring for a child is an experience like no other.
If you have financial concerns, you may feel this option is impossible. Before deciding, research the available help in your community. Your income level could qualify you for social programs to help with food and housing. Life Choices also provides parenting lessons through BrightCourse, material support, and referrals.
If parenting isn’t best for you, but you wish to carry the pregnancy to term, there is another option.
Adoption
Adoption can be a stressful and emotional decision. It takes courage and selflessness to place your child in a loving family, but it can also provide the peace of mind you seek.
As the birth mother, you don’t pay for adoption-related expenses. Your adoption agency guides you through the process, and you can select the best plan and adoptive family for you.
You may receive financial and material support during your pregnancy and after birth. Life Choices can discuss this option to determine if you wish to explore it further.
Free, Confidential Medical Services
Life Choices provides pregnancy medical services in a trustworthy environment. Rest assured, we don’t pressure you to make a specific pregnancy decision.
Please contact us today to learn more. You can also text 970-514-5650.
Life Choices does not perform or refer for abortions.