Here to Provide Unbiased Information
An unexpected pregnancy can bring many questions as you decide what to do next. At Bright Hope, our Options Consultations offer a confidential space to explore your next steps.
What to Expect During Your Consultation
When you reach out for an Options Consultation, here’s what you can expect:
- A listening ear
- Accurate information on all options—parenting, adoption, and abortion
- Access to resources and support tailored to your unique situation
- Free and confidential care to protect your privacy and alleviate any financial burdens
Parenting: Empowering You to Feel Confident and Equipped
Choosing to parent can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to go it alone. At Bright Hope, we’ll provide support, education, and practical assistance.
As you explore this option, it may be helpful to consider the following questions to help you reflect on what you’d need to be successful:
- What part of parenting feels most exciting to me? What would I need to learn more about?
- What kind of support would I need to feel confident?
- Will the baby’s father be involved?
- Can I create a stable, nurturing environment for a child?
If you’re interested in this option, you owe it to yourself to learn more about the help available.
Our Empowered Parenting Program provides individual and group educational classes on pregnancy and parenting topics. As you learn, you earn credits to spend in our Baby Boutique on essentials like diapers, formula, clothes, and baby supplies. We also offer emergency material aid so you can be sure your needs are covered when they matter most.
Whether you’re preparing for your first child or already parenting, Bright Hope is here to walk with you, providing tools and resources completely free of charge.
Adoption: Support at Every Stage of the Process
Adoption today offers a thoughtful option. Rather than “giving up your child” as you might have heard in the past, you shape your child’s future by choosing their adoptive family, deciding on your preferred level of communication, and more.
You can choose open, semi-open, or closed adoption, based on how involved you want to be in your child’s life.
We’re here to answer questions like:
- How do I choose the right adoptive family for my child?
- What if I change my mind?
- What are my legal rights?
- What kind of support will I receive?
All adoption-related and medical services are provided at no cost to you as the birth mother. Resources like counseling, maternity clothes, housing assistance, and more are often available. Your comfort and well-being are the priority.
Bright Hope is not a licensed child-placing agency, but we can connect you with trusted agencies in the Lehigh Valley who will guide you every step of the way. Whether you’re ready to make a decision or just beginning to explore your options, we’re here to provide clarity.
Abortion: Get the Facts
Understanding both the process and the potential risks is essential. There are two types of abortion: medical and surgical.
Medical Abortion
Medical abortion (also known as the abortion pill) involves two drugs. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone that helps the pregnancy grow and develop. Misoprostol is taken afterward and causes cramping and vaginal bleeding to expel the pregnancy from the body.
Medical abortion drugs can cause additional side effects, including:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Chills or fever
- Headaches
- Upset stomach
Additionally, abortion drugs pose certain risks, which can be severe and require medical follow-up. These risks include:
- Digestive symptoms
- Fever
- Heavy, prolonged bleeding
- Incomplete abortion (potentially requiring surgical treatment)
- Infection
Surgical Abortion
Surgical abortion is performed later in pregnancy and involves drugs, surgical instruments, and suction to end the pregnancy. How far along the woman is in her pregnancy will determine the type of procedure.
Cramping and light spotting or bleeding can occur after this procedure. However, it’s crucial to know that surgical abortion is also associated with certain risks, including:
- Perforation of the uterus (if a surgical tool pokes a hole in the uterine lining)
- Injury to the cervix
- Scar tissue formation in the uterus (this is called Asherman’s syndrome, which may impact fertility or cause painful periods)
- Infection
Here to Help You Weigh Your Options
At Bright Hope, you make the decisions, not us. No matter your circumstances, we’re here to provide unbiased information and support.
Schedule your free options consultation today. You are not alone, and we’re here to help.
Bright Hope Centers does not provide or refer for abortions.
