I’m Pregnant and Don’t Want to Be a Mom: Adoption vs. Abortion in Kansas
Finding out you’re pregnant when motherhood isn’t what you want can turn your world upside down. Two options exist: abortion (up to 22 weeks) and placement (no time limit—even after birth).
Wondering what’s possible—especially if you’re past the 22-week limit, or if getting to a clinic feels impossible because of cost or distance? Both paths remain open. They differ in timing, process, and what happens afterward.
What Are My Options If I’m Pregnant in Kansas and Don’t Want to Parent?
Two paths exist: abortion and placement.
Abortion ends a pregnancy through medical or surgical procedure. Available up to 22 weeks, with exceptions afterward only when the pregnancy threatens your health. The pregnancy ends permanently.
Adoption transfers parental rights to a family you select. Available at any stage—8 weeks, 30 weeks, or in the hospital after delivery. The pregnancy continues, and the child is raised by another family.
The critical difference: abortion requires meeting a 22-week deadline and getting to a clinic. Placement stays open. Many women find themselves certain that motherhood isn’t for them—not right now, not ever.
When abortion isn’t accessible, placement remains open.
Someone can walk through both abortion and adoption—call 1-800-ADOPTION for confidential information.
Abortion vs. Adoption in Kansas: Understanding Your Two Paths
Abortion is accessible up to 22 weeks. After that, continuing the pregnancy must threaten your health for the procedure to remain available.
What the process requires:
- 24-hour waiting period between counseling and procedure
- Parental notification for minors (judicial bypass available through Sedgwick County or Johnson County courts)
- A physician must perform the procedure
Past 22 weeks or unable to reach a clinic because of distance or cost? Traveling to Colorado or Illinois may be necessary. Many women facing these barriers find placement becomes viable—no travel, no deadlines.
Unlike abortion, adoption doesn’t have gestational limits—it’s accessible at any stage of pregnancy or even after birth.
Adoption in Kansas: Choosing a Family at Any Stage
If you can’t get an abortion in Kansas, adoption is still an option. An expectant mother can place her baby with a family who will raise the child as their own. From start to finish, you control the major decisions:
Pick the adoptive family from profiles of waiting families.
Talk to a counselor before, during, and after your decision.
Get support covering rent (average $800-1200/month in Kansas), food, medical bills, and gas money for appointments.
Decide whether to stay in touch—through annual photo updates, monthly video calls, or in-person visits twice a year.
Your rights stay protected throughout.
Can I Give My Baby Up for Adoption After Birth in Kansas Hospitals?
Yes. Kansas law allows you to choose adoption after delivery, even without prior planning. Many women make this decision at birth rather than during pregnancy.
Licensed agencies maintain relationships with families ready to adopt newborns. If you choose adoption at birth, agencies can match your baby with a waiting family within hours. Adoption professionals provide hospital support and ensure staff respects your wishes.
You decide how much time you spend with your baby before placement. You can hold your baby, name them, and take photos. You determine when adoptive parents meet your baby. Most Kansas hospitals accommodate family presence based on your preferences.
Kansas adoption after birth provides the same services as planned adoption: counseling, financial assistance, family selection, and contact choices. The difference is timing—you decide after meeting your baby.
Take time to decide, even waiting until after birth if needed.
What Financial and Emotional Support Do You Get with Adoption in Kansas?
Working with an agency means you’re not carrying pregnancy expenses alone.
Rent ($800-1200/month in most Kansas cities), utilities (electric, water, gas averaging $150-200/month), groceries, maternity clothes, medical co-pays, transportation to OB appointments—these costs get covered from the moment you start working with an agency through delivery. Best of all, you won’t owe anyone anything, even if you eventually decide adoption isn’t actually the right path for you.
Someone who understands what you’re going through will be available before you decide, during pregnancy, and after placement. Not just clinical counseling—someone to actually talk to. You’ll review family profiles—photos from their home, details about their jobs and daily life, why they want to adopt, their values. The choice comes from what matters to you.
How much contact after placement? Some women want letters and photos twice a year. Others want monthly FaceTime calls. Some want to meet for coffee annually. Others want no contact at all. Support doesn’t end at placement—counseling stays available. The family you choose will be screened, approved, and committed to raising your child.
Ready to see waiting families? Call 1-800-ADOPTION
The Kansas Adoption Process: What to Expect Step by Step
- Contact an agency. Your first conversation covers each step, Kansas laws, your legal rights, and how to access financial support and counseling.
- Build your plan. Open arrangements mean ongoing contact—maybe annual visits or monthly video calls. Semi-open means the agency shares updates but you don’t communicate directly. Closed means no contact. Which feels right? What kind of family are you looking for?
- Choose from waiting families. Families create profiles—photos from their living room, details about their careers and hobbies, why they want to adopt, letters they’ve written. You review them. Meet in person at a coffee shop, video chat from your couch, or just read profiles. Your choice.
- Get support during pregnancy. Help arrives with pregnancy costs: rent, utilities, food, transportation, maternity clothing, medical co-pays.
- Birth and hospital placement. The hospital experience is yours to shape. Spend 10 minutes or three days with your baby. Hold them, name them, take photos, say goodbye however feels right.
- Ongoing support. Counseling continues. With open or semi-open arrangements, updates and photos arrive—according to what you agreed on together. Some birth mothers stay connected through annual photo updates, monthly video calls, or in-person visits.
Where to Get Free Help with Your Unplanned Pregnancy in Kansas
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Start with 1-800-ADOPTION if you want to talk to someone any time, day or night. Professionals listen and help clarify options. They’ll connect you with local agencies and resources.
Looking for pregnancy confirmation or local support? Pregnancy resource centers offer free tests, ultrasounds, and counseling at some locations, along with referrals for housing or medical care. Make sure the center discusses all options—abortion, placement, and parenting—before committing.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri provides information about both paths, state laws, prenatal care, pregnancy testing, and referrals to other services.
Questions about how the process works? Your legal rights? What support exists during pregnancy? Which families are currently waiting? Agencies can answer all of it.
Choosing Your Next Step in Kansas
If you are within the 22‑week window and want to end the pregnancy, a Kansas clinic or, if needed, an out‑of‑state provider can explain requirements and schedule care. If timing, travel, or cost are barriers, you still have a workable plan in adoption—no gestational deadline and support during and after the process.
If adoption is the better fit, you choose the family, the hospital plan, and the level of contact after placement. Counseling and allowable living expenses are available while you decide and afterward.
You do not have to map this out alone. A brief conversation with a professional can turn a confusing list of “what‑ifs” into a simple next step that matches your values and timing.