If you are faced with an unplanned pregnancy, you may be experiencing a range of emotions and pressure to make a decision about your pregnancy. Connect Medical Clinic provides patients with a linear decision-making tool, which will help you consider your situation, values, and goals. During your appointment, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the benefits and risks of each of your pregnancy options, and then discuss them with a registered nurse. Decision-Making Services are offered free of charge.
Pregnancy Options
Abortion
Abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy. In North Dakota, abortions are legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The gestational age of the fetus determines the abortion method which is typically determined by LMP (last menstrual period) and ultrasound.
It is your right to be informed, to know what procedure might be used, and the risks associated with each.
Connect can provide you with evidence-based education and medical information that you need before making a decision to terminate. During your appointment, your nurse will help guide you through a decision-making tool that will help you determine what you want to do, as well as provide you a free limited ultrasound exam to determine the probable age of the fetus, and review with you an abortion health-and-safety checklist.
Additionally, you may see our nurse practitioner for an Early Pregnancy Evaluation which can help you identify contraindications to abortion methods and potential risk factors for complications.
Abortion is a very personal decision that affects women in many different ways. Some women feel confident in their decision to terminate a pregnancy, while others feel pressured by partners or family members.
At Connect, we do not refer or recommend for abortion, but we are here to walk with you through this journey. To decide what the right option is for you, make an appointment to speak with a staff nurse about your options.
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person’s biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities from the biological parents to the adoptive parents. In North Dakota, anyone who needs a home may be adopted.
To consider if adoption might be the right option for you, your nurse will help guide you through a decision-making tool that will help you determine what you want to do. If you choose, our staff can also put you in touch with a licensed adoption worker who can expertly answer your questions or address your concerns.
Those who are considering placing a child for adoption can expect to meet with a caseworker, discuss an adoption plan with the level of openness and communication you might like with the adoptive family, and to choose which family you want for your child. Adoptive families are extensively screened and determined to be safe and healthy.
Connect Medical Clinic has education and support resources to help you achieve a healthy pregnancy. And we are here to walk with you every step along this journey.
You may visit BraveLove.org, a pro-adoption website, where you can find information on adoption, as well as read interviews and watch videos about women’s adoption experiences.
To decide what the right option is for you, make an appointment to speak with a staff nurse about your options.
Parenting
The third option for pregnant women is parenting, which is the activity of bringing up a child as a parent.
For many, the decision to parent may initially feel overwhelming. You may have countless questions about the significance of bringing a baby into your life, like: How will a child impact My relationships? My life goals? My financial situation?
To consider if parenting is the right option for you, your nurse will help guide you through a decision-making tool that will help you determine what you want to do. If you decide to parent, Connect Medical Clinic nurses will create a customized plan for you and your pregnancy, connect you with resources and help you develop a network of support as you move forward.
You are not alone; we are here to walk with you every step along this journey. Here are just a few local resources who are also here to help:
To decide what the right option is for you, make an appointment to speak with a staff nurse about your options.