What Are My Second-Trimester Pregnancy Options?

May 1, 2025

If you are entering your second trimester of pregnancy, you have three options. We know how challenging it can be to decide, so we are here to help you learn more about each one.

At Nova Women’s Health, we can offer you a no-cost options consultation. This consultation will help you make an educated decision. You are not alone.

Abortion

As medical abortion is only FDA-approved through 10 weeks of gestation, it’s not recommended to take the drugs past this timeframe. Risks drastically go up after this point of pregnancy.

Surgical abortion may be an option for you. Dilation & evacuation (D&E) and dilation & curettage (D&C) are the two types of surgical abortion. Each procedure dilates your cervix and uses vacuum aspiration as well as surgical tools to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.

Risks of Surgical Abortion

It’s essential to consider the risks of surgical abortion. Each type incorporates similar processes and shares some of the same risks, including:

• Perforation of the uterus (when a surgical instrument pokes a hole in the uterus)
• Damage to the cervix
• Scar tissue on the uterine wall
• Infection
• Excessive bleeding

Adoption

If you have concerns about the health risks of abortion, adoption could be an alternative option for you. Adoption is the legal process by which a person formally becomes the parent of a child who is not biologically theirs. The biological parent or parents give all rights and responsibilities to the adoptive parent(s).

Adoption Types

1. Open adoption: All parties share identifying information. Contact between you and your child may include in-person visitations, phone calls, letters, sharing photos, or emails.
2. Closed adoption: This keeps all parties’ information private. Closed adoptions may include some sharing of photos or letters. It’s up to you and the adoptive family to decide. Both parties could refuse or accept any information.
3. Semi-open adoption: Communication occurs through a mediator, most likely an adoption agency. Photographs and letters can be exchanged, but no identifying information is disclosed. In this type of adoption, both the adoptive parents and the birth mother can continue to keep in touch if desired.

Parenting

Lastly, you have the option of parenting. If you are thinking of parenting, some ways to prepare for this journey include:

• Taking care of your physical and mental health
• Receiving the right prenatal care
• Establishing a strong support system

There are many parenting resources and support to guide you. Nova Women’s Health offers no-cost parenting resources so you can learn to be the best parent possible.

If you’d like to learn more about our parenting support, our client advocates are here to help.

Learn More About Your Options

Be sure to confirm your pregnancy to learn what options are available. We offer no-cost pregnancy testing and limited ultrasounds. After confirming your details, we can provide more information about your options.

Schedule your no-cost appointment today to get the clarity you’re looking for. We understand the complex emotions that can arise when navigating your next steps. Nova Women’s Health provides a supportive, non-judgmental environment where you can take the time to ask questions and gather the information you need before making a decision.

Nova Women’s Health does not provide or refer for abortions. 

All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.