What an Unplanned Pregnancy Really Costs and How Adoption Helps

By: Grant Kirsh

An unplanned pregnancy is stressful enough without the added weight of financial worry. But the reality is that pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a child all cost real money, and for many women who are already struggling, those costs feel impossible.

If you are pregnant and worried about money, this post is for you. At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have been helping Indiana birth mothers understand the financial help available to them for nearly 50 years. We are a family-run law firm, not a national adoption agency, and our services are 100% free to birth mothers. Here is what you need to know.

The Real Cost of Pregnancy

Even with insurance or Medicaid, pregnancy has costs. Copays, missed work, transportation to appointments, maternity clothing, food, and the general expense of preparing for a baby all add up. Without insurance, the numbers are even higher.

And that is just pregnancy. Once the baby arrives, the costs multiply: diapers, formula, pediatric care, childcare, housing adjustments. For a single mother in Indiana who is already financially stretched, these expenses can feel crushing.

How Adoption Helps Financially

If you are considering how to give up your baby for adoption in Indiana, financial support is part of the process. Under Indiana Code § 35-46-1-9, the adoptive family may pay up to $4,000 in living expenses during your pregnancy. This includes housing, food, maternity clothing, and other reasonable expenses.

Medical costs, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postnatal care not covered by insurance or Medicaid, can be paid separately by the adoptive family. These are not included in the $4,000 cap.

Transportation related to medical appointments and adoption matters is also covered outside the cap.

Counseling costs, before and after placement, should be covered 100% by the adoptive family.

This Is Not a Payment for Your Baby

It is important to understand that this financial help is support for you during your pregnancy, not a transaction for your child. Indiana law prohibits buying or selling children. Any adoption professional who makes it feel that way is not someone you should trust.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we do this work the right way. We have been doing it the right way for nearly 50 years.

Does Accepting Help Obligate You?

No. Accepting financial assistance does not lock you into an adoption. You can change your mind at any point before you sign the consent, which cannot happen until after your baby is born, pursuant to Indiana Code § 31-19-9-2(b). This protection is built into Indiana law.

You Also Get Your Own Attorney

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we were the first in Indiana to offer birth mothers their own independent attorney, paid for by the adoptive family. If you want one, the adoptive family pays for it. You never pay anything.

Whether you are in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Carmel, Fishers, Bloomington, Hammond, Gary, Muncie, Lafayette, Terre Haute, Kokomo, Anderson, or Greenwood, financial help and free legal support are available to you.

Call or text us at 800-333-5736. Visit us at IndianaAdoption.com. Everything is free and confidential.

For a complete overview of the adoption process, read our Complete Guide to Giving Up a Baby for Adoption in Indiana.

About the Author
Grant Kirsh is a second-generation adoption attorney and owner of Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., a family law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana that has been serving Indiana families since 1981. Grant graduated from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2013 and has personally handled nearly 3,000 foster care adoptions and his law firm has handled over 5,000 private newborn adoptions. He practices all forms of domestic adoption, with a deep personal commitment to expectant mothers considering adoption in Indiana and Indiana’s foster care system and the families and children it serves.