16 And Pregnant: The Choice Of Adoption

On last night’s episode, Lori decided against abortion because she’d been adopted, and was grateful for her birth mother’s decision. However, Lori questioned giving her baby up for adoption, because he’s the only biological relation she has in her life.

Lori was adopted by her parents as an infant after her birth mother—who, like Lori, was 16 when she became pregnant—made the choice of adoption. Lori’s adoptive mother hoped that Lori would make the same choice, recognizing that the teen wasn’t ready to be a parent. Lori’s friends, however, were trying to talk Lori into keeping her baby, because they thought it would be fun, as though he were a puppy. They wanted to throw Lori a baby shower, but Lori’s mother put her foot down against it, saying that an unmarried, pregnant high school student was nothing to be celebrated.

Lori’s ex-boyfriend Cory also pushed for Lori to raise the baby, although he had no real solid plan about how to financially support it, and sort of just assumed that it would all work out. Reading between the lines, it was clear that he thought that eventually, Lori’s parents would just bend and allow the baby to be raised in their home, and support her financially through it all. But they refused. He made an empty gesture to allow Lori and the baby to move into the apartment that he shared with a roommate. Lori’s parents suggested that she go live with Cory for a while before the baby was born, so she could see what she was getting herself into. But it didn’t even get that far. When faced with the reality of the situation, Cory rescinded his offer. The way that Lori’s parents handled the entire situation was maybe the best I’ve seen of any of the families featured on this show.

After Cory agreed to a plan of adoption, Lori was upset because she felt that she had no choice left. She never discussed moving out on her own, quitting school, or getting a job, so it would seem like she did make a choice.

When it was time to choose adoptive parents, Cory seemed more concerned that he was late to meet friends at the bar, and left in a huff. After the birth of the baby, Cory came to the hospital and was still bitter that Lori’s parents wouldn’t agree to financially help with the baby, and talked a lot of shit on Lori’s mother, right in front of Lori and her father. He said goodbye to the son that he claimed he wanted to raise so badly by saying, “See ya later.”

In the end, Lori said that her life as a high school student has resumed, and that she’s getting to do fun things again. She seemed at peace with her choice.