Placing a Baby for Adoption after Unplanned Pregnancy
Choosing to place a baby for adoption is a brave and selfless choice. You want to give your baby the best life possible, and adoption is a wonderful way to achieve this goal if you’re not ready for parenthood.
Contact an adoption professional today to get all the support you need during the adoption process.
Continue reading our complete guide to adoption to find out how an adoption agency can ensure you find the perfect adoptive family for your child.
Putting My Baby Up for Adoption [Everything You Need to Know]
Although every adoption journey is different, you’ll likely go through the following seven steps when putting your baby up for adoption.
Step 1: Decide that Putting a Baby Up For Adoption is Right for You
It’s OK not to know if you want to “give your baby up” for adoption when you find out you are pregnant. Experiencing an unplanned pregnancy is stressful and emotional, to say the least. Take all the time you need to think about your unplanned pregnancy options before making a decision.
Generally, you have three unplanned pregnancy options. This depends on where you live and how far along you are in your pregnancy.
- “Giving your baby up” for adoption
- Choosing to become a parent
- Scheduling a medical or surgical abortion
Whatever option you choose, know that this is your decision to make. No one can tell you what to do. Think about what will create the best future for your unique situation and move forward with that option.
Step 2: Find an Adoption Professional Experienced in Helping People “Give a Baby Up” for Adoption
If you decide that putting your baby up for adoption is the right choice for you, you’ll want to reach out to an adoption professional.
Adoption professionals often work at adoption agencies. You can choose to work with a few different types of adoption agencies:
- National adoption agencies: National adoption agencies are larger and work across state lines. While you may not get to meet your adoption professional in person, professionals at these agencies often have more resources to aid you on your “giving up baby” for adoption journey.
- Local adoption agencies: Local adoption agencies often serve the state or area they operate within. You may get more one-on-one time with your adoption professional, but they may have fewer resources for putting a baby up for adoption.
The following are just a few national adoption agencies that can help you “give your baby up” for adoption:
Step 3: Create a Putting-My-Baby-Up-for-Adoption Plan
Once you choose an adoption agency to work with, your adoption professional will help you put together your placing- my-baby-up-for-adoption plan.
Most giving-my-baby-up-for-adoption plans include the following:
- Choosing the adoptive family: You get to choose the family who will give your baby a life of love and opportunity.
- Pre-birth contact agreements: How much (if any) contact you’ll have with the adoptive family before you give birth
- Hospital stay plans: How you want your hospital stay to go
- Post-delivery contact agreements: How much (if any) contact you’ll have with the adoptive family and your child post-adoption
The Different Types of Adoptions When you “Put Your Baby Up for Adoption”
All birth mothers can choose the type of adoption they prefer. The main difference between each type of adoption is the degree of openness.
- Open adoption: You and the adoptive family have all of each other’s contact information
- Semi-open adoption: You and the adoptive family have a limited amount of each other’s personal information
- Closed adoption: You and the adoptive family have no contact with each other
Click here to connect with an adoption agency and start your adoption plan.
Step 4: Find an Adoptive Family to Put Your Baby for Adoption With
One of the most significant advantages of working with a national adoption agency is that these organizations work with hopeful adoptive families throughout the United States. This will give you the opportunity for placing a baby for adoption with people who check all your prospective adoptive family boxes.
Some common adoptive family qualities birth mothers look for include:
- Working with a hopeful adoptive family that lives close to you
- Putting your baby for adoption with an adoptive family with siblings
- Finding an adoptive family that has values you admire
Step 5: Get to Know the Adoptive Family You’ll Put Your Baby for Adoption With
If you choose to have an open or semi-open adoption, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with the hopeful adoptive family before you give birth.
A few common ways that you can get to know the hopeful adoptive family you want to place your baby for adoption with include:
- Phone calls
- Texting, instant messaging, and video calls
- Letters and pictures
- In-person visits
- And more
All these methods of communication can help you determine that the hopeful adoptive family is “the one” you imagine when you think, “This is the family I want to place my baby for adoption with.”
Step 6: Your Baby’s Birth
You’ll have the opportunity to plan your hospital stay long before you go into labor. This will be one of the more detailed sections in your adoption plan.
Hospital plans include information about the following:
- If the hopeful adoptive family you’re placing your baby for adoption with will be in the delivery room when you give birth
- You’ll get to determine who in your support system will join you at the hospital
- The amount of time you want to spend with your child before you place your baby for adoption
Step 7: Life After Placing Your Baby for Adoption
After you give birth to your baby, you’ll sign the adoption consent paperwork, the final legal step to place a baby for adoption. After this step, you’ll go home and think about the wonderful opportunities you’ve given your child while you recover and think about your future.
The final stage of adoption doesn’t have to end your relationship with your child. Your adoption agency can help you facilitate contact with the adoptive family and your child after giving a baby up for adoption.
Reach out to an Adoption Professional for Help Giving Your Baby Up for Adoption Today
Now that you know more about the adoption process, you can reach out to an experienced adoption professional for more information.
Common Questions About Putting Your Baby Up for Adoption
Choosing to put a baby up for adoption is a big decision. But, if adoption is right for your situation, you can benefit your and your baby’s life by making this selfless choice.
In addition to our step-by-step guide on “how to put my baby up for adoption,” we’ve answered some of the most common questions about the process below:
Can I Give My Baby Up for Adoption?
Yes. If you want to place a baby for adoption, you can. An adoption agency will always help you place your child with a safe, loving family.
How do You Put a Baby Up for Adoption?
An adoption agency will help any person experiencing an unplanned pregnancy give a baby up for adoption.
Do You Get Paid for Adoption?
No. It’s illegal to exchange money for a child in the United States. But, you don’t have to pay for your adoption or pregnancy-related expenses. Putting a baby up for adoption is always free for the birth mother. The adoptive parents and adoption agency will cover all of your adoption and living expenses throughout your pregnancy that your state law allows. This could include:
- Rent/mortgage
- Groceries
- Utilities
- Medical and legal costs
Are All Babies Put Up for Adoption Adopted?
While it’s common to wonder what percent of babies put up for adoption are adopted, it’s essential to know if you put a baby up for adoption, your baby will get adopted.
Can You Put a Baby Up for Adoption Without the Father?
Yes. Your adoption professional will help you navigate how to place your baby for adoption under any challenging circumstance. How this will look will depend on your unique situation.
Does it Cost to Put a Baby Up for Adoption?
If you’re questioning, “I’m giving my baby up for adoption. Do I have to pay for this service?” the answer is no. You never have to pay for any adoption, pregnancy, or medical-related expenses when giving up your baby for adoption.
Getting Started
If you’re considering giving your baby up for adoption, you are making an amazing life-changing choice. Adoption comes with a lot of twists and turns, but you get to decide how this journey goes. If you’re ready to place your baby for adoption or have additional questions, reach out to an adoption professional to get the support you need.