I think adoption might be right for me. But, what is the adoption process for birth mothers?
If you have an unplanned pregnancy, you are probably feeling a lot of emotions. You may feel scared, nervous, or unsure about what to do.
Know that those feelings are completely natural. Right now, you should feel empowered to make decisions that are right for you and your baby.
First of all, you have options.
As an expectant mother, you have complete rights over what happens to you and your baby. If you are considering adoption, you are probably wondering where you should start and what the process will be like.
The adoption process may seem intimidating, but we are here to help you through the process. So we’ve compiled a list of the seven steps of the adoption process for birth mothers.
The 7 Steps of the Adoption Process for Birth Mothers
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1. Choose an Adoption Agency
There are several options in the adoption process for birth mothers.
One option is to contact an adoption facilitator, who can provide you with legal advice about the adoption. Adoption facilitators are a good option for expectant mothers who already know who will adopt their baby.
Some expectant mothers may need more support through the adoption process, such as financial and emotional assistance. The right adoption center will give you that support, while a facilitator generally does not offer those services.
Adoption centers walk you through the process, making sure you feel confident and comfortable every step of the way. They will educate you on everything you need to know about the adoption process so you can make the best decisions for you and your baby.
Additionally, many adoption agencies will provide you support even after the adoption takes place, making sure you are emotionally, physically, and financially strong for years to come.
Adoption centers do not cost you any money. Rather, they may offer you financial and medical assistance if you need it. Additionally, they will pay for your doctor appointments and hospital bills associated with pregnancy and delivery.
In the end, make sure the adoption agency you choose has your well-being in mind. They should give you the down-to-earth support you deserve during this time in your life.
2. Select the Type of Adoption
There are three main types of adoption to choose from. Keep in mind that you have the power to choose whatever option works best for you and your circumstances. Additionally, you can customize your plan to suit your needs.
Open Adoption
The first type is open adoption, which has many benefits.
First, you can choose the family that adopts your baby. Additionally, if you want to, you can meet the family you choose to adopt your baby. You can exchange contact information and get to know them.
On the other hand, if you only want to meet them a few times and don’t want a relationship, that’s okay too.
In the end, in an open adoption, the kind of relationship you have with the adoptive family is completely up to you.
Moreover, after you have delivered, you have the option of keeping in contact with the family. You may receive letters, emails, calls, or even visit them if you wish.
Semi-Open Adoption
A semi-open adoption is very similar. You can choose the family, meet them, and develop a relationship with them if you wish to.
However, the biggest difference between the two types of adoption is that in a semi-open adoption, you do not directly contact the family after the adoption takes place.
You may receive letters or pictures of your baby over the years, but no personal contact is permitted.
Closed Adoption
Last but not least is the closed adoption. In a closed adoption, the adoption agency chooses the adoptive family for you.
You do not meet the family or develop a relationship with them. In addition, you most likely won’t spend time with them in the hospital after you deliver, nor will you keep in touch or contact them once the adoption is complete.
In the end, you don’t have as many choices as you would in an open or semi-open adoption.
3. Choose an Adoptive Family
If you chose an open or semi-open adoption, the next step is selecting the adoptive family.
To get started, the adoption agency will show you adoption profiles. These profiles are full of pictures of individuals and couples who want to adopt.
There is also information about where they work, what they do for fun, what their lives are like, and more. These profiles are written and created by the families themselves so you can get to know different families before you choose.
To see examples of families waiting to adopt, you can check out Texas Adoption Center’s family profiles.
4. Meet With the Family
After you’ve chosen a family to adopt your baby, you can choose to meet them in person.
Your adoption agent, who is assigned to you by the adoption center, can come with you to provide support. We know it can be nerve-wracking to meet your baby’s adoptive family, but know that you have all the support in the world. You also have all the power.
You can develop a personal relationship with them, or you can keep your distance. The choice is yours!
5. Plan for the Hospital
Now that you’ve developed your adoption plan with an adoption specialist, it’s time to plan for the hospital.
This step may include arranging transportation to the hospital. Moreover, you may want to pack a bag with comfortable clothes, toiletries, water, a cell phone charger, pillows, a robe, and an outfit to travel home in.
It’s also a good idea to print up a birth plan, which outlines how you want the birth to go before, during, and after delivery. Your adoption agent will help you write this up.
Last but not least, do you want the adoptive family to spend time with you at the hospital after you deliver? It’s important to have a plan for how you would like this interaction to go. Your adoption agent will help you with this too.
In the state of Texas, the law states that you must keep your baby for forty-eight hours after delivery before signing the adoption papers.
During this time, you maintain full parental rights. This ensures you’ve had time to think about your decision truly. After you sign the papers, there’s no going back on your decision. So make sure you plan for this too.
Your adoption agency will help you plan all of this. You aren’t alone!
6. Delivery
The time has come to deliver! After preparing with an adoption specialist, you should feel confident, prepared, and empowered as you head to the hospital.
Placing your baby for adoption is a courageous decision to make. You are allowing a family to grow their family.
7. After the Delivery
As mentioned, immediately after the delivery, you must maintain parental rights for forty-eight hours. You may spend this time at the hospital if you wish. Moreover, if you chose an open or semi-open adoption, you can spend this time with the adoptive family, but only if you want to.
After forty-eight hours, if you still want to place your baby for adoption, you can relinquish your rights as the baby’s guardian and allow the adoptive family to gain guardianship.
Many birth mothers feel a tumult of emotions at this time. She may feel regret or have a period of grief. Your adoption agency can help you through this. Talk to them about finding local support groups, helpful birth mother blogs, or books for birth mothers. These resources can help you see what other birth parents have gone through and how they got through the grieving process.
Partner with the Best Adoption Agency
This is a simple rundown of the adoption process for birth mothers. However, it is a much more nuanced situation than most. That’s why we recommend partnering with the best adoption agency.
Texas Adoption Agency is a professional, down-to-earth adoption agency helping birth moms in Texas through the adoption process. Their team is full of loving people who care about your happiness and well-being. They can provide you with support during this stressful time in your life. Whether you need emotional support, financial support, housing, transportation, medical care, or insurance, Texas Adoption Center can help provide you with the services you need.
Texas Adoption Agency’s goal is to empower you to make choices with confidence, no matter what those choices may be. You should be able to look to the future with full hope, happiness, and stability in mind. And Texas Adoption Agency will help you do just that.
Contact Texas Adoption Agency today to learn more about how they can help you through the adoption process!
