ADOPTION
It’s not uncommon for women to hear the word “adoption” and immediately think they could NEVER carry a baby in their womb for nine months and then just “give up” the child. Adoption is such a beautiful decision in which you are not “giving up” your child, but you are gifting your child an opportunity at the life you want them to have while you move forward with your own life plan. It provides an opportunity to ensure your child will have all of the love and care you would want to see them have. You get to be in control of the process. You get to pick who their caregivers will be. It can be a really beautiful experience for everyone.
Adoption has evolved so much over the past few decades, and now as a birth mother, you have an immense amount of control over what this adoption plan looks like.
You are also able to:
- choose the type of adoption
- choose the family and home for your child
- choose the amount of contact you have following the adoption
Birth mothers are strong, selfless and brave.
Let’s take a look at some of the adoption plans that are available.
Open Adoption:
Open adoption means there are varying levels of communication between the birth parents and the adoptive parents, and that can range from regular phone calls, emails, letters, or even visits together.
There are some advantages of open adoptions for all parties involved. For birth parents: the reassurance that their child is happy and growing well with their adoptive parents. For adoptive parents: being medically informed of the child’s genetic history and potential health concerns. For the adopted child: a real sense of identity and knowing where they came from. **
Closed Adoption:
Closed adoption means little to no contact occurring between the birth family and the adoptive family. In fact, identifying information (including last names and contact information) are not typically shared or known between the two parties. If this is the type of relationship you would prefer, your adoption agency/advocate will work to find the right adoptive family for you.
If adoption is a pregnancy option you’re considering, we’d love to speak with you about it. We do not handle the adoptions; however, within our network we do have referrals and resources that can help connect you to the right agency.
If you are looking for stories from birth mothers and birth families, check out BraveLove.org. You’ll find a wealth of encouragement and information there while you process your decision.
Sources:
* https://www.americanadoptions.com/blog/10-things-that-scientific-research-says-about-open-adoption/
** https://americanpregnancy.org/child-adoption/open-adoption-advantages/