Unexpected pregnancies can throw anyone through a loop. There may seem like too many things to consider or worry about, and how will you know where to start? Don’t worry – Adoption Choices of Arizona is here to help you with a simple step-by-step guide of what to do when considering adoption.
Step One: Breathe. This step may seem obvious, but it is a good place to start. When faced with shocking information or difficult choices, it is important to stay as calm as possible. After all, worrying about it will not do anything but cause unnecessary stress. Take a moment to sit down, close your eyes, and breathe. Know that you are not alone in this, nor will you ever be.
Step Two: Once you’ve relaxed a little bit, start taking measures to ensure the child’s safety. This means stopping any unhealthy habits, including using drugs, alcohol, smoking, and anything else harmful that could affect the baby. This step can be difficult – but no worries, Adoption Choices provides counseling and support services to those who need it. Visit our website for more details and someone will be more than happy to help.
Step Three: Contact Adoption Choices (if you haven’t already) to talk to someone about starting the process. Remember – we are here for you through all steps of this journey. You can call us at 1-480-900-5520.
Step Four: Once in contact with Adoption Choices, you and your adoption specialist can start deciding what you would like your process to look like. At the end of this process, you should have a cohesive and individualized adoption plan.
Step Five: Once you’ve understood and organized your adoption plan, it is time to decide the perfect adoptive family for your child. With Adoption Choices, you do have the option to choose the family you would like to adopt the child, and with our adoptive parents profile, you can browse through a myriad of information, including photos and information about the kind of lives they live. Adoption Choices requires all prospective adoptive families to go through extensive background checks, interviews with a case worker, and in-depth screenings to ensure they are a safe and loving choice for you. Every family screened through Adoption Choices not only wants to create a lasting relationship with the place baby, but also with the birth mother. They can be an awesome resource as well.
Step Six: After all the decision-making is made, you can work on you – start to prepare yourself positively for labor. It is hard to tell what kind of experience each individual will have with giving birth, so it’s important to prepare in a way that you feel suits you. Keep yourself informed on the process of birth – watch videos, read articles or books, and talk to mothers who have gone through it. Keep yourself positive through meditation, light exercise, and a healthy diet before labor (another great relaxation technique – go back to step one). It is easy to feel isolated during this process, but just know that Adoption Choices will be right there with you through everything.
Step Seven: Congratulations – you did it! You’ve safely and successfully given birth to a child who will make a family extremely happy. Now, for the legal stuff. After birth, your attorney or advisor with Adoption Choices will help you through legally consenting to the adoption process, knowing your rights in adoption, and finally signing finalization documents. The adoptive parents will have to go through this step as well.
Step Eight: Keep as much contact with the adoptive family and the place baby as you want. This is a step Adoption Choices can help you with, but ultimately, it is your decision to make. The adoption process legally ends when the finalization papers are signed, but it doesn’t have to be the end of all contact with the place baby or their adoptive parents. If you feel comfortable with it, stay in touch with the family – if you don’t, you don’t have to. This decision is entirely up to you. Weighing the pros and cons of each situation could help you narrow down what you’d like to do.
Remember that there are countless resources we can connect you with through Adoption Choices, including other birth mothers who are going or who have gone through what you are. And, even after your adoption process is over, our resources, including counseling, are still available for you for as long as you need them. Feel free to contact us for more information:
Expectant Parent Call or Text 1-480-900-5520
If you have any questions or if you are unsure what to do as an expectant mother looking to place a baby for adoption, contact Adoption Choices today to start the process that will change lives for the better.
