Types of People You Need on Your Adoption Team
Adoption Choices of Arizona knows that there is so much work that goes into the Arizona adoption process. However, this process works as well as it does because of the people on your adoption team. Your team members are here to help you get through the process with ease. Team members include, but are not limited to: doctors, attorneys, your adoption agency, caseworkers, social workers, consultants, therapists, support groups, support systems, and most importantly, you, the birth mother.
OB/GYN: Helping with Unplanned Pregnancies
Your OB/GYN doctor is a very important person to have on your team. Your doctor can help you have a healthy pregnancy by helping you with your diet, vitamins, birth plan, delivery, and any other issues you may have throughout your pregnancy.
Adoption Attorney: Helping with Unplanned Pregnancies
Your Arizona adoption attorney is always helpful in defending your legal rights as a birth mother and being by your side for anything that may involve the adoption courts.
Adoption Agency: Adoption Choices of Arizona
Your chosen adoption agency should reflect your point of view and aid you in the Arizona adoption process. They should also be there for you whenever you need, and help carry out your wishes while standing up for your rights as a birth mother.
Adoption Agency Caseworker
Your caseworker is your go-to person for questions, as well as the Arizona adoption process. They would also be the person in charge of your case and aid in standing up for your rights as a birth mother.
Social Worker AKA Home Study Specialist
One important member of your team is your social worker/home study specialist. Whoever you choose to adopt your baby will have to be reviewed through the home study process. This is headed up by your social worker, which is why this person is so important. Your social worker is the gatekeeper to approving prospective families to adopt your child or not.
Adoption and Birth Mother Consultant/Expert
Someone who has been in your shoes before and placed a baby up for adoption in the past can be very helpful in answering any questions you may have. You could also get some insight from someone who has adopted before, so you have some insight into the family you may choose to adopt your baby.
Mental Health for Unplanned Pregnancies: Counselors and Therapists
A therapist or mental health counselor can be a great person to lean on in your adoption team. Many pregnant women experience postpartum depression, body dysmorphia, or anxiety. Dealing with the adoption process, in addition to the changes and hormones pregnancy brings to your body, can be a lot to handle. Having someone to talk it through can be really helpful. Not to mention that grief, anxiety, and depression can all be experienced as you move through the stress of the adoption process. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, whether you are pregnant or not. Remember, Adoption Choices of Arizona offers post-placement counseling services for birth mothers, as well.
Adoption Support Groups for Birth Mothers
A support group can be very helpful as you go through the adoption process. Just as someone who has experienced the adoption process can help you through it, others who have experienced what you are going through can help you to feel emotionally validated and supported. If you need help finding support groups, your caseworker can help connect you with any local ones. There are also many great groups on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram.
Birth Mother Support System
A support system is very important. For instance, of your loved ones, who would you wish to stay with you when you are postpartum or toward the end of your pregnancy. When farther along in your pregnancy, if you have some sort of condition that could cause issues or cause you to be on bed rest, you may wish to depend more on your loved ones through this time.
Adoptive Family
The adoptive family you have chosen can be very helpful to work with as well. Depending on what type of family you wish to raise your baby, they may become a part of your family. If you choose an open or semi-open adoption agreement, you may choose to stay in touch with your baby and their family and thus be involved in milestones as one of the family. Some birth mothers and adoptive families become very close friends and bond over their love for the child that brought them together. Some adoptive families even help birth mothers with any financial expenses they have gained during their pregnancy and recovery.
Birth Mothers
As the birth mother, you are the person in charge who can make all the decisions; it is all up to you. Everyone on your team is great and here for you, but you are your biggest advocate and the person who knows what is best for you and your baby. The team revolves around you and is there to help you. Adoption Choices of Arizona understands this and is ready to surround you with the best team available, so call us today.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 1-480-900-5520 or visit us at Adoption Choices of Arizona.
For adoption resources or to begin your adoption journey, birth parents can visit us at Adoption Choices of Arizona or call or text us at 1-480-900-5520. If you are a prospective adoptive family hoping to adopt a baby, please instead, visit us here!
Meet the author: Carly is a recent graduate of Connecticut College with a dual degree in Psychology and Italian Studies. Graduating Cum Laude with honors in both Psychology and Italian departments, Carly has a background in gender-related research through the Connecticut College Psychology Department and Honors Theses Program. When not trying to figure out life or working, Carly is reading historical fiction novels or playing with her black cat, Isabelle.
