Can I Decide to Place My Baby for Adoption After Birth?
It can be hard to know what the steps are when thinking of adoption for your baby. Many adoption agencies focus on birth mothers who know that they are choosing adoption well before delivery. Choosing adoption during the pregnancy allows them to think about their decision as well as have the time to select a birth family that is a good fit. However, what if you aren’t quite sure what you want to do during the pregnancy? Can you decide to place your baby for adoption after birth?
The simple answer to this question is yes! And, in reality, even those birth mothers who choose adoption before giving birth still don’t officially solidify their decision until once the baby is born. Each state has its own time limits and stipulations after birth, where a birth mother could choose to parent rather than adopt. Learn more about these things to know when deciding to place your baby for adoption after birth:
There Is No Time Limit
Most birth mothers who choose adoption after birth may do so in the hospital. This is where the realization of parenting comes into play. Issues that you may not have thought about before the birth come into full view afterward with having enough time, energy, and resources to care for a newborn. However, some birthmothers may choose adoption for their child after spending a few weeks at home with the baby. Learning the daily requirements that it takes to care for a newborn can be overwhelming, and birthmothers may question their ability to parent after bringing baby home.
There are also some cases where birth mothers choose adoption months or even years after a child is born. Many times, these birthmothers select family or friends to care for the child instead of going through an adoption agency. It is good to know that there is no time limit when it comes to choosing adoption for your child.
Birth Fathers Need to Sign Off
In most cases, birth mothers know who the birth father is prior to delivery. However, there are other cases where the birth mother doesn’t know who the father is or has no way of contacting him. It is important to note that any birth father listed on the birth certificate has rights to parent the child should he choose to do so. Hospitals assume that a birth mother will parent if they have made no other plans before birth. However, it is not always assumed that a birth father will parent if the mother decides not to do so. Adoption is a big decision and should be carefully considered. If you know the birth father or named him on the birth certificate, he will need to approve the adoption. Understanding the rights of the birth father is vital in deciding to place a baby for adoption after birth.
It Can Happen Quickly
While most birthmothers have the option of choosing an adopted family for their child, it can still take some by surprise in how fast the process can happen. No matter where you give birth, there is always hopeful adoptive parents waiting for the call about available newborns. Adoptive families will have a nursery prepared and waiting to receive a child. If you deliver in a hospital, the staff should have contacts to nearby adoption agencies that they work with on a regular basis. This helps ease the transition, and you can choose a family quickly.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
Hospital births include a lot of access to people who are ready and willing to care for you and your baby. You’ll meet plenty of nurses that will help you through your delivery as well as have a bunch of knowledge about parenting. Sharing your thoughts about adoption with a nurse is the first step to learning more about the process. Social workers, ministers, and adoption agency employees are all available to help answer any questions that you have about the process.
It is important to note that you are not the first mother to choose adoption after birth should you want to do so. This is not the hospital staff’s first encounter with adoption placement, and they will be able to help you along the way. Even if you do talk to different people about the possibility of adoption, it doesn’t mean that you have to do it. Adoption is not final until you have signed the legal documentation.
Placing a baby for adoption after birth is an important decision that should be carefully considered. Knowing that you are not the first birth mother in this situation is comforting when considering adoption for their child. Remember these tips when choosing to place your baby for adoption after birth.
