Considering adoption for your baby is already a difficult decision that needs careful thought. Many birth parents consider it at the last moment. Fortunately, adoption is always an option, whether you’ve just found out you’re pregnant, are in the mid or end of your pregnancy, are at the hospital in labor, or have given birth. However, birth parents are always concerned about the available options, especially when they consider adoption at the last moment or after giving birth. Post-adoption communication is one of them.
Whether or not you can meet your baby and the adoptive family afterward depends on the type of adoption plan you choose. If you’re in such a situation, know that you can choose the adoption plan even after your baby is born. You can choose whether you want an open adoption or a closed adoption for your baby.
Let’s discuss this further to gain useful insights into the different adoption options!
Can I Choose an Open or Closed Adoption After My Baby is Born?
Yes, even after your baby is born or you’ve come to the home with our baby, you hold the right to choose the adoption option and the adoptive family that you find most suitable for you and your baby. Indeed, placing your baby up for adoption means you’re relinquishing your rights as a parent, but that doesn’t restrict you from staying in contact with your baby. You can still choose an open adoption or a closed option for your baby even after giving birth.
Once you’ve made up your mind, you must first contact a trusted adoption agency and talk to them about your concerns. The agency assigns a caseworker specialized in adoption cases to assist you throughout the process. They will inform you about the different adoption options available to you, explaining the aspects of each option. You can take as much time as you want to come to a decision before selecting the adoptive family.
Here’s an explanation of the two adoption options to help you understand the differences and decide which one you want for your baby:
Open Adoption
If you choose an open adoption, you and the adoptive parents will know each other and can stay in touch in some capacity afterward. This contact can mean different for different families and can range from the exchange of letters and photos on an annual basis to meeting in person regularly. It all depends on what both parties are comfortable with and agree on.
According to experts, open adoption is a healthy choice both for the birth parents and the children. Children are not confused about their birth parents or their origin from the beginning. However, it does not compromise the legal purpose of adoption, which means relinquishing all your parental rights and handling them to the adoptive parents.
In addition, birth parents and adoptive parents opting for the open adoption path must be prepared for it. At some point, the latter might worry about the visits’ consequences and want to terminate them. Likewise, the birth parent may find it difficult to see how others raise their child.
Some adoption agencies provide birth parents with an adoption advocate for legal advice and support throughout the process, such as the Gift of Life Adoptions. The advocate will assist you from the beginning throughout the adoption process, answer all your adoption questions and ensure you take the safest adoption path.
Closed Adoption
As the name indicates, closed adoption doesn’t involve contact with the two parties afterward. Once you place the baby up for adoption, select the family and choose a closed adoption option, you cannot stay in contact with the adoptive family and your baby. The adoption agency will help you throughout the process and clearly inform you about this option’s conditions.
In closed adoptions, the information about the birth parents and the adoptive families is kept confidential from each other, and their files remain closed. Of course, this does not involve the child’s medical history or other essential information that the adoptive family must know.
The children are often unaware of their adoption. Even the adoptive parents know very little or nothing about the birth parents. However, at Gift of Life Adoptions, periodic pictures and updates will be available until the child turns 18 years of age.
The closed option used to be a common option in the US. Now states have introduced procedures through which people can open a closed adoption to access information about the birth parents. Also, children can release their adoption information once they turn 18 without needing a court order. However, rules differ from state to state. An adoption advocate can best guide you.
How to Choose an Adoption Type After Your Baby is Born?
After giving birth, contact your adoption agency, and let them know about your decision. You may feel an adoption type is better for you and your baby for different reasons. While an open option lets you stay connected with your baby, at the same time, it may be confusing for the child. This concern is eliminated in a closed option, but at the same time, you can no longer remain in contact with your baby or the adoptive parents.
The choice may be difficult and emotional. The best is to seek advice from professionals specializing in adoption. If you’re in Florida and looking for a trusted licensed adoption center in Florida, contact the Gift of Life Adoptions.
Gift of Life Adoptions is one of the best adoption agencies in Florida that have been helping birth and adoptive families for decades. We provide birth parents with an expert adoption advocate who will assist them throughout the process and provide legal advice to ensure they take the safest adoption path.
Call (727) 549-1416 to learn more about us or talk to one of our caring counselors!
