Can I Choose Adoption if I’m in the Military?
Experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and being a mom in the military can definitely make you feel overwhelmed. You may be busy on a tour and not in a position to care for your child, or give your child the life he or she deserves. You might wonder if adoption is still an option for you.
Absolutely! Adoption is available to you and your baby whether you find yourself leaving for active duty or traveling overseas. At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we are here to help.
Steps to Take as a Birth Mother in the Military
- Choose an Adoption Agency
Being on duty as a birth mother in the military can be hard, but choosing an adoption agency should not be. If you are overseas or stationed to leave, you can still contact Adoption Choices of Missouri and talk to a birth parent professional who will assist you in the adoption process.
- Create an Adoption Plan
Being a military mom means things can move quickly.When you have finally decided on adoption, an adoption professional who will help you create an adoption plan that is right for you and your baby. Wherever you are stationed U.S. or overseas, you will be able to discuss your adoption plan choices and decide which adoption plan is right for you and your child. There are 3 different plans that you can choose from — open, semi-open and closed.
- Pick the Adoptive Family
Choosing your child’s adoptive family is no different if you’re stationed overseas or on active duty. You will be allowed to look through family profiles and still be able to pick the right family who fits your personal preferences — from LGBT or single parents, to transracial parents or another military family. Once you pick your child’s adoptive parents, you can start communicating with them through video calls, phone calls, emails, text messages or any other communication method available to you.
Your Hospital Stay as a Military Birth Mother
As a military birth mother, you may have to travel back to the U.S. to deliver your baby. Be sure to speak with your military supervisor so that you and your baby can receive the best accommodations when the time comes
During your hospital stay, you will have the option to spend as much time alone with your baby as you wish. You can also spend time with your child’s adoptive parents, getting to know them more as well. If you’d like to have pictures taken of yourself and your baby, or a group picture with your child’s adoptive parents, let your caseworker or a nurse know, and they can do that for you.
Your time in the hospital is entirely up to you. Even if you’d laid out your adoption plan before, you can always change your mind the day of. This is your time to say goodbye and do everything you need to do in order to return to duty with no regrets.
Choosing Adoption as a Woman in the Military
Whether you choose adoption early on in your pregnancy or towards the end, you will have all the guidance and support that you need throughout your adoption process. Remember, everything that happens is up to you and that, from the moment you place your baby for adoption with our agency, we will be there to walk with you every step of the way.
At Adoption Choices of Missouri our Birth Parent Counselors will give you the respect and care that both you and your baby deserve. Our team will ensure that you have a successful adoption, and that your child is happy and healthy with his or her adoptive family.
Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 1-816-527-9800
Meet the Author: Samara Wiley is a published author of poetry, essays, and an environmental children’s storybook called, Waiting for the Water Fairy. She graduated from Benedictine University in 2018 with a double Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and French.She has been published in three small poetry anthologies one was called Talented.
Her other writing accomplishments include: winning a high school poetry competition and $2500 for her high school, having two out of her five novels be considered for publication and writing movie critic reviews for her university’s newsletter.
Although she has Cerebral Palsy and has had a turbulent childhood, Samara puts these small specs of herself into her writing to personally connect with her audience. She prides herself on pushing the boundaries in her writing and in her personal life with everything she does. Samara writes with her heart and a voice of compassion, and loves to pull from her top passions in life.
She currently lives in Yorkville, Illinois with her mom and two sisters.