Birth Mother Blog

Should I Feel Guilty About Placing My Baby for Adoption, Is Something Wrong With Me in Missouri? 

Should I Feel Guilty About Placing My Baby for Adoption, Is Something Wrong With Me in Missouri? 

By Nicole Cunningham

When placing your baby for adoption in Missouri, it can cause you, the birth mother, and the birth father to have many different kinds of mixed emotions. Many parents will go through a range of emotions when they think about considering adoption for your baby or when they go through the adoption process. Adoption is a difficult journey for parents to have to go through. It can be daunting at times. Parents all deal with adoption in their own ways. Adoption Choices of Missouri can have a licensed professional answer any questions you may have about the adoption process.

Expected Feelings When Choosing Adoption

Placing your baby for adoption and deciding to create an adoption plan is one of the hardest decisions that a parent can make. This choice doesn’t come easy, no matter what situation they are in. The emotions that can come along with that life-changing choice can lead to feelings of guilt, sadness, and grief. The feeling of losing a child can be hard and difficult to deal with for some. These are more common emotions for parents to be feeling.

Many feel guilty for placing their baby for adoption because it is a situation that not many plans for. These guilty feelings can come from an unplanned pregnancy. The parents feel that adoption is the best choice for their baby to have a better chance for a successful life. Even though they know they are doing what is best for their situation, it doesn’t suppress the feeling of guilt they experience for placing their baby for adoption.

Sadness and grief are stronger emotions that parents can feel after giving a child up for adoption

These feelings can also lead to depression. Some allow these feelings to take over, and it can overwhelm them. They are experiencing a loss that is hard for them to deal with, and even though they know what they are doing for their baby is the right thing to do, the sadness and grief can still become too much.

Feelings of Happiness, Relief, or a Sense of Empowerment When Choosing Adoption 

However, there are many parents who are on the other side of the spectrum with their emotions. There are plenty of parents who experience happiness, relief, or a sense of empowerment from placing their baby for adoption. Parents feel happiness or relief because they know what they did was the right thing to do. They knew that when they placed their baby for adoption through Adoption Choices of Missouri, it was going to help provide their child with the possibility of having a better life. Some also feel a sense of empowerment. They did exactly what they needed to do, and they know that decision was the best one. They feel empowered that their choices were successful and that their child will be with a family that can provide their child with a life that they cannot.

Absent Feelings Don’t Mean Something is Wrong with You When Choosing Adoption

There are more parents who don’t speak up about not feeling bad about choosing adoption for their child, and they should be able to talk about it. There is nothing wrong with not feeling sad or having a range of different emotions. It’s normal for you to feel exactly what it is that you are feeling. Those feelings are still valid and accepted. Adoption is challenging for all parents, and everyone deals with and processes it differently, and that is perfectly okay.

Exploring Emotions or Seeking Support for Your Adoption Journey

We know that this journey is emotionally unique; it is different from anything that you have had to deal with before. We understand just how hard it can be for you to go through it. Adoption Choices of Missouri would like to do the best we can to support you on this emotional journey. Keep exploring the emotions you are feeling, and if you need to talk to someone, we can get you a professional to help you process them. It is perfectly okay to express your emotions and not be afraid to talk to someone.

Adoption Choices of Missouri is here to help support you in any way that you need help. If you just have questions about how to go about the adoption process, they can help with emotional support and educational information. Please feel free to reach out to one of our professionals.

Birth Mother Blog

How Roe v. Wade Changed Adoption in Missouri

How Roe v. Wade Changed Adoption in Missouri

By Nicole Cunningham

Roe v. Wade is a term that you have probably been hearing a lot of since last year. The reason this term is being thrown around more and more these days is because it was overturned by the Supreme Court in June of last year. This case was put in place for birth mothers to have the option of abortion if they chose to do so. Now that it has been overturned, it has been left up to individual states to decide how they want to handle abortions. Abortion rights are no longer under federal law. Birth mothers are not as affected by this overturn as you may think. If you have any questions about why this case was overturned, feel free to reach out to us at Adoption Choices of Missouri. We would love to help you with any concerns that you may have.

How Roe v. Wade Affects the Adoption Process

Roe v. Wade Being overturned does not affect adoption in Missouri in the slightest. As a birth mother, if you want to give a child up for adoption and you feel that is what is going to be best for you and the baby, Then it sounds like adoption would be the best choice for you. However, Roe v. Wade does affect those who plan on terminating their pregnancy. The laws for terminating a pregnancy are not based on the state that you live in. Learning about the different laws for abortion can always be beneficial to keep up with the changes that have been made.

 The Misconception that Adoption is the Alternative to Abortion

Adoption and abortion are very different from each other. Just because the laws on abortion have changed does not mean that adoption is the alternative. These two are not interchangeable. If you have chosen to be a parent, you can then later on decide if you want to go through with adoption or not. Adoption is a hard choice for many birth mothers. Adoption options should not be seen as an alternative to abortion; it should be seen as a serious choice that birth mothers have.

If you are interested in placing their babies up for adoption, then it would be great for you to speak with one of the specialists at Adoption Choices of Missouri to help you put together your adoption plan.

Options for Birth Mothers When They Find Themselves Unexpectedly Pregnant

When a woman finds herself unexpectedly pregnant with a child, considering adoption for your baby, it can be overwhelming and scary. Some women are not in the best situation to bring a child into their lives. All situations are different for everyone; some are ready and able to take care of the child, while other women are not able to. There is nothing wrong with having to decide what you are going to do with your child.

There are three different options for an unplanned pregnancy. You can choose to raise the child, you can choose to terminate the pregnancy based on the laws in your state, or you can choose adoption, allowing an adoptive family to take them in and raise them. We know how hard it can be for you to make a difficult choice like this, but we are here to help you make that choice a little bit easier.

Choosing to go through with Adoption

As the birth mother, you have the choice of what you want to do with your pregnancy and your child. Changing the case Roe v. Wade should not change your decision to give up your child for adoption or adoption in Missouri because it does not affect the process. You are in control of the adoption process if that is what you choose to do. You will be able to make sure that your baby will be in a loving home by choosing one of our wonderful adoptive families that are waiting for a child.

Adoption Choices in Missouri Can Help

Roe v. Wade made a huge impact on women all over the United States. This was a case that many did not think would be overturned. Even though it did, women are going to persevere and choose what is right for their pregnancy and if you are a woman who is pregnant considering adoption, just know that we know that choosing adoption is not an easy choice. Any choice regarding your child is not going to be an easy one to make. If you decide that you want to put the baby up for adoption, please give Adoption Choices of Missouri the opportunity to help you come up with an adoption plan. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us.

Birth Mother Blog

What Does the Finalization Process Look Like for Birth Mothers and Adoptive Parents in Missouri? 

What Does the Finalization Process Look Like for Birth Mothers and Adoptive Parents in Missouri? 

By Nicole Cunningham

There has been much to do up to this point. For an adoption in Missouri, as the birth mother, you have decided to go through with creating an adoption plan. You have chosen the family that will take your baby home to complete their family. Now what is left to do? What does this process look like in its final form when everything is said and done? As the birth mother and the adoptive family, it looks different for each of you. What does adoption finalization process look like?

The adoption process can be long and overwhelming. Giving up your baby for adoption is not an easy process. It is almost time for the end of your adoption plan. The finalization process for adoption can be different for everyone, just as the adoption process is different for everyone. Similar steps are taken for each birth mother and the adoptive family. At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we can help you with the whole adoption process, including the finalization steps.

What is Adoption Finalization? 

Adoption finalization process is what the adoption process looks like for you post-placement. Everything that happens after you give birth to the baby at the hospital and the adoptive family is able to take their new child home with them.  

The Finalization Process of Adoption for the Birth Parents 

The process of adoption finalization for the birth mother includes, after you give birth in the hospital, the adoptive parents and you have already discussed the birth hospital plan. This plan will determine when the adoptive parents are able to take the child home with them. When you are at the hospital, this is where you will give your final consent for them to adopt your baby and sign the final forms. These forms will show that you are terminating your parental rights over the child for the adoptive parents to take full responsibility and gain their parental rights.They will be able to leave the hospital with the baby. You should start the recovery process, getting plenty of rest and allowing yourself to heal. After this, you may need to look into support or counseling post-placement, which we can help assist you with. 

The Finalization Process of Adoption for the Adoptive Parents 

The process of adoption finalization for the adoptive family includes having to wait for their new family member to be born. After the baby is born, the birth mother still wants to go through with the adoption. They will have to fill out the paperwork that you both will sign. This signs over the parental rights to them and allows them to be able to leave with the baby. After they have done everything they need to at the hospital, they will have to go through a court hearing. The birth mother does not need to be there at the hearing. Then they will be able to start adjusting to life with their new child. 

Adoption Post-Placement Communication

Depending on the type of adoption you and the adoptive parents have agreed on determines how much post-placement communication there is. Post-placement communication can look different for everyone. If you choose to do an open adoption, that level of communication will look different than if you and your adoptive parents decide to go with a semi-open or closed adoption.

If you choose to do an open adoption during the adoption process, then you and the adoptive parents will have a higher level of communication- you may even be able to have visits with the child. The semi-open adoption usually involves the exchanging of photos, emails, but there is usually not any face-to-face visit post-placement. With a closed adoption, both birth mother and adoptive family rarely have any in person contact with one another. 

Adoption Post-Placement Self-Care

As the birth mother, you will need to make sure you are taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally, after you deliver the baby, try to take time for yourself. Your body will be in recovery, so taking it easy is essential and getting plenty of rest. It can be difficult for you mentally as well. Giving a child up for adoption is not easy, it can cause quite a bit of stress or depression.

Even though you know that adoption can be a hard choice, that doesn’t make it the wrong one. After the permanent placement and legal termination of parental rights have gone through, the process might never be easy on you. Adoption Choices of Missouri can offer you counseling and emotional support as you may need.

Adoption Finalization with Missouri Adoption Agencies

We know that the adoption process can be difficult for the birth mother and the adoptive family. If you are considering adoption for my baby, just know that you’re doing what is best for the child, and that’s what’s important. We here at Adoption Choices of Missouri can help answer any questions you may still have regarding the adoption process and the finalization steps you will be taking or if you are pregnant considering adoption or have an unplanned pregnancy