Is Adoption an Option After a Sexual Assault?

By Anna Keller

Are you feeling discouraged and upset after a sexual assault resulting in an unplanned pregnancy? Wondering if you should keep your baby after your body is taken advantage of? Maybe you want to know if adoption is an option after a sexual assault. Uncertain about the future, confused, angry, and worried about your health? Furthermore, what about the health of your baby? You are well within your right to feel that way after a traumatic event like sexual assault.

On top of that, you may feel like your baby represents something that you do not want to hold onto, that your baby represents violence and cruelty. However, it’s important to remember that you still control what happens next. If you decide to create an adoption plan, then that is an admirable decision. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is easy to get lost in the vast ocean of self-deprecation and internalize the violence that was inflicted upon you. However, it is important to remain level-headed and remember that this is not your fault.  

If you are pregnant, considering adoption, and wondering how to give a baby up for adoption, then keep on reading. You may want to know if you’ll automatically feel better once you have started the adoption process. The truth is that there is no one way to answer that question. Everyone processes trauma differently, and as a result, where some people feel weakened, others feel empowered. The reverse is also true. But we at Adoption agencies in Missouri can tell you that you are not weak about what happened to you. And furthermore, you are strong in choosing adoption.  

Is His Consent Needed to Proceed with the Adoption?  

Adoption agencies in Missouri, like Adoption Choices of Missouri, are here to help you process your trauma. Their job is not to simply walk you through the adoption process. Rather, they will provide you with the tools you need to steer the engine yourself. Adoption in Missouri consists of kind, helpful people who want to see you prosper during your pregnancy.  

Now you may want to know exactly what this process looks like. The beginning is simple and straightforward: contact someone by phone or email. You do not have to immediately disclose that you have been assaulted unless you want to. Another question you might have is whether the birth father has to be involved. If you are a victim of rape and prove your case to court, then the birth father’s consent is voided. You do not have to subject yourself to waiting for an answer from the last person you want to hear one from.  

Types of Adoption Support Available 

You may also be wondering what type of emotional support is available to you during your pregnancy. If you connect with an agency in Missouri, then you have several different options. You can connect with someone to talk one-on-one, or you can do group sessions with other birth mothers. You, again, do not have to disclose if you have been assaulted. But you may be able to find a specific group that panders to that precise situation. If so, then you can process your trauma that way as well.  

Additionally, are in charge of every step of this process. You decide which family selects your baby. You choose which type of adoption you want- open, semi-open, or closed. Also, you can decide if you want the adoptive family in the delivery room with you if your hospital allows it. This is, no doubt about it, a really scary time. But you are not alone. You have a myriad of resources that can support you along the way.  

Why Your Decision Matters in the Adoption Process

Furthermore, we urge you not to let sexual assault interfere in your decision to adopt your baby. While the last thing you may want to do right now carries your baby to term, at least think about it. Adoption on the end of the birth mother is an honorable, brave thing, and you may feel gratified afterward.  

On top of all this, one phone call or email is not a final, binding decision. You are allowed to look into adoption and then decide to bow out. If it is not for you, then it is not for you. But it is important to gather all the information you can before making a decision. Unfortunately, many stigmas about adoption still permeate the narrative of pregnancy. They taint it, transforming it into something irrevocably uncomfortable. And pregnancy is uncomfortable. But it is not a death sentence, so it’s important to keep a level perspective while you gather information. And once you have made up your mind, that decision is yours, and yours alone.  

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 816-527-9800