Is Changing Your Mind about Choosing Adoption Possible for Birth Mothers?

Can a birth mother even change her mind about adoption once she has started the adoption process? Just how late in your pregnancy or the adoption process can you change your mind? 

As a pregnant woman considering adoption, you may find yourself wondering these exact questions. Choosing adoption can be a very lonely and daunting task. It’s only natural to have second thoughts about such a huge and life-changing decision.

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that adoption laws vary by state and are always subject to change. Additionally, this article is not an adequate substitute for real legal advice and should be used for informational and educational purposes only.

Important Technical Terms to Know When Changing Your Mind about Choosing Adoption in Missouri

• Withdrawing Consent. If you are pregnant and considering adoption in Missouri, it is important that you understand your birth mother rights and know that we offer legal representation to protect those rights. Adoption is all about consent, and changing your mind about adoption once the adoption process has started is called withdrawing consent.

• Revocation Period. Perhaps you are worried that you will become one of those stories of birth mothers who changed their mind once they held their baby. After you give birth, you can change your mind by withdrawing consent up until 48 hours after labor. That’s right, you read that correctly. As a birth mother in Missouri, you can change your mind about adoption up to a full 48 hours after you give birth. The time period in which you can still revoke your consent is called a revocation period.
• Termination of Parental Rights. Unfortunately, your voluntary termination of parental rights is irrevocable once your consent to adoption is signed by the court and finalized. But what exactly does that mean for you? In Missouri, after you give birth and legally present your consent to adoption, the court must approve this consent to adoption within three business days after it is submitted. Once the court approves and finalizes your consent to adoption, your termination of parental rights becomes irreversible and permanent in the eyes of the law.

• Revocation Laws. Please understand that revocation laws are absolutely a last resort, and only intended to be used as such. While revocation laws are completely accessible to you, and are there for your protection, your adoption caseworker will work hard to ensure that they will not be necessary in the first place.

Choosing adoption is always your decision, and you can change your mind at any point in your pregnancy or adoption journey. Of course, if you have already looked at different adoptive parent profiles and chosen an adoptive family, they will be sad to hear the bad news. But that is okay. That is what our adoption caseworkers are here for. This is your decision, and we stand behind whatever you decide is right for you.

Legal representation to protect birth mother rights is just one of the many adoption services we offer. We also offer counseling and emotional support services to deal with the grief that comes with the loss of motherhood, which may very well be why you are rethinking or questioning your decision in the first place. We know and understand what a difficult situation this is, but that is why Adoption Choices of Missouri is here for you no matter what.

Consider Open Adoption before Changing Your Mind about Choosing Adoption 

These days there are a variety of different options for adoption. You get to decide between open, closed, or semi-open adoption. Open adoption allows for you to stay in touch with your baby and his or her adoptive family. We highly encourage this type of adoption because we believe that it keeps everyone’s best interests at heart.

Open adoption may help to quell any fears you have about choosing adoption. After all, what could be better than getting to know your baby as he or she grows up while also giving your baby the best opportunities? We call this a win-win in adoption.

Changing Your Mind About Choosing Adoption is Acceptable at Any Stage of Your Pregnancy or Adoption Journey

No matter what you ultimately decide, our adoption specialists at Adoption Choices of Missouri are here for you. It does not matter how late in the game you decide that you do not want to go through with adoption. Our adoption specialists will still work their hardest for you to guarantee that your rights as a birth mother are protected.

Even though you can change your mind at any point in your pregnancy or adoption journey, it is important to remember that once the revocation period is over and the adoption consent documents are finalized in court, the adoption process is complete and permanent. Fortunately, thanks to open adoption, you don’t have to feel the anguish of losing contact with your baby and will still get to see your baby’s smile as he or she grows up.

If you are having any doubts or second thoughts, our adoption counselors and emotional support services are here to help you every step of the way. As a birth mother, you will only be expected to do whatever you feel comfortable with. Your safety and well-being are of the utmost importance to us.

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: Kelly Felix is a graduate from the University of New Orleans. She holds a BA in English as well as a BA in Sociology. Her English concentration is in journalism, and her specialties in sociology are gender studies and environmental sociology.

When she isn’t voraciously guzzling coffee or devouring books, Kelly can be found either bent over a canvas working on her art or at her computer playing video games. She has hands-on classroom teaching experience from her time working as a substitute teacher for Kelly Services. Kelly also completed an in-house editorial internship at Pelican Publishing Company, and she finished the goal internship program at Green Light New Orleans. Kelly generally exists in a state of suspended disbelief, but when she’s not there she resides in New Orleans.