Three Options for Adoption: What You Should know as a Birth Mother

As a birth mother beginning your adoption journey, there are many things to consider when placing your child up for adoption. Some of the important factors include choosing your birth child’s adoptive parents and deciding how involved you want to be in their lives. The first choice you make as a birth mother would be what kind of adoption option will fit you and your baby.

At our adoption agency, Adoption Choices of Missouri, we offer domestic newborn and infant adoptions with three different types of adoption – semi-open, open and closed adoption.These three options for adoption and levels of openness will help you decide what kind of life you have envisioned for you and your child.

Domestic Adoption using Our Adoption Agency 

Domestic adoption is an adoption that happens within the United States. While other adoption agencies may offer international adoption, our adoption center in Missouri focuses only on placements across the country.  Placing your baby for adoption within the U.S. gives you the freedom to select your child’s adoptive parents and have a chance to get to know them before your child is born, depending on the type of adoption you pick.

Adoption Choices of Missouri is here to support you and take care of your needs — as well as your baby’s. We let you decide what kind of adoption plan you desire, and let you control your adoption journey overall. You will be assigned an adoption caseworker who will be there to answer any questions you have along the way. We will also provide free resources for you, like financial assistance and counseling services. From the moment you find out you’re expecting, through pre-placement to post-placement to months down the adoption road, we will help guide you through every step of your adoption journey. With no judgment and open arms, we will make sure your adoption process is a positive experience.

Newborn Adoption with Our Adoption Agency

Newborn adoption typically occurs while a birth mother is still pregnant, but it can also happen shortly after she’s giving birth to her baby. This option is best for birth mothers who need or want more time to plan and prepare for the baby’s arrival.

If you decide to choose adoption for your baby early on during your pregnancy, you generally have nine months to prepare. This time frame, however, can vary, depending on several factors. You’ll want to be sure that you consult your doctor and healthcare team about this, and attend routine prenatal appointments to ensure you and your baby remain healthy throughout the pregnancy. That said, it’s always better to create your adoption plan sooner rather than later. This will not only help your stress level, but it will also give you ample support and guidance from your selected adoption agency.

At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we will provide you with the support and care you need throughout your adoption journey. Throughout those nine months, you as a birth mother will be able to speak with a birth parent caseworker, create your desired adoption plan, communicate and meet with the adoptive parents, and choose to interact with your child based on your comfort level.

Infant Adoption with Our Adoption Agency

Infant adoption is the process a birth mother would go through if she were to place her baby for adoption when her child is between the ages of one to twelve months. Oftentimes, birth mothers who are in the midst of labor can also choose an infant adoption. While this adoption process is almost identical to newborn adoption, you may find that infant adoption moves a bit quicker — especially if the baby is already born and you’ve decided you don’t want to raise him or her.

At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we will make sure that you will still have the support and guidance you deserve as a birth mother if you choose this option. Because whether your circumstances change, or you find that you are just not ready financially or mentally to parent your child, you still deserve to do the right thing for yourself and your baby. As aforementioned, infant adoption involves going through the same adoption process as with newborn adoption. The only difference is that your birth child may already be born, or you may be in the middle of giving birth.

Adoption Options for New Birth Mothers 

We understand that, as a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy who has decided on adoption, you did not make your decision lightly. Choosing adoption is such a hard, rewarding decision, and we commend you for your selflessness, love and bravery.

Adoption is a wonderful choice, and, despite having its painful moments, your decision to choose a better life for you and your child shows just how deeply you care for your child. We hope that providing you with these three options for adoption has given you a good starting point for your adoption journey. If you have more questions, or are ready to begin the adoption process, know that you can reach us via phone, email, text or our online contact form.

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.