“I was on the birth control shot but got pregnant. I always wanted to raise a child, but now is definitely not the right time, and I’m not sure that my relationship with my boyfriend will even last. I’m devastated and this is not what I imagined at all when I pictured having a baby someday.
I think adoption would be good for us, but I haven’t seen a doctor yet. I just don’t even feel like this is ‘my baby,’ if that makes sense.
Is it too late to give my baby up for adoption?”
Adoption is always an option; it’s never too early or too late to choose adoption for your baby. There is no cost to you, and Lifetime is here to help.
Your Choices With Adoption
If you’re not ready to become a parent, adoption could be a way to give your child the life you would want for them. With modern, open adoption, you can choose the adoptive parents for your child and how you want things to go at the hospital when you deliver. Plus, you can stay in touch with your child as they grow up. You’ll work out the details of how you want to communicate in the future with the adoptive family. This contact could come in many forms, such as:
- Emails
- Phone calls
- Texts
- Zoom or Skype
- Letters
- In-person visits
- Social media posts
Lifetime’s Adoption Coordinators are here to help you find just what you’re looking for in adoptive parents for your baby. All Lifetime’s hopeful adoptive parents have online profiles that include lots of information about themselves. These online profiles are available for you to look at whenever you want.
On an adoptive family’s website, you’ll see pictures of the family members, their home, their hobbies, and the activities they enjoy doing. They also include information about why they want to adopt, their faith, occupations, and their promises to you, their future child’s birth mother.
Once you find an adoptive couple you like, your Adoption Coordinator will arrange a meeting for you. When you speak with the couple on the phone, you can ask them questions to decide if they are the right family to raise your child. Here are some questions you could ask to make the most of your first conversation.
Getting Medical Care
Lifetime can help you find a medical professional where you can get prenatal care at no cost to you. Getting regular prenatal care can help you give birth to a healthier baby. It also reduces the risk of your baby being born prematurely, which may lead to health issues for your baby.
See your doctor regularly for prenatal visits to monitor your health and the health of your baby. Get screened and treated for STDs, HIV, blood sugar, and/or high blood pressure. Make sure to share with your doctor about any medications you might be taking and or drug/alcohol use.
It’s Never Too Late to Choose Adoption
Adoption is always an option; it’s never too late. You can take as long as you need to make an adoption decision. Many women decide in the last term of pregnancy that adoption is the best choice for their baby. Others may choose earlier in their pregnancies, right from the hospital, or even after the baby is born.
Lifetime has also helped many women who tried parenting before turning to adoption. You can oversee the entire adoption planning process, and that includes deciding when you’re ready to begin. Whether your child is weeks, months, or years old, adoption is always a decision you can make.
Lifetime is Here for You
Since adoption isn’t a choice you make at the spur of the moment, Lifetime is here for you as you think about your decision. We can help you at any time in your pregnancy, whether you decide in the first few months or at the end of your pregnancy. Lifetime has had many women call us from the hospital in the early stages of labor, saying that they’d like to do adoption for their baby.
Getting in touch with us doesn’t mean you have to choose adoption, but it allows us to answer your questions and learn more about you and your situation. That way, we can help you create an adoption plan tailored just to you. We’re not here to rush you or pressure you. It’s entirely your choice. Any and all info you share with us is kept confidential.
Lifetime Adoption provides confidential help to hundreds of women each year from all backgrounds and situations. Call or text Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784 whenever you’re ready to learn more about adoption.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on June 14, 2016, and has since been updated.
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
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