If you’re dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and thinking about open adoption for your baby, you’re probably wrestling with a lot of questions. One that might come up, again and again, is simply, “why?” Why choose open adoption? What are the reasons why women choose adoption for their child?
The truth is, there aren’t any simple answers. At the end of the day, making an adoption plan is a personal choice that every woman needs to make on her own.
Birth mothers today decide on adoption out of love. They choose open adoption because they’re putting their child’s interests before their own.
There are a lot of different reasons why these women choose open adoption:
Today, we’re exploring 5 common reasons why pregnant women turn to adoption:
1. Not ready to be a mom
There’s no question that raising a child changes your life forever. Some women aren’t ready to become a parent, so they explore other choices.
Adoption is a hard decision to make, but it can be the right decision. The important thing is to gather all of the information you can, get counseling, and connect with a woman who’s made an adoption plan before you. That way, you can make an informed decision. Lifetime can help you get in touch with a birth mother to learn about her experience with adoption. Just call us at 1-800-923-6784.
2. Desire to provide her child with more opportunities
Whether they’re in an unstable relationship or struggling financially, a woman might decide that this isn’t the ideal time to bring a child into their life.
But with open adoption, she’s able to find a safe and loving home for her baby.
3. Wants her child to have two parents
Many birth mothers choose adoption because they want their child to grow up with two loving and dedicated parents. Especially if they aren’t in a relationship with their baby’s father, a two-parent adoptive family can be the answer they’re looking for. With adoption, a birth mother can give her child the kind of future she wants him or her to have.
4. The ability to maintain an ongoing relationship with her child
Decades ago, adoption meant goodbye for birth parents. Once they signed away parental rights, they never heard about their child again.
Today we know that children need to have the information of where they came from and who they are. With open adoption, a birth mother can remain a part of her child’s life. The adoptive family sends her updates on her child through emails, letters, photos, and social media. Plus, many birth parents and adoptive couples meet up once or twice a year for visits!
5. Control over the adoption planning process
Birth parents have a lot of power as they create and plan their child’s adoption. They can go through as many adoption profiles as they’d like and hand-pick adoptive parents for their child. The birth parents can speak to the adoptive couple and get to know them better.
Every woman has her own reasons for making an adoption plan. It all comes down to doing what’s best for your child and for you. Before you decide one way or the other, take the time to get yourself up to speed with all aspects of the adoption process.
Call or text Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784 to learn more, so that you can decide if open adoption is right for you.
Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.
Caldwell’s life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.
She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.
Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN’s Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.
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