Is Adoption the Right Choice for Me

It’s totally normal to question the decision you’re making. Many birthmothers worry that they’ll regret choosing adoption. But with the right adoption plan in place, regret doesn’t have to be a part of your adoption story.

The choice between parenting and adoption is a hard one. Consider writing down the pros and cons of adoption. Will you be a single parent, and if so, will the birth father be involved? Will he be able to provide financial assistance for you and the baby? There are many questions you need to ask yourself, and an adoption professional can help you through the decision-making process. She can explain all of your adoption options.

Lifetime Adoption agency has been helping women make open adoption plans that include finding loving parents who want to adopt a child since 1986. And in our experience, women who actively make an adoption plan don’t need to worry about regret — they move forward with peace about their decision, knowing that they remain an important part of their child’s life. The benefits of open adoption make this possible.

With open adoption, you will choose the adoptive family. You can look through adoptive family profiles and find a family that has the values you are looking for. Is there a specific religion, race, or ethnicity you are looking for? Do you want them to live in the same state as you? Maybe you see your child growing up on a farm or getting to travel a lot. We have many adoptive families hoping to grow their families, and you will be the one who gets to choose the perfect family for your child.

Open adoption lets the birth family and adoptive family decide together what future contact will look like. When an adoptive family decides to adopt a baby, they work with the birth mother to create a Post Adoption Contact Agreement. This can include sharing in-person visits and other connections through email, phone, and social media. This agreement reassures birth mothers that they made the right decision and keeps them included in their child’s life as a very important connection.

Everyone involved in the adoption benefits from open adoption. Research shows that birth mothers in open adoptions feel less regret and more peace of mind. Open adoption today lets birth parents see their child thriving as they grow. The adoptive parents have the medical and genetic background of the child they can share with their pediatrician, so their child receives the best care. Most importantly, the child benefits. Knowing their adoption story and why they were placed for adoption has a very positive impact on these children. They know they are loved by their birth family and their adoptive family, which gives them a sense of well-being and improves their self-esteem. They can see where they came from and understand their background.

In our experience, most birth moms who follow through with the open adoption process are comfortable with their decision. They typically wish their situation was different so they could have parented their baby, so while there is a grieving process and they may feel sad at times, they do not regret their decision. They know they made the decision that was best for their baby. They are grateful to have open adoption as an option to allow them to be a part of the child’s life from the beginning.

If you have more questions about modern, open adoption or the options you have, please call or text Lifetime at 1-800-923-6784.