How to Customize Your Adoption Plan

Did you know that with a modern adoption plan, you can choose your baby’s parents? You’re also able to decide how things go at the hospital and how much contact you’d like with the adoptive couple over the years. You’re in the driver’s seat of your adoption plan and the choice is up to you!Here are all the choices you have when you create a modern adoption plan:

Select Your Baby’s Adoptive Parents

Start by browsing adoptive family websites. All of the adoptive families listed on our site have been pre-screened and are ready and excited to be parents. Your Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime can mail you longer versions of the profiles, too.

Questions to ask yourself about adoptive families:

• Do I want my child to be raised in a certain area of the US or a particular state?
• Is it important to me that they grow up with a brother or sister?
• What faith do I want my child to be brought up with?
• Would I like my child to grow up in the city or country? Near mountains or the ocean?
• Do I want my child raised with one parent staying at home full-time?
• Is it important to me that they’re active in sports or activities? Or maybe the arts?
• Would I like a couple who have grandparents and extended family living close by?

Once you have chosen your favorite family, we’ll give you their toll-free number and e-mail address so that you can contact them. If you feel uncomfortable talking on the phone with them, your Adoption Coordinator can join in the conversation to help out.

Decide How Things Go at the Hospital

You can create an adoption hospital plan; it says how you want the delivery to take place and the role you want the adoptive parents to take. To get started, here are three questions to think about:

• Are you OK with the adoptive family being a part of your baby’s birth?
• Do you want them both in the delivery room, just the adoptive mom, or neither?
• Would you like your baby to stay in the nursery or room with you?

Some women want the adoptive parents to experience the birth themselves by bringing them into the process. For example, some have asked the adoptive couple to cut the umbilical cord and start the bonding process right after their baby is born.

Others decide they’d like to spend as much time as they can with their baby so that they can say goodbye. This can help with your healing journey: it’s hard to say goodbye to someone if you haven’t said hello first. So, being with your baby, holding her, and talking to her might help with your healing process.

Make a Plan for Future Contact

Would you like to stay in touch with the adoptive family, and your child, in the future? Lots of women we’ve helped ask to get email and photo updates on their child, and also stay in touch through texting. Some travel to visit the adoptive family and their child in person once a year. With modern adoption, you’re able to stay in contact. 

Do you have questions about your choices in adoption? Please call Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784!