Can You Choose Adoption After You Take Your Baby Home?

Many mothers with babies or toddlers feel like they are struggling. Parenting a child or children can be difficult—especially without support. New mothers may find themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally stressed. There are also financial stresses that come with supporting a child. This is why you may be wondering about adoption after you have already brought your baby home from the hospital. Some people are under the impression that it is too late to give their baby up for adoption at this point in the process, but that is not accurate. Women choose adoption at many points during their pregnancy or parenting journey.

Why Consider Adoption after Your Baby is Home?

There are many reasons why a new mom might be considering adoption after bringing a baby home from the hospital. For some moms, they are lacking help and support in taking care of a baby. Perhaps friends or family that said they would step up during the pregnancy aren’t actually assisting at all. Very often people offer help, when the time comes, they don’t actually provide the help that you might need. Maybe the father of the baby isn’t around, or isn’t helping as he said he would. Or, perhaps, the juggling of this new baby along with other children in the home might prove to be more difficult than imagined initially. It’s not unusual for women who have considered adoption during their pregnancy to change their mind after giving birth, just because it can be very difficult to push forward with adoption after meeting your baby in the hospital. But, if the reasons that you were considering adoption initially have not changed, it’s possible that you may end up putting adoption back on your radar after bringing the baby home.

It’s not unusual for a new mom to feel stressed or overwhelmed. The exhaustion of being a new parent tends to exacerbate these feelings, so this can feel like a very difficult time! It’s important to get the help that you need if this is how you are feeling. Make sure that you get supports in place, not just to parent this new baby, but also to make sure that you are taking care of your mental health. Postpartum depression is real, and it is important to make sure that you receive the help that you need, if that might be something that you are facing.

What Adoption Could Look Like Now

If you are seriously considering placing your baby for adoption at this point, you might be wondering what the adoption process will look like now. The process for adoption doesn’t look all that different now than it would have if you considered it during your pregnancy, assuming your baby is still a newborn or infant. If you decide to reach out to an adoption agency like Open Arms Adoption, we will start by having you meet with an adoption counselor, either in person or virtually, whichever you prefer. We will be able to get an understanding of why you want to consider adoption at this point, and we will start to figure out the type of adoption you may be interested in. Just because your baby is already born, does not mean we have to involve the foster care system. You will likely experience many different emotions during the counseling process, but you will be supported by your social worker, and ultimately, this is still your decision.

If after meeting with an Adoption Counselor you would like to choose a family for the baby, you can look at adoptive family profiles and choose the family that you would like to bring your child up. We can show you many types of families base don your preferences, and YOU are in control of your adoption plan. Adoption is permanent, so we want to make sure you feel completely confident with whatever you decide. Our adoption coordinators will support you with whatever you choose, whether you ultimately decide to parent, or move forward with adoption. And, all of our adoption services are free to you.

The Last Steps

Once you feel 100% good about adoption, and that it is the best decision for you and your baby, we will start to go through paperwork. We will explain everything that you are signing in depth, so that you fully understand everything. We will also obtain medical records for your child, so that we know their complete medical history and can ensure that they will be fully taken care of when they are adoption, going over any medical needs or important information that their parents and medical providers should know.

If you prefer to meet the adoptive family that you choose for you baby, we can initiate a casual meeting for you all to get to know each other. We will support you through every step of the process so you can continue to feel good about your decision.

Older Child Adoption

If you are currently parenting an older child at home and want to learn more about adoption for an older child, it’s best to contact an agency that facilitates older child adoption. Placing an older child for adoption can look very different, as transitioning a child from one home to another at what feels like a moment’s notice can be incredibly traumatic for a child. In these situations, there is a longer process for the older child to get to know their new family, and spend time with them over the course of months leading up to the adoption.

It’s Never Too Late to Call Open Arms

Every situation is unique and only you can determine if adoption is an option because parenting this new baby has become too much. For some mothers, adoption is an option worth considering. Whether you have just given birth or are struggling to raise an infant at home, it’s never too late to explore adoption options with Open Arms.

At Open Arms, we offer confidential, semi-open, and open adoptions. These different options give you the flexibility to create an adoption plan you are comfortable with. From newborns to infants and toddlers, we can help place your child with one of the many families we have waiting to adopt.

Parenting is hard work, particularly for single mothers or those without additional support. Open Arms is here to support you in whatever decision you make. Call us today to begin exploring your adoption options, and check out some of our current waiting families. We are here for you 24/7.