Everything You Need to Know about Your Adoption Process
If you are a prospective birth mother considering adoption, then you may feel overwhelmed right now. You may know that adoption is the right path for you, but what are your next steps? That’s where we come in.
If you’d like to be connected with a helpful adoption professional, you can contact us at any time.
We’ve put together this step-by-step guide that should give you a better idea of how to place your baby for adoption in Iowa. We know that adoption isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. Just as the saying goes, most things worth doing aren’t easy, and adoption applies to that adage, too. So, what are the things you need to do when “giving a baby up” for adoption in Iowa? We’ve got the answers.
Continue reading to learn more about placing a child for adoption in the Hawkeye State.
Choosing Adoption Is Not “Giving up”
Before we outline the various steps of the adoption process, we want to clarify something. If you’ve spent some time researching adoption, then you have likely stumbled upon the phrase, “giving your baby up for adoption.” It’s one of the most common phrases people use when they talk about adoption, and their hearts may be in the right place.
But, this phrase completely misses the point.
When you choose adoption, you are not “giving up.” You are giving your child a life of love and opportunity, and that is beautiful.
At one point, you may have even wondered yourself how to “give my baby up” for adoption in Iowa, but we assure you that choosing adoption is far from giving up. Below, we’ve outlined the steps so you know how to choose adoption for your baby.
Step 1: Make Sure That Adoption Is Right for You And Your Child
Before you move forward and commit to adoption, you’ll want to be 100% confident that it’s the right path for you and your child. From a general standpoint, you have three unplanned pregnancy options to choose from:
- Parenting
- Abortion
- Adoption
Be sure to consider each of these three options and choose what is best for your circumstances. Once you’ve decided that adoption is the right choice for you and your child, you can begin the next step of your journey.
Step 2: Choose an Adoption Professional and Create Your Adoption Plan
One of the first things you’ll need to do is choose an adoption professional to work with. This is one of the most important steps of your adoption journey. Working with the right professional can make a huge difference when it comes to getting the help you need throughout the adoption process.
If you are wondering how to “give a baby up” for adoption in Iowa, then these agencies can help:
- American Adoptions
- Alliance for Children
- Beacon House Adoption Services
- Connections Adoption Service
- Gladney Center for Adoption
Once you choose an adoption professional, they will help you create your adoption plan from start to finish. This is an outline of all your wants and needs for your adoption. Your adoption professional will use this as a guide as they go about helping you throughout your journey. In other words, this is how they make sure everything is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Step 3: Find the Right Adoptive Family for Your Child
Many prospective birth mothers feel reassured once they begin browsing hopeful adoptive families. Finding the right adoptive family for your child is important, but you will likely have a “gut” feeling once you’ve found the perfect match for your baby. When it comes to “giving your baby up” for adoption in Iowa, choosing an adoptive family can bring some reassurance to your journey.
Step 4: Get to Know Your Child’s Adoptive Family
After you have chosen your child’s adoptive family, you can begin getting to know them better. Generally speaking, this is known as pre-placement contact, and you can communicate with the adoptive family however you’d like. When “giving a baby up” for adoption in Iowa, here are some ways that you can speak with the adoptive family:
- Texts
- Phone calls
- Emails
- In-person visits
- Handwritten letters
- Zoom or Skype
- Or whatever you feel comfortable with
If you’re feeling nervous about meeting the adoptive family, then this is completely normal. Your adoption professional will mediate your first conversation with them to help break the ice.
Step 5: Complete Your Hospital Stay and the Legal Steps
Now that you’ve had the chance to get to know the adoptive family, it will soon come time to deliver your baby. When you create your adoption plan with the help of your adoption professional, they will also go over your hospital plan. This is a summary of how you’d like your hospital stay to go when “giving your baby up” for adoption in Iowa. For example, you can choose:
- What hospital you’d like to deliver your baby at
- Who will hold your baby first
- How much time you’d like to spend with your baby
- Who you want to be in the hospital room to support you
- And more
After you give birth, you will need to wait Iowa’s state-mandated period of 72 hours before signing any adoption forms. This is to ensure that you’ve recuperated before signing anything important. Your adoption professional will also refer you to an adoption attorney who will make sure that everything is handled legally and ethically, too. When it comes to how to go about “giving your baby up” for adoption in Iowa, a fair legal process is crucial.
Step 6: Adjust to Your New Life as a Birth Parent
Remember that adoption isn’t “goodbye.” Instead, it is “see you later.” But, it’s normal if you’re experiencing some complex emotions of adoption. In that case, you can always speak with your adoption professional. “Giving a baby up” for adoption in Iowa isn’t simple, but it is rewarding. You can get more free information now to get started on your adoption journey whenever you feel ready.