Making the decision to place a baby up for adoption is no easy task. When you’re first getting started, it can be confusing to know where to look for the right information. Thankfully, this guide to “giving a baby up” for adoption has everything you’re looking for.

In this article, we’re going to break down each step of the “giving baby up” for adoption process. But before we do that that, let’s start with some background information about the adoption process and everything you need to know as a prospective birth mother.

If you know that you’re ready to start the “giving baby up” adoption process soon, an adoption professional would be happy to help. Please fill out our free information form to be contacted by one today.

What should I know about the process of ‘giving your baby up’ for adoption?

We know that the adoption process can be confusing. But there’s one important thing that we want you to keep in mind before you continue reading this guide.

It’s not unlikely that you’ve heard teams like “giving up” when people talk about adoption. But we want to reassure you this is absolutely not true.

When you decide on putting your baby up for adoption, you’re not “giving up” on anything. Women who choose adoption for their babies do so because they want to give their children the gift of a beautiful future, one that they might not be able to offer at this time. When it comes to women who choose adoption for their children, the only thing they’re giving children is the gift of a beautiful future.

Instead of saying “give up,” adoption professionals prefer to use terms like:

• Place a baby up for adoption
• Choose adoption for a baby
• Make an adoption plan

These are almost always better than saying “give up for adoption.”

With that being said, throughout this article, you will see us use phrases like “giving your baby up for adoption” to talk about the process The reason we do this is to make our resources available to women who are new to adoption and unfamiliar with the correct terminology — so that they can find what they’re looking for right away.

Our hope is that every woman can find the information she needs regardless of the stage she’s at in her journey or the phrases she might be using.

Why Do Women Want to Give Up Babies for Adoption?

Every woman comes to adoption for a different reason. But after months of consideration, she has determined that placing her child with another family is the best path for her and her baby.

If you’re considering this path, it might be helpful to look at a few of the reasons why a woman chooses to put an infant up for adoption:

• She either doesn’t want to or isn’t ready to be a mother.
• She’s not financially ready to raise a child.
• She can’t provide a stable, safe environment at this time.
• She’s too young or she’s still in school.
• She already has children.
• She wants her baby to be raised in a two-parent household.

Of course, these are just a few of the reasons why women consider how to put a baby up for adoption.

Adoption is not a simple or easy decision to make. So, again, no mother is choosing adoption because she is “giving away a baby.”

She does so because she knows in her heart that it’s the best decision for her baby’s future.

I’m Looking to Place My Baby Up for Adoption — But How Do I Know if it’s Right for Me?

Adoption is a beautiful, selfless decision. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right option for you.

Before you explore putting a newborn up for adoption, make sure that you have researched all three of your options. These are:

• Abortion
• Adoption
• Parenting

As the woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, you are the only one who can decide what’s right for you. Before you decide on adoption, we recommend speaking to a professional just to make sure that this is the right path for you.

When you’re ready, you can always reach out to an adoption professional or a free 24/7 hotline to learn more about each of your unplanned options, not just adoption.

Does Putting Your Baby Up for Adoption Cost Money?

Not a thing.

As a prospective birth mother, you don’t have to worry about saving up to place your child up for adoption. In fact, it’s possible to receive financial assistance during your adoption to help cover the costs of pregnancy.

This assistance can cover:

• Rent and utilities
• Groceries
• Transportation
• Maternity clothing
• And more

Each state has its own laws regarding financial assistance for prospective birth parents. To learn what’s available for your unique situation, please reach out to an adoption professional directly.

How to Put a Baby Up for Adoption: 6 Simple Steps

Now that we’ve given you a little background about the process of adopting your baby out, you may be eager to learn more about the next steps.

Typically, this is what you can expect the steps to “give a baby up” for adoption to look like.

Step 1: Find an Adoption Professional

Finding the right professional is one of the most important steps in an adoption. It’s also the first place you will start. Because this professional will be the one to guide you through the entire process, it’s crucial to find one that you feel absolutely comfortable with.

If you think you’re ready to learn more about “giving up” a baby for adoption, one of the best places to start is by contacting a national adoption agency. Their services are vast, and they have just about everything a prospective birth mother will need to start her adoption. A few options are:

• American Adoptions
• Gladney Center for Adoption
• Bethany Christian Services

When you contact an agency, remember that you’re not obligated to choose adoption right away or at all. You can take your time in deciding whether this is the right choice for you.

Step 2: Create an Adoption Plan

Now that you’ve found a professional, it’s time to start hammering out the details of your adoption. How will you do that? By creating what’s known as an adoption plan.

This is one of the most important forms that prospective birth mothers fill out. Here, you will include:

• Your preferences for an adoptive family: Adoption professionals work with a variety of families from across the country. This means that, no matter what you want your baby’s life to look like, your adoption professional can easily make your dreams come true.
• The amount of contact you’re open to during and after the adoption: Every prospective birth mother has the right to decide whether she’d like an open, closed or semi-open adoption. Each one comes with their own pros and cons, so make sure to do plenty of research to decide which is right for you.
• What you want your hospital stay to look like: The hospital stay is one of the most important parts of your adoption. We’ll talk about this more the further we get into the steps to “give a baby up” for adoption, but it’s a good idea to start thinking about what you want your stay to look like while you make your adoption plan.

Of course, there’s plenty more that can go into your plan for adopting a baby out. If you ever need assistance creating this plan, your adoption professional will be ready to help.

And if you ever need to update your plan, they can help with that, too.

Step 3: Find an Adoptive Family

Once you’ve had time to think about the perfect adoptive family, it’s time to find them. When you’re ready to “give a newborn up” for adoption, your professional will send you a group of adoptive family profiles based on the preferences you outlined in your adoption plan.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for right away, don’t worry. They’ll keep sending profiles until you find one that has everything you’re looking for.

If you’re unsure of what you’re looking for, start asking yourself a few questions like:

• Do you want a family who lives close to you, making it easier for in-person visits?
• Do you want a family who already has children, or do you want to find a couple who is eagerly awaiting their first child?
• Do you want the family to have the same cultural or religious background as you?

These are just a few of the many questions that you will ask yourself when looking to place a baby for adoption with an adoptive family. If you need any help at all as you go through this process, don’t forget that you can always reach out to your adoption professional.

Step 4: Get to Know the Family

Once you’ve found an adoptive family, it’s time to get to know them. Your contact will likely be through a mediated phone call with your adoption professional. But, after that, you can start getting to know them as much as you want.

You might decide to share:

• Phone calls
• Emails
• Video calls
• And in-person visits

How much you’re comfortable with is entirely up to you. You can also change your level of contact throughout the adoption and after placement once you “give your infant up” for adoption.

Step 5: Create Your Hospital Plan and Prepare for Delivery

Your hospital plan can be made during the adoption planning stage or later if you need more time to think about what you’re looking for.

When you make your “giving newborn up” for adoption hospital plan, you can start thinking about:

• How much time you want to spend with your baby
• Who will be the first one to hold your baby
• How much time you want to spend with the adoptive family
• Whether you want to leave the hospital first or with the adoptive family
• If you plan to nurse
• And much more

Once you finish filling out this hospital paperwork to place your baby up for adoption, your social worker will distribute your plan to the adoptive family and the hospital staff. This is one of the most important days in your adoption, and it’s important to make sure that everyone knows exactly what you need ahead of time.

After the delivery, your attorney and adoption professional will go over your consent to the adoption and the termination of parental rights.

Of all the forms you will have to fill out as a prospective birth mother, this one is probably the most important. Before you sign anything, please make sure that you are absolutely, 100% certain that adoption is right you. It’s not too late to change your mind at the hospital, but it may be too late once your sign your consent to the adoption and the revocation period has passed after choosing adoption for your baby.

If you have any questions about your legal rights in an adoption, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your attorney.

Step 6: Get Ready for Your Post-placement Relationship

We’re on to the final step: life after the adoption and your post-placement relationship.

During the initial planning phases of “giving baby up” for adoption, you had the choice of a few options:

• Open adoption: This type of adoption allows for the most freedom and flexibility. If you’re prospective birth mother who wants to have as much contact with the adoptive family and your child as possible, this is the one to choose if you plan on putting your baby up for adoption.
• Closed adoption: This type of adoption contact is not as common as it once was. But, depending on your situation, you might feel that closing contact is a better option. If you’re considering this type of post-placement relationship, please reach out to your adoption professional first so that they can go everything you need to know.
• Semi-open adoption: With a semi-open adoption, you can have the best of both worlds. You have as much privacy as you need, while still developing a deep, fulfilling relationship with the adoptive family and your child. If you’re in the process of “giving a baby up for adoption,” reach out to your adoption professional about mediating your future contact agreement.

No matter what kind of contact you envision, you can find a family who is on the same page. And remember, choosing adoption doesn’t have to mean goodbye if you don’t want it to. Through an open or a semi-open adoption, you’ll still be able to watch your child grow and thrive.

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If you’re feeling like you want to “give a baby up” for adoption, or if you have more questions about putting an infant up for adoption, it’s never too early or too late to learn about your options. Adoption professionals are ready to answer any of your questions when you’re ready.

To be contacted by one today, please fill out our free information form.