What to Do When You’re Pregnant and Considering Adoption

If you are pregnant and considering adoption, you may be feeling scared, stressed, and like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. While these are all normal feelings, it is important to remember that you do not have to face this on your own. There are resources to help you, and there are compassionate, caring professionals who can guide you through this journey every step of the way – offering you medical and emotional support, as well as financial assistance.

Adoption is a brave, selfless, and loving decision. If you are considering this path for your baby, you are already acting as a thoughtful and caring mother. You are thinking about your child’s needs, and adoption is an incredible way to ensure they have a safe, healthy, and happy future. As you face this experience, you may be scouring the internet, using phrases such as “pregnant and considering adoption I need help.” You have come to the right place. In this short guide, we will share what to do when you are pregnant and considering adoption.

Take a Breath and Know You’re Not Alone

An unplanned pregnancy can feel lonely, particularly when you are pregnant and considering adoption. There are supportive services, however, that can work with you and provide you with the peace of mind you need to get through this stressful time.

Confirm Your Pregnancy and Get Prenatal Care

Take a Pregnancy Test and See a Doctor

Before you consider your options or even consider how you feel about this situation, you should confirm the pregnancy and seek prenatal care. You can take an at-home pregnancy test – digital tests tend to be the most user-friendly – but it is important to make an appointment with a healthcare professional. A false positive is rare, but it is possible. For this reason, it is important to confirm your pregnancy with a midwife or doctor. This professional can confirm and also determine how far along you are in your pregnancy. Regardless of how you decide to move forward with the pregnancy, it is important to take care of yourself – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Give yourself grace, try to get plenty of rest, and eat a well-balanced diet, if possible.

Find Free or Low-Cost Health Resources

Health insurance is costly, and not all Americans can afford to pay for a regular plan. If you are uninsured, it is important to find low-cost or free medical care. Planned parenthood can offer free or low-cost health care services, depending on the patient’s income. This includes tests, treatment, and routine check-ups.

An adoption agency can also offer free medical care, reimbursed after the adoption is finalized. This is one of the many supportive services offered to those planning adoption with an adoption professional.

Understand Your Pregnancy Options

While facing an unplanned pregnancy can be overwhelming, it is not the end of your life. You can choose a path that makes the most sense for your life. Generally speaking, you can choose from the following options:

• Abortion (depending on your state’s laws)
• Adoption
• Parenthood

While abortion rights have changed dramatically across several states of the U.S. in recent years, everyone still has the right to travel to another state for safe, legal abortion access. This can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor, but there are organizations that can help a pregnant person access an abortion.

Learn What Adoption Really Means

What is Adoption?

Adoption is the legal process of transferring all parental rights and responsibilities from birth parents to adoptive parents. Beyond the legalities, adoption creates a lifelong family bond for the adoptive family. For the adopted child, this ensures a safe and stable home environment that the birth parent(s) may not be able to provide. For everyone involved, it can evoke a wide range of emotions. Birth parents often report feelings of loss and grief.

Types of Adoption: Open, Semi-Open, and Closed

There are three basic types of adoption plans, and – with Adoptions With Love – you can choose from any one of them:

Open adoption. This is the most common type of adoption. This type of plan involves direct contact between the birth and adoptive families before and after the adoption is complete. This may include emails, text messages, phone calls, virtual calls, or even in-person reunions. The form and frequency of communication is determined by the birth parents and agreed upon by the adoptive parents before the agreement is signed.

Semi-open adoption. A semi-open adoption typically includes some form of communication, though often not direct between the birth and adoptive parents. This may involve the adoption agency serving as a liaison.

Closed adoption. This type of adoption is closed from communication. There is no identifying information shared between birth and adoptive parents.

Learn More About Adoption Plans

Explore Your Adoption Options and Create a Plan

Choosing an Adoption Agency

Anyone who is pregnant and considering adoption should contact an adoption agency for information and guidance. This type of professional can provide commitment-free information that helps empower an expectant/birth parent. The best adoption agency will offer supportive services – at no cost – and treat you with the dignity, respect, and compassion that you deserve.

Selecting an Adoptive Family

The next step in the adoption process is choosing an adoptive family for your baby. You can choose the adoptive parent(s) if you wish. Your adoption agency can provide you with adoptive family profiles of those who have already been approved to adopt. This means they have completed the Home Study, which ensures they are safe, stable, healthy, and responsible enough to raise a child. Having the power to choose the adoptive parent(s) in advance and even speak with – or meet – them in advance gives expectant/birth parents peace of mind.

Understanding the Legal Process

Adoption laws can be quite complex, and they vary by state. With an adoption agency by your side, you can rest assured that your rights will be protected, and your adoption will be handled smoothly and legally. Your adoption agency will walk you through the steps of the adoption process and answer any questions you may have along the way.

Know Your Rights and What Support Is Available

As someone who is pregnant and considering adoption, it is important to know your rights as an expectant/birth parent. It is also important to know that you have a right to supportive services. Most states’ adoption laws state that counseling services, legal assistance, and even some financial support must be provided to expectant/birth mothers planning adoption. At Adoptions With Love, you receive:

• We can cover a deposit and several months of rent.
• Medical care. We can find you a midwife or doctor with whom you feel comfortable and cover any uninsured medical bills related to the pregnancy and birth, reimbursed after the adoption is complete.
• Counseling services, before and after the adoption is
• Legal support from experienced adoption attorneys in your state.
• Ongoing support. Adoption is a lifelong journey, and your adoption agency should stay connected with you to ensure a positive recovery journey.
• Adoption design assistance, including support in finding your baby’s adoptive family.
• Other living expenses, including utilities, phone, transportation, food, and even maternity clothes, as

Take Care of Your Emotional and Physical Health

It is critical to take care of yourself during your pregnancy. It is important to continue to seek medical care with a midwife or OB-GYN. This professional can offer you expert advice on diet, exercise, and prenatal vitamins that are best for you. They can also run routine tests and check your vitals to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Your mental and emotional health are also vital to your overall well-being. At Adoptions With Love, expectant/birth mothers are strongly encouraged to pursue counseling before and after the adoption is complete.

Get Started with Adoptions With Love Today

Adoption is a life-changing journey. It is a difficult decision to make, but it could be the one that best meets your needs and gives you and your baby a bright future ahead. If you are pregnant and considering adoption, contact Adoptions With Love today. We can offer you a non judgmental space and pressure

-free information for you to learn more. Contact Adoptions With Love by calling 617-964-4357, texting 617-777-0072, or reaching out online.