I’m Trying to Have My Baby Adopted
You may resonate with all of these reasons—you may resonate with absolutely none of them. That is okay. If, at the end of the day, you choose adoption for your baby just because it feels right to you, that is reason enough. The decisions you make are the best ones for you.
1. I Don’t Want To Parent
Parenthood is a choice—you may be juggling your options now, but you do have options. You may feel pressure from your family, friends, or community to consider parenting for plenty of reasons. Perhaps, even in cases of unplanned pregnancy, your community would jump in to support you if you chose to parent your child. Maybe parenthood is glamorized and encouraged by your social circles as a symbol of status. You may even encounter people who believe parenting is your only option when faced with pregnancy. It is not. You always have a choice and your choice is valid no matter your reasons for making it.
2. I Can’t Provide for Another Child
Teenage pregnancy is not the most common reason or circumstance where babies are placed for adoption. Often, mothers in their twenties, thirties, and forties consider adoption because they cannot support another child in their home. This is a decision often made with heavy consideration and maybe even heartbreak. There are plenty of limitations that would cause your family to be struggling to find support financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. You owe nobody an explanation. And your choice is valid.
3. This Wasn’t Part of My Plan
Rarely does life go according to plan—but an unplanned pregnancy isn’t just a brief detour . . . it can feel like a complete derail—a new direction entirely. It is entirely fair for you to question such a harsh change. Parenthood is a lifetime commitment, and if that doesn’t align with your plans, you have options. You can take them.
4. I Can’t Do It On My Own
They say it takes a village to raise a child—so if you’re starting completely solo, it can feel daunting to say the least. You don’t have to be alone. But you don’t have to—period. You can choose to do this your way and feel confident that it is the best decision for everyone involved.
5. I Can’t Provide Emotionally
Recognition of mental health challenges has come a long way in the last decade alone. Whether you are recovering from a recent trauma, working through long-term struggles with Depression and/or anxiety, or on a path toward healing that requires all your time and energy—all of these are valid reasons to choose adoption for your child.
I’m Trying to Have My Baby Adopted
6. I Want to Pursue Other Goals
Parenthood doesn’t lend itself easily to late-night study sessions, time-consuming apprenticeships or residencies, or virtually proctored exams that require complete silence and no distractions. Is it possible? Absolutely. But we choose our hard. You can choose to build a support system around your family that allows you to pursue your goals and parent your child. You can also choose an adoption plan that allows for an open relationship with your child while you independently pursue your goals.
7. I Don’t Feel Safe With My Partner
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline open 24/7 at 800-799-7233.
If you feel you or your child are unsafe in your environment and you want to talk about your adoption options, check out our support page or call an adoption professional at 1-800-23678-98
8. I Want to Parent, Just Not Yet
Sometimes the timing just isn’t right. You are not bound by anyone’s timetable other than your own—for now. (Parenthood is another story entirely). Until then, you get to choose when and how you approach parenthood.
9. I Don’t Feel Prepared to Provide for a Family
Sure, most everyone gets, more or less, a nine-month notice to prepare for a child’s arrival. For some, that is enough time to adequately prepare for parenthood. For some, it is entirely not—but they do it anyway. And they figure it out from one day to the next. For others, there are options. You can explore those options and make the choice that is best for you.
10. I Don’t Feel Supported
As much as we’d like to believe that everyone has some kind of support system somewhere to help them in a time of need—that is not the reality for everyone. Even when surrounded by people, someone experiencing an unplanned pregnancy may not feel emotionally, spiritually, or physically supported by their community. If you feel that lack of support will hinder your ability to parent as you’d want to, you have options.
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11. I Want My Child to Have Different Opportunities
As you start asking yourself questions about what type of parent you would like to be and what environment you want to raise a child in, you may be questioning your surroundings. Whether you feel your child will be limited in opportunities because of your community, social environment, or economic circumstances—this is a completely valid reason to choose adoption.
I’m Trying to Have My Baby Adopted
If you are looking for more answers to adoption questions, you can speak with a birth mother representative who has been through the process and can walk you through some expectations. There is no obligation in speaking with an adoption professional. You have the choice between parenthood and adoption. (Adoption is only legally binding and headed toward finalization once the paperwork has been completed after the baby has been born—until then you can always change your mind).
To learn more about the adoption process and placing a baby for adoption, check out our 9-Step program on Adoption.org. There, you can learn more about resources, processes, and options available to you.
Are you considering placing a child for adoption? Do you want more choices with your adoption plan? Do you want to regain more control in your life? Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98. We can help you put together an adoption plan that best meets your needs.