Giving up a baby for adoption in Louisiana is an option for any woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Maybe you’re an expectant mother who is wondering how to begin to make this decision, what the adoption process looks like, and what life might be like after placement. If so, know this: Putting a newborn up for adoption in Louisiana takes courage, determination, and selflessness. You may feel like you are “giving up on” your baby, but you are actually offering a gift to your child for a better life through different parents.
The steps of the adoption process are generally the same, regardless of whom you choose as your adoption professional. No matter what your adoption decision is, make sure that it is something that you feel good about. It may even bring with it a sense of peace knowing that you are making the right decision for you and your baby.
Want to learn more about this process? Keep reading, or contact an adoption professional today.
You Are Not “Giving Up” by Giving a Baby Up for Adoption in Louisiana
Giving a baby up for adoption in Louisiana is not “giving up.” In fact, it is gifting your baby a new and perhaps better life by choosing different parents for him or her. Adoption is a decision that most birth mothers make out of love, and this option for adoption is open to you, as well.
While it is common to hear that someone “gave a baby up for adoption” in Louisiana, we ask you to consider using more positive words. The adoption community encourages phrases such as putting your baby up” for adoption in Louisiana or “placing a baby for adoption” in Louisiana. Remember that words hold power and can advocate for all those in the adoption process. Therefore, it is important that we remember to choose our words carefully and use them properly.
How to Give a Baby Up for Adoption in Louisiana
How to give a baby up for adoption in Louisiana begins with a decision, continues with the adoption process, and ends in a new chapter of life for both birth mother and baby.
The adoption process is generally the same no matter what adoption professional you choose. The following outlines the steps for how to place a baby for adoption in Louisiana.
Step 1: Make the adoption decision.
Putting a baby up for adoption in Louisiana requires a great sacrifice on the part of a prospective birth mother.
There are many factors that should be taken into consideration if you are debating whether or not to choose adoption. Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you mature enough to begin raising children?
- Do you have the financial means to support a baby?
- Do you have the support in your life you will need to raise a child?
- Are you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually ready to parent?
- Can you provide your baby a safe and healthy living environment?
Depending on your personal circumstances, you may also have other concerns that come into play when it comes to placing your baby for adoption in Louisiana. For example, you may have an unsupportive, uninvolved, or unknown birth father. Whatever factors come into your decision-making process, it is recommended that you seek support if you need it. Many adoption professionals, churches, adoption agencies, and other local organizations offer pregnancy counseling to women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Step 2: Create an adoption plan.
Now that you have decided adoption is the best unplanned pregnancy option for you and baby, you can begin working with an adoption professional to create a personal adoption plan!
You will want to start by finding an adoption professional to work with. You can contact and interview as many adoption professionals as you desire until you find the best fit for you, whether that’s an adoption attorney, a local adoption agency, or a national adoption agency. After choosing who your adoption professional will be, that person will guide you in creating your very own adoption plan.
An adoption plan is a written document that specifies all your adoption preferences. Some of the topics included in your adoption plan will be:
- The type of family you want to adopt your child,
- The type of post-placement relationship you want with your child, and
- The hospital plan if you are pregnant at the time you make your adoption decision.
Remember that this is your adoption plan. If you have any questions, comments, or additional thoughts while you are creating the plan, be sure to communicate them to your adoption professional.
Step 3: Choose an adoptive family.
Congratulations on coming to one of the most hopeful steps in the process of placing a baby for adoption in Louisiana: deciding what family will adopt your baby!
Using your personal adoption plan, your adoption professional will choose from their own list of approved and waiting families to try to find the perfect match for you and baby. You will be offered prospective adoptive family profiles in hard copy and sometimes even online profiles. From these waiting adoptive families, you will decide who you would like to meet and get to know.
After you have found your perfect prospective adoptive family match, you can move on to the next step in the adoption process while you continue to bond with that waiting family.
Step 4: Prepare for placement.
Putting a baby up for adoption in Louisiana requires a prospective birth mother to voluntarily relinquish her parental rights. There are also other legal considerations that may come into the equation depending on your personal circumstances. All the document signing and legal requirements will be handled by your adoption attorney, so make sure you trust him or her before making this life-changing decision.
Also, if you are pregnant at the time you choose adoption, you will want to create a personal hospital plan. The hospital plan will include:
- Which birth center or hospital you will deliver at,
- Who will be present during labor and delivery,
- How you will get home after being medically cleared, and
- When baby will be placed with the chosen prospective adoptive parents.
According to Louisiana adoption consent laws, you must wait at least three days after the baby has been born to give your adoption consent if you have an agency adoption. If you have a private agency adoption, you must wait at least five days after the baby has been born to sign your legal documents.
Step 5: Adjust to life after adoption.
Every birth mother has a different adoption experience. She will have her own post-placement agreement to honor, and she will have her own unique journey to walk after choosing to give her baby up for adoption in Louisiana. No matter what the situation is, life after adoption can be incredibly fulfilling. There may be periods of grief, moments of immense joy, and a road that leads to a wonderful new life for both mom and baby.
It is up to every birth mother to decide for herself what she wants her life to look like after adoption. This is the beauty in the selfless act of adoption; it can bring with it a brand-new chapter in the book of life for both birth mother and baby. Birth mothers can choose to have a relationship with their child after placement through an open adoption, or have no relationship in a closed adoption. No matter what post-placement relationship a birth mother desires, she has the right to choose the path that is best for her.
If you are wondering if you can give your baby up for adoption in Louisiana, please fill out this contact form. An adoption professional will reach out to you and discuss what adoption options you have depending on your personal circumstances. Remember, adoption is never “giving up.” Placing a baby for adoption in Louisiana is turning the page in your own life and revealing the next chapter for both you and baby.