“I want to give my baby up for adoption in Missouri.” For pregnant woman thinking this, know that placing baby for adoption in MO is an option. However, giving baby up for adoption isn’t giving up; it’s giving yourself and your child a second chance. While every circumstance will dictate variation within the adoption process, know that the general steps of putting a baby up for adoption in Missouri remain the same. There are also state-specific laws to Missouri that must be considered when choosing adoption. For example, a woman cannot place her baby with the adoptive family she has chosen for at least 48 hours after birth. The following article seeks to offer general adoption information and a link to a contact form which will connect a prospective birth mother to an adoption specialist.

You Are Not “Giving Up” by Giving Baby Up for Adoption in Missouri

In the adoption world, the term “giving up a baby for adoption” is frowned upon. Choosing adoption as an expectant mother does not mean you are “giving up” on anything. Giving your baby up for adoption in Missouri means that you give your baby a whole new life with different parents, which is a significant sacrifice that a potential birth mother makes. The sacrifices involved in putting a newborn up for adoption in MO reach much farther than the adoption alone, and that is anything but “giving up.”

How to Give Baby Up for Adoption in Missouri

The adoption process is generally the same across the board. A prospective birth mother will need to start by making an adoption decision, contact an adoption professional to create an adoption plan, find the right adoptive family, and deal with life leading up to and after placement. Of course, there are other considerations depending on each individual situation. An adoption professional will be able to help guide women considering adoption through the process of how to place a baby for adoption in Missouri.

1. Make the adoption decision.For any woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, adoption is a tough reality to consider. It takes honest self-reflection and exhausting bravery to even seriously consider adoption. I want to encourage any woman thinking about placing a baby for adoption in Missouri that the thought alone is brave. It takes a strong woman to make an adoption decision, because she is the one making the greatest sacrifice. Once an adoption decision has been made, a prospective birth mother can look forward to experiencing a level of peace about her decision if it is the right decision for her and baby.

2. Create an adoption plan.An adoption plan is a very exciting part of the adoption process. The adoption plan includes the desires of the birth mother, like what type of family she wants her child to be raised with, how she sees her future relationship with her child and the adoptive family, and where she wants her child to live. The adoption plan brings hope to a woman considering adoption, as it lays out how the adoption process will go. The adoption plan keeps the prospective birth mother in control of the process until finalization.

3. Choose an adoptive family.A woman placing baby for adoption in MO will be able to choose the family she desires to place her child with. With the adoption plan and post-placement contact desires in mind, an adoption professional will offer a prospective birth mother adoptive family profiles. After selecting a profile, an expectant mother will have the opportunity to meet and get to know the potential adoptive family. Through the time spent bonding, a prospective adoptive family and potential birth mother will develop trust and address any concerns they may have before moving forward with the adoption process together.

4. Prepare for placement.Along with an adoption plan, a pregnant woman considering adoption will need to create a hospital plan as well. The hospital plan will include who is allowed in the delivery room, who will pick her up from the hospital, and any other labor and delivery requests. There will also be many legal forms to fill out, as provided by an adoption attorney. A woman putting a baby up for adoption in Missouri must wait at least 48 hours after the birth of the baby to complete these legal forms and officially consent to the adoption.

   Preparing for placement includes thinking about what life will be like for a birth mother after adoption. A wise woman who is considering adoption will think about what she wants to implement in her life for healing after placement.

5. Adjust to life after adoption.Life after adoption will never be the same as life before adoption. There are so many amazing experiences that birth mothers have as they walk out their lives with a different view on the beauty of adoption. There is a healing process that comes with choosing adoption, and walking that path may feel like a heavy burden at times. However, there is help in the form of support groups, online articles and blogs, and therapy. A birth mother will be able to count on her post-placement open adoption contact agreement bringing her joy as well. Adoptive families, birth children, and birth mothers can all come together to have brand new lives with hope and love like never before.

A woman facing an unplanned pregnancy in Missouri has many resources available to her. There are local adoption agencies and national adoption agencies that have adoption specialists who can guide her through the adoption process. If you are considering placing baby for adoption in Missouri, please fill out the contact form so that an adoption specialist can help guide you through considering adoption in Missouri.