When you’re facing an unexpected pregnancy and thinking about adoption for your baby, you might have a lot of questions. One of your questions might be “what are the reasons why women choose adoption for their baby?”
Making an adoption plan is a personal decision, one which every woman needs to make on her own. The fact is that women choose adoption out of love for their baby. By making an open adoption plan, they’re placing their child’s needs and interests before their own.
Today, we’re sharing 5 of the most common reasons why women choose open adoption:
1. Power over their adoption plan
Today, birth parents have a lot of control in creating and planning for their child’s adoption. They’re able to look at as many adoption profiles as they’d like and select the perfect adoptive parents for their baby. Also, birth parents can talk with the adoptive couple of their choosing, to get to know them better.
2. Not ready to become a parent
There’s no doubt about it: having a child will change your life forever. Some women aren’t prepared to become a parent, so they explore other choices.
3. Wants to give her child more opportunities
If she’s struggling to make ends meet or is in an unstable relationship, a woman might conclude that this isn’t the right time to bring a child into her life.
By making an open adoption plan, she can place her baby into a safe and stable home, with loving adoptive parents who are ready and equipped to parent her baby.
4. Desire for a two-parent family
Lots of women choose adoption because they want their child to grow up with two parents. Particularly if they’re no longer in a relationship with their baby’s father, a two-parent adoptive family is what they’re looking for. Through modern adoption, a birth mother can provide her child with the type of future she desires.
5. Wants to continue having a relationship with her child
It used to be that adoption meant goodbye forever for birth parents, and they never heard about their child again after signing adoption papers. Today’s adoptions happen much differently. We recognize that children need to know where they came from and who they are. By choosing open adoption, a birth mother can stay in her child’s life. The adoptive family of her choosing sends updates through emails, letters, photos, and social media posts. And, there’s also the option for visits once or twice a year!
While each woman will have her own reasons for choosing adoption, it all comes down to what’s best for your child. Before you make a decision, we encourage you to learn all you can about adoption. We can help you do that; just call Lifetime at 1-800-923-6784.
Lifetime can help you obtain free, third-party counseling and connect you with a peer counselor too. A peer counselor is a woman who’s made an adoption plan already, so she knows where you’re at. By chatting with her, you can make an informed decision about adoption.
Today, Lifetime Adoption Agency is sharing one birth mother’s story. While every open adoption is different, it can help to hear from others who have been where you are now. Here’s one birth mother’s experience with coming to adoption:
“I’m 35 weeks along and I’m thinking about adoption, but I’m really on the fence. My Mom raised my brother and I all by herself, and I saw how hard that was. I love babies but I’m not ready to be a mom, so I’m wondering if I should give my baby up for adoption. Do I need to decide right now, before my baby’s born? How do I decide? Help!”
Here’s a common question we get here at Lifetime Adoption Agency: “My girlfriend is pregnant, and wants to adopt out our baby. What can I do if my girlfriend is choosing adoption?” 
“When I discovered I was pregnant, I was terrified and confused. I was a freshman in college. My boyfriend and I talked about our options. He knows I am pro-life, so he didn’t even suggest abortion. We both agreed that adoption was the best decision. I called my parents from school to tell them this life-changing news. They were very supportive of my decision to adopt out my baby.
If you’re pregnant and already parenting, you’re not alone. Lifetime has helped many women who are already parenting, and thinking about adoption for the baby they’re pregnant with.
Adoption today means that you make all the choices. And modern adoption gives you tons of choices! You can 
If you’re thinking about adoption for your baby, we understand that you might be worried about finding the perfect adoptive family. Anyone who decides adoption is the right choice wants to make sure that their child has the best life. How can you make sure that your baby receives just that?
Question: “I’m like 99% sure that adoption’s going to be the best choice for my situation…but I’m worried what people will think. Does putting my baby up for adoption make me a bad person?”
