The timeline for adoption can unfold differently for different women and families. Though for some people the decision to place their baby for adoption is decided in the early or middle stages of pregnancy, in some situations more time is needed to make this important and significant choice. 

The Option is Open

For those who don’t make the decision regarding adoption during their pregnancy, there is the option of placing the newborn baby for adoption after birth at the hospital. In fact, adoption can be chosen as an option at any time and at any age. Placing your baby or child for adoption is a life-altering and often challenging and emotional decision, and one for which there shouldn’t exist any pressure to make quick decisions. Making the correct decision for both the mother and the child is more important than making the decision in the early stages of pregnancy. 

When birth mothers determine adoption is the best option for them and their baby while they are at the hospital, they will still have access to the same processes that birth mothers who make the choice earlier on have. The process of placing the baby with adoptive parents will be expedited, but there are many services and support systems in place to help mothers and families during this delicate time. Hospitals can help you connect with the appropriate services and professionals who will handle coordinating the adoption process. 

Making a Plan

While in the hospital, birth mothers and families have many options in terms of designing their adoption plan. Some people want to remain involved in the process of picking an adoptive family, and options such as talking to prospective adoptive families on the phone or meeting them in person are available. Potential adoptive families go through intense and thorough screening processes so birth mothers and families can rest assured that their baby will be put into the best care possible.

Birth mothers who choose to place their baby for adoption in the hospital also remain in control of how to handle the post-adoptive relationship. Birth mothers can choose how they want to handle contact with the adoptive family after the adoption has been completed, and what they want their relationship with the child to be. 

The final steps of formally completing adoption vary from state to state, but in all cases the birth mother will have to follow some formal protocols and legal procedures. States have different minimum waiting periods, but ultimately birth mothers must give legal consent to give guardianship to the adoptive family. 

Choosing adoption is a huge choice to make, regardless of what stage of pregnancy or life it takes place in. No matter what the timeline looks like, birth mothers always have adoption as an option, whether they make it before, during, or after their time at the hospital.