Lifetime has helped many women who choose to place their baby for adoption after delivery while still in the hospital. We provide adoption support and services to women in different stages of their decision-making process. You can choose adoption anytime, even months after your baby is born.
If you’ve been thinking about adoption but aren’t sure if it’s the right choice, don’t worry. This is common for many young women who find themselves in an unexpected pregnancy. If you decide on adoption, you are choosing a future for your child with many opportunities that you know you wouldn’t be able to provide.
The Steps to Take for a Last-Minute Adoption
Lifetime Adoption is a licensed adoption agency with nearly four decades of experience helping women. Our adoption coordinators can answer your questions and help you walk through the adoption process. Lifetime is a nationally known agency with a wide variety of resources. Our adoption coordinators are available 24/7 to help you by calling or texting Lifetime at 1-800-923-6784.
After contacting Lifetime, your next step is to look at adoptive family profiles online. Lifetime works with hopeful adoptive parents all across America. Viewing their profiles and videos will help you learn about each adoptive couple. When you see an adoptive couple you’re interested in, your Adoption Coordinator will arrange a meeting either by phone, Zoom, or in person, depending upon what you want.
Even if you decide on a last-minute adoption, you can meet the adoptive couple. If they don’t seem to be the right parents for your baby, your adoption coordinator will help you look through more profiles and choose another family to meet with.
Once you’ve picked adoptive parents for your baby, your Adoption Coordinator will walk you through the process, so you know what to expect. If you choose an open adoption, you’ll be able to stay in touch with your child as they grow up. Letters, emails, texts, phone calls, and even in-person visits are common in open adoptions. You and the adoptive parents will decide how you want to communicate.
Each Lifetime Adoption family is screened with a background check and ready to bring home your child as soon as necessary. So you can rest assured even though it’s a last-minute adoption, they will welcome your baby with open arms into their loving and stable home.
Why Adoption?
You might be wondering, “What are some of the reasons women choose adoption?” Here are just three of the many reasons why:
- No support from family: It’s difficult to raise a child on your own. You need to earn enough money to pay for your rent and food, childcare, and many other things your baby will need. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average cost of raising a child to adulthood is approximately $267,233. Raising a child on your own is a big sacrifice for your education and career. Many moms raise their children on their own. If you know your family is resistant to helping you physically and financially, you must be realistic about whether you can do it alone.
- Not ready to be a parent: For women who aren’t prepared for the responsibilities of being a parent, adoption can be a logical, loving choice. You may be young and still in school or just not ready to give up the many things you’ve worked for to raise a baby. Choosing adoption is a loving choice.
- Your partner is unreliable: Another reason women choose adoption is that their partner isn’t reliable enough to be a parent. He may show a lack of maturity in the way he’s handling the pregnancy news. Maybe he isn’t keeping his commitments to help pay rent or other things. If your partner isn’t showing that they’re reliable in this situation, adoption may be the best choice for you and your child.
Open adoption allows you to choose who will raise your child, and you’ll be able to stay in contact with the adoptive family and your child as they grow. Be honest with yourself. If you’re not ready to be a parent, it’s okay to choose adoption.
Is It Too Late to Choose Adoption?
There’s no deadline for when an adoption should happen. We understand that it’s challenging to find yourself in an unexpected pregnancy. With so much going on, you may find it hard to make your final decision about adoption until after your baby is born.
That’s okay because it’s never too late to decide to place your baby for adoption. If you choose adoption after delivery, you have the same rights in adoption as any other birth mother. You can choose the adoptive parents for your baby from your hospital bed. Then, you can be talking to them on the phone an hour later while they’re driving to meet you and your baby.
Please call or text Lifetime any time of the day at 1-800-923-6784 to speak with one of our adoption professionals if you have questions about adoption. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you in any way we can.
As the Vice President (VP) of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.