Putting Your Baby Up for Adoption After Birth [Complete Guide]

You can give your baby up for adoption after birth, even if you choose adoption at the last minute.

It’s important to realize adoption is always an option:

• You can choose adoption at the hospital.

• You can choose adoption after birth.

• You can choose adoption in the weeks, months, and in some cases, years after returning home.

If you need help now, you can call 1-800-ADOPTION for free support.

Because there is no maximum age to give a child up for adoption, you shouldn’t be deterred if you’ve decided that adoption is the best choice for you — minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months after your baby is born. Giving a child up for adoption after birth is very common.

This guide will explore the adoption process after birth and the resources you need to complete it. You can also get free information on how to “give a baby up” for adoption in the hospital, after birth, or after taking them home by contacting us today. Until then, continue reading to learn more about choosing adoption after birth.

How to “Give a Baby Up” for Adoption in the Hospital

Every adoption situation is different. You may not know adoption is right for you until the last minute. When deciding on adoption after birth is the best option for your baby, you’re probably going to have a lot of questions. That’s completely normal, and we are here to help!

Not only can you choose adoption at the hospital — you can have the same adoption experience as any other prospective birth mother. The only difference is that the adoption process may be sped up to help you choose adoptive parents for your baby faster.

Last-minute hospital adoptions are common, and we’re experienced at supporting women through the process that accompanies this brave and difficult decision. We do have to warn you: Not all agencies have experience with putting a baby up for adoption at the hospital

The larger an agency’s staff and the longer the agency has been around, the more likely it is to have the experience you’re going to need to turn this stressful time into a successful adoption.

Working with an agency like American Adoptions is so important for you, not only to make sure you are getting the answers you need but also to ensure you receive the best services and support throughout your adoption.  Our team of professionals guides you through the process, providing answers to all of those questions and explaining just how adoption works after birth.

With over 30 years of experience as one of the nation's largest domestic infant adoption agencies, American Adoptions has helped thousands of birth parents and adoptive families complete successful adoptions with our agency.

If you’re wondering how to give a baby up for adoption after birth in the hospital, know that you will still have the same rights and play the same role in the adoption process as any other prospective birth mother, and you will still be able to find someone to adopt at birth. With American Adoptions, you can:

• Choose an adoptive family while lying in your hospital bed

• Talk with them on the phone while they are traveling to meet you and your baby

• Be confident in your choice, because each of our adoptive families is already pre-screened and excited to become parents

And as with all adoptions, you remain in control of your adoption plan when you “give a baby up” for adoption in a hospital.

You will get to:

• Choose the adoptive family

• Determine the post-adoption relationship

• Decide on any contact you want prior to delivering

If you’re not sure how to “give a baby up” for adoption at the hospital, start by calling 1-800-ADOPTION . We’ll walk you through the process of giving up a baby for adoption at the hospital and work with you to find the adoptive parents that you feel are right — and we’ll help you to do it quickly enough so that your baby’s future family will be ready and on their way to meet you as soon as you’re ready.

Can I Still Place My Newborn for Adoption After Birth?

One of the most common questions we hear from prospective birth mothers, is “Is it possible to give up a child after birth?” To the surprise of many, the answer is yes, you can put your child up for adoption after birth.

You can choose to place a child for adoption hours, days, weeks, or months after he or she has been born. Even if you’ve taken your child home and have been caring for him or her, you can still choose adoption if you feel it’s the right course of action for you and your child. You’re not alone; choosing adoption after birth is fairly common.

Take it from Casey, a birth mother who worked with American Adoptions to place her 2-year-old twins for adoption. After struggling to make ends meet as a single mother, she wanted something better for her sons. And while adoption is never easy, it’s a decision Casey feels good about.

“I don’t regret the adoption because I know it’s what was supposed to happen,” Casey said. “I was supposed to raise them for two years so they could be with their family now. If I didn’t, they would never have had the chance to be with their wonderful family and to have all the opportunities they have in their lives.”

If you choose to put a baby up for adoption after birth, whether it’s immediately after they’re born or months later, you will likely question, “How does adoption work after birth?”

Here’s what will happen:

• Step 1: You’ll contact an American Adoptions professional at 1-800-ADOPTION. They’ll help you fill out your social and medical history forms and determine your preferences for an adoptive family.

• Step 2: The professionals will send you some profiles of families to choose from that match your preferences. If you’d like to take a look at some of those profiles now, you can view them here.

• Step 3: Once you choose a family, they will be notified and be on their way to you as soon as you are ready. Depending on how close they live to you, you may meet them within hours. They might even talk to you on the phone as they’re traveling, if possible. If your child is older, you may meet with the adoptive family several times to help you and your child make this transition.

• Step 4: Once you meet the adoptive family, you can clarify your preferences for open adoption contact and your post-adoption relationship.

• Step 5: With the assistance of a social worker and a lawyer, you will complete the adoption paperwork, and the adoptive family will take custody of your baby.

Deciding on adoption after birth can be stressful, which is why we at American Adoptions do all we can to make the process as smooth as possible for you. These last-minute adoptions still offer:

• Free medical expenses, so you don’t have to worry about affording the cost of your delivery and postpartum care

• Free legal expenses, giving you access to an adoption attorney who will make sure you feel 100% comfortable with the adoption paperwork you complete

• 24/7 adoption support, so you can reach a trained adoption professional for counseling, whenever you need it

• And other important adoption services and support

Just because you are choosing to give your already born baby up for adoption does not mean that you are treated any differently from a mother who chooses adoption earlier in her pregnancy. Your comfort is of the utmost importance to us, and our professionals are available 24 hours a day. They’ll help you navigate your feelings about adoption and the future of your child so you can be confident in your decision.

And if you’d like to see what adoption can mean to a child, and how your child might feel about adoption, watch this video, or read other adoption testimonials from birth mothers, adoptive families, and adoptees themselves.

If you are thinking about giving your baby up for adoption at birth, or after, it is never too late to start the process. Whether you’ve been parenting your child or you just gave birth and you’re wondering who to contact about adoption, there is no “deadline” for giving your baby up for adoption.

To get started now, or if you still have questions about “giving a child up” for adoption after birth, please call our adoption professionals at any time at 1-800-ADOPTION. We can help you start an adoption plan right away.

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