4 Reasons to Consider Giving a Baby Up for Adoption in Your 40s

Are you in your 40s and experiencing an unplanned pregnancy? You might be at a point in life where you’ve raised a family, are looking toward future goals of retirement and don’t wish to raise another child. If so, call 1-800-ADOPTION to get basic information.

• Adoption can be the option for your pregnancy that provides a better future for everyone. 

• American Adoptions’ size and national scope make it easier for you to locate an adoptive family waiting and hopeful for the chance to adopt your child. 

• Your age is not a factor when choosing adoption through American Adoptions. 

When people think about women who place their babies for adoption, it’s not uncommon for women in their teens or early 20s to come to mind. The assumption is that unplanned pregnancies happen only to young women, but that’s not necessarily the case. 

Women in their 30s and 40s experience unplanned pregnancies as well, even if you don’t frequently hear about an accidental pregnancy after 40. 

If you are a woman in your 40s who isn’t sure what to do about an unexpected pregnancy, you aren’t alone. Other women in their 40s have made the choice to “give a baby up” for adoption, and it’s a choice you can make, as well. It’s completely okay to feel that you don’t want to be pregnant at 40 — you always have options. 

If you’re ready to start the adoption process with our agency, or if you want more information on adoption, call us today at 1-800-ADOPTION, or visit our online contact forms for prospective birth mothers and prospective adoptive parents. 

How Adoption Can Help You Create a Better Future [Find Your Child the Perfect Adoptive Family] 

Becoming pregnant in your 40s doesn’t automatically mean that parenting is your only choice. Like any other woman who unexpectedly becomes pregnant, you have three options: parenting, abortion or adoption. And, it’s just as much your right to consider obtaining an abortion or giving a child up for adoption at age 44, 47, 49 — or any other age — as it is a younger woman’s. 

At American Adoptions, we have a unique, first-hand knowledge of the life-changing and rewarding nature of adoption because many of our staff members have their own adoption stories. We understand where you’re coming from emotionally and want to do everything possible to create an adoption plan that fits your needs and gives you the best possible experience. 

Here are just a few of the benefits adoption through our agency provides you:

• 24/7 support, financial assistance for pregnancy-related living expenses and provided adoption attorneys to handle every legal aspect of your adoption journey. 

• An adoption specialist to help guide you through each step of the adoption process, including creating an adoption plan tailored to your needs. 

• The chance to build a life-long relationship with the adoptive family and your child through open adoption. 

The choice of adoption, regardless of your age, gives your child a loving and nurturing home, gives an adoptive family the chance to live out their dreams of growing a family and gives you the opportunity to focus on your current goals in life. 

Sharon, one of our birth mothers, placed her child for adoption knowing she was at a point in life where she was not prepared to raise a child for several reasons. 

“I just turned 41. I have three children at home. My oldest is 19 1/2. Two younger ones 12 and 9. I would have expected grandchildren before another baby of my own,” she says. “I didn't have a long-term relationship with the father. Becoming pregnant wasn't anything either us were ready for. I couldn't manage four kids alone at this time in my life. I knew I wasn't prepared to give her the love attention and life she deserved.

“I changed at least three people's lives for the better,” Sharon adds. “That is the most wonderful feeling, I can't describe it verbally. How often can you make a gift to someone that has such an impact? A forever impact.” 

For more information on how to get started with your adoption journey, call 1-800-ADOPTION for free, or contact us online. 

Why Parenting May Not Be an Option for You [Adoption is Always an Option] 

If you aren’t sure what to do, the first question to ask yourself is whether or not you’re ready to parent this baby. 

Women at 40 that don’t want to be pregnant may choose not to parent their children for any of the following reasons, in addition to many others: 

1. You have other children and feel that your family is already complete. 

Contrary to popular misconception, many women who choose adoption actually already have other children. It’s not always a question of feeling ready to become a mother but feeling prepared to become a mother again.  

Many women ultimately choose adoption when experiencing an unplanned pregnancy over 40 because they know they do not have enough attention or resources to stretch for another child in the family. If this is the case for you, you already know how expensive raising a baby can be.

Raising a child until the age of 18 can cost an average of $233,000! Even if your other children are already grown and out of the house, it can be overwhelming to think about starting the entire process over again with a new baby.

Adoption is a wonderful way to make sure all of your children — both your new baby and the ones you’ve already raised or are currently raising — get the best lives possible. A surprise pregnancy at 40 — or a surprise pregnancy over 40 — doesn’t mean any of your children (or you) have to sacrifice your current lifestyle. 

2. You have more responsibility at work. 

If you spent your 20s and 30s focusing on your career, it’s likely that you have some responsibility at your job at this point. Of course, it’s absolutely possible to have a baby and continue to succeed at the office, but it’s also true that having a baby means more time off as well as a less flexible schedule. For this reason, you may decide that raising another child is not the best choice for you.

Even if you aren’t focused on a demanding career, you are working hard to provide for yourself and your family. Whether you are in between jobs, looking for new opportunities, or working long hours, balancing those responsibilities with a newborn baby could make parenting difficult at this time in your life.

With adoption, you can give birth to your child (with financial assistance) and focus on your own quick recovery, knowing that your child is in the care of people who are prepared to be parents. 

3. You don’t wish to have a child at this time. 

Maybe you have the resources to have another child when you learn about an accidental pregnancy after 40, but you simply don’t want to.

It’s OK to feel that your family planning phase is over and you don’t wish to enter back into the era of diapers and erratic sleep. Many women don’t wish to have babies in their 40s simply because they know they’ll be entering their senior years earlier in their child’s lifetime than other parents would be. 

Maybe you’d rather just relax instead of taking care of a newborn. It’s completely OK to acknowledge those feelings and to base your decision on them when you realize you’ve become pregnant in your 40s unplanned. 

4. You’ve never felt that motherhood was for you. 

Not all women wish to be mothers. If you don’t have any children yet and wish to keep it that way, that is completely OK. Never let anyone guilt you for not finding parenthood appealing, whatever your reasons are. 

Like any other woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy who doesn’t wish to parent her child, you have two other options: abortion or adoption. Many women already have a firm stance on whether or not they’d have an abortion, and that is completely up to you.  

No matter which option you choose for you and your baby, it’s important that you make healthy choices as you go through your pregnancy. If you fall into the category of a woman experiencing an unexpected pregnancy at 40 or older, it’s crucial that you maintain frequent contact with your doctor to make sure everything progresses smoothly. 

Start Your Adoption Journey Today [Adoption is a Life-Changing Experience]     

Michelle, a birth parent specialist and a birth parent herself, is ready to answer any questions you have about putting your child up for adoption in your 40s.      

“I am available to answer any questions that arise, particularly from birth moms, as I have been in your shoes and know how you are feeling,” Michelle says. “It was most helpful to me when I had someone to talk to who would just listen to me without making any judgments or conclusions about who I was as a person.”       

You can ask Michelle questions about the adoption process online. You can also call us for free at 1-800-ADOPTION, or get free information with our online contact form for prospective birth mothers considering adoption here. Adoptive families wanting more information on adopting a child can click here to get more information. 

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