“I’m thinking of giving my baby up for adoption in South Dakota. What should I do first?”

American Adoptions has worked with many women in your situation. We have heard this question thousands of times, and we are here to help any woman considering adoption for her baby in South Dakota or anywhere else in the United States.

First, there are some common misconceptions about the phrase “giving a baby up for adoption.” This is still heard in many conversations that we have about adoption today, but there are several reasons why this is not an accurate representation of the adoption process.

When you think of your decision as “giving up a baby” for adoption in South Dakota, it doesn’t accurately portray the emotional aspect of adoption. The phrase is often insensitive, as it doesn’t convey the selfless decision that women considering placing a baby for adoption go through.

If you are wondering how to place a baby for adoption in South Dakota, the first thing you should know is that you are not giving up on your child or giving them away — you are giving them life. If you are placing a baby for adoption in South Dakota, it’s because you want your child to have the best future imaginable, one that you may not be able to provide at this time.

Because every adoption is different, please call 1-800-ADOPTION to receive free information if you are thinking, “I want to give my baby up for adoption in South Dakota.” One of our adoption specialists will be able to provide information and resources so that you can make the best decision for yourself and your baby.

In the meantime, read on to learn more about the process of putting a newborn up for adoption in South Dakota.

Step 1: Decide if Adoption is Right for You

Putting a baby up for adoption in South Dakota is a decision that will change not only your life, but the life of your child and the adoptive family. It will also be one of the hardest decisions that you will ever have to make.

When faced with an unexpected pregnancy, your options are:

1. Parenting

2. Abortion

3. Adoption

 American Adoptions primarily works with women that are wondering, how to “give an unborn baby up” for adoption in South Dakota. However, we still encourage you to research all of your options. Only you can, and should, make this difficult decision. Your friends and family may have an opinion or two about your pregnancy, but only you can decide what’s right. While the birth father may have rights in South Dakota, he shouldn’t make the choice, either. Adoption is a personal decision that will last a lifetime, and only you can decide what’s best for your future.

Step 2: Create an Adoption Plan

By working with American Adoptions, you have the freedom to choose what your adoption looks like. By creating an adoption plan, you have a say in every step of the process. Your adoption specialist will be there to guide you during the process, and will make sure that both you and your baby’s needs are met.

Step 3: Find an Adoptive Family

As part of your adoption plan, you also have a say in the family that your child gets to grow up with. You can start thinking the kind of life you envision for your child, which may include asking yourself questions like:

• What kind of environment you want the child to grow up in.

• Do you want the adoptive family to live closer, allowing for more in-person visits?

• How many siblings do you want your child to have?

Finding an adoptive family is often one of the most stressful parts of placing a baby for adoption in South Dakota, but your adoption specialist will be there to guide and support you every step of the way. You want your child to have the best life imaginable, one that you may not be able to provide at this time. By choosing the perfect adoptive parents that match the vision you have for your child’s future, you can make sure your child gets the life you imagine for them.

Step 4: Get to Know the Adoptive Family

Getting to know the adoptive family for the first time is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Once you’ve found the right family for your needs, your adoption specialist will mediate a call between the both of you and help you get to know one another. Later, you can start getting to know one another through emails, phone calls, and more.

Step 5: Prepare for the Hospital Stay and the Consent Process in South Dakota

The hospital stay is one of the most important and emotional parts of putting a baby up for adoption in South Dakota. Your hospital plan will include the things a woman will typically prepare for her birth, like what hospital you’re staying at and how you want the baby to be delivered, with some additional aspects to consider.

Your adoption specialist will work closely with you to develop an adoption hospital plan and will ask you questions such as:

• Do you want a natural delivery?

• Who will be the first one to hold your baby?

• Do you want the adoptive family in the room?

• And much more

Before your child can be legally adopted, you will need to give your consent to the adoption. In South Dakota, you may not give your consent until at least five days after the birth. You adoption specialist and adoption attorney will be able to discuss your rights in an adoption with you prior to you signing any documents.

If you are ready to start creating your hospital plan or if you would like to learn more about the consent process in South Dakota, please call 1-800-ADOPTION to receive free information.

Step 6: Stay in Contact after Placement

Many women worry about what their relationship will look like with their child after placement. They may wonder, “How will I know how they’re doing?” or, “Will my child hate me?” These questions are normal as you move through the grief and loss process of placing a baby for adoption in SD.

At American Adoptions, we strongly encourage birth mothers and adoptive families to stay open during and after the process. This means that after placement, you can still:

• Exchange phone and video calls

• Visit over holidays and birthdays

• Watch your child grow up happy and healthy

As long as you find an adoptive family that has similar goals for their adoption as you do, you can be involved in your child’s life as much as you wish after putting your baby up for adoption in South Dakota.

Putting a newborn up for adoption will be one of the most emotional decisions that you have to make. If you are wondering, “How do I put my unborn baby up for adoption in South Dakota?” our goal is to help you every step of the way. If you would like to receive free information about placing a newborn up for adoption in South Dakota, please call 1-800-ADOPTION to receive free information.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.