Step 1 Initial contact

It is very important to educate yourself about adoption and research all of your options. Working with an adoption professional you can trust and feel comfortable with will make all of the difference. When you are ready, the first step is to make contact with an Adoption Specialist who can answer all of your questions, explain your options and help you decide if adoption is right for you and your baby. American Adoption's specialists are available 24 hours a day at 1-800-ADOPTION to answer your questions. Your contact with American Adoptions will be kept confidential. You can also request an information packet here

Many adoptive families and birth mothers wonder why adoption counseling and case management is necessary. Adoption is an emotionally involved decision, not only for birth parents, but also for adoptive families. Too often, suppressed emotions surface during the emotionally-involved process of adoption and adoptive families and birth parents may need support during the adoption.

American Adoptions is currently one of the largest non-profit licensed domestic adoption agencies in the United States completing over 300 adoptions annually. As a non-profit, licensed adoption agency American Adoptions provides a full range of services to adoptive families and birth parents across the country.

Read profiles and view photos of the staff of American Adoptions.

American Adoptions is committed to giving you the best possible pool of adoptive families from which to choose, which is why our screening process is often more extensive than nearly any other adoption agency in the country.

Every adoptive family you see on our Web site is “active,” which means they are ready to be matched. Unlike many other adoption agency web sites, however, all of our adoptive families have already completed all of their criminal background checks and their adoption home study, both of which are required by state and federal law to adopt.

This safeguard gives you the peace of mind that no surprises will arise once you have your heart set on an adoptive family. For example, with some other agencies there have been scenarios where the prospective birth mother has chosen a family based on their online profile, only to be heartbroken months later when they failed a background check or their home study was denied.

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy,  you have probably already thought about your options and are ready to begin exploring these.

You might be struggling with what is the best choice for you and your baby. You might have considered adoption but just don’t know where to start.

Pregnancy brings about many changes, both physically and emotionally.  

It is often a very confusing time as you learn about your options -- this is very normal to feel.

1. Why do some pregnant women choose adoption?

• Some women are putting their baby's needs ahead of their own and do so out of love for the child.
• Some women desire to give their child everything they are not able to provide at this time.
• Some women want a stable, two-parent home for their child, and most adoptive families can provide this because they are secure financially and emotionally, and have been waiting to be parents.
• Some women want their child to be able to go to college and have a wonderful education.
• Some women want their child to have a large and supportive extended family for their child.

Step 1 Initial contact

It is very important to educate yourself about adoption and research all of your options. Working with an adoption professional you can trust and feel comfortable with will make all of the difference. When you are ready, the first step is to make contact with an Adoption Specialist who can answer all of your questions, explain your options and help you decide if adoption is right for you and your baby. American Adoption's specialists are available 24 hours a day at 1-800-ADOPTION to answer your questions. Your contact with American Adoptions will be kept confidential. You can also request an information packet here

Once you have decided on adoption, you must make the decision about when to tell some or all of your family members.

Some pregnant mothers decide to only inform family members who they believe will be supportive of their feelings. It's your decision to make, but we all know how opinionated family members can be with the choices we make.

Talk about how you feel about this with an adoption counselor. They can help you with ways to approach certain family members.

Here are a few suggestions ...

• It is sometimes easier to approach one family member at a time. In this way, you won’t feel judgment or emotional reactions from several members at the same time.
• It is usually better to approach the family member who you believe will be the most sensitive and supportive of your feelings.
• It is important to understand that your mother and father will typically respond negatively to the idea of pregnancy, adoption or parenting. It usually is because their initial reaction is one of shock, and they must go through the stages of acceptance, just as you will. When they first learn about your pregnancy, they typically aren’t in the frame of mind to think about what is best for you and your baby. It is more common for the initial reaction to be a mixture of disappointment, frustration, anger or denial.
• If you haven’t told them about your pregnancy, then it might be a good idea to share that idea with them first. It is a lot to take in at one time if you learn that your daughter is pregnant and she is also choosing adoption. These two ideas at one time overwhelm some parents. Most parents are most frustrated with the news of an unplanned pregnancy so it is best to share that news separately. It allows them to have a clearer head rather than respond with emotions. If they ask you what you are going to do about your pregnancy, you can tell them that you are currently exploring your options.

The father of your baby may or may not choose to be a part of your decision-making process. Whether he is supportive or not, you are not alone – many women, just like you, have experienced situations similar to yours!

Remember, adoption laws vary by state, so it is important that you speak with an adoption professional about the laws specific to your state. If the father of your baby is supportive and willing to work with you as a teammate throughout this process, this is a wonderful thing. However, if he is less than supportive of the concept of adoption, do not feel discouraged. Though each state has different laws on “birth father’s” rights, as long as a professional – like American Adoptions – ensures that everything is carried out according to the law, there is little an unsupportive father can do to stand in the way of what you feel is best.

In the event of an unplanned pregnancy, some fathers exhibit wonderfully supportive behavior, and are willing to work as a team with the mother to do whatever both feel is best for the baby’s future. 

If the father of your baby falls into this category, embrace the opportunity to work together to choose what you both feel is the best life for the baby you have created together. In fact, if the father of your baby is supportive, it is likely that he will experience many of the same feelings of grief and loss that you find yourself experiencing. However, it is important to remember to take care of yourself. Although it is important to be there for him during this time, too, don't focus all of your attention onto how he feels. Take time out to focus on yourself, as well.

It is not uncommon for a woman considering adoption to wonder if her child will resent her for choosing adoption. While not uncommon, the thought of your child one day hating you for placing them for adoption is a terrifying one - leaving you to wonder if adoption really is your best option.

It's almost comical how, when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, everyone in your life suddenly becomes an expert, lecturing you about what you should do next. People unsupportive of adoption will tell you just that - that your child will hate you for "giving them up." Perpetrated by fear of the unknown and of a lack of understanding about the modern adoption process, people often believe that an adopted child grows up lost and lonely, wondering who their birth parents are, never finding a sense of "self." 

However, that image couldn't be more untrue.

1. Why do some pregnant women choose adoption?

• Some women are putting their baby's needs ahead of their own and do so out of love for the child.
• Some women desire to give their child everything they are not able to provide at this time.
• Some women want a stable, two-parent home for their child, and most adoptive families can provide this because they are secure financially and emotionally, and have been waiting to be parents.
• Some women want their child to be able to go to college and have a wonderful education.
• Some women want their child to have a large and supportive extended family for their child.