Grief with making an adoption plan.
If you are considering making an adoption plan for your child, you may wonder if you will regret your decision and experience grief. This is a good question to ask! It shows that you care about your child and yourself and are looking for the best option for everyone. Deciding what is best can be difficult, but you are not alone. Lifeline has pregnancy counselors whose job it is to walk with you as you consider all the pros and cons of every option.
How do I make my decision?
Our pregnancy counselors can help you make the best decision. We have found that birthmothers rarely regret this choice, because they put so much time and thought into making their decision. Our pregnancy counselor’s job is to help you feel confident and sure about your choice before anything is final. When working with a pregnancy counselor, she can help you think through whether adoption is the right choice for you and your baby. She’ll never pressure you to choose adoption. Adoption is not the right option for every woman.
When you work with a pregnancy counselor to think through your options, you can feel confident about your final decision. If your decision is adoption, our pregnancy counselors will make sure you know that you can change your mind when everything is final. You are not responsible for the adoptive parents, and neither is your pregnancy counselor. Adoptive parents have separate workers to care for and support them. You can count on your pregnancy counselor to care for your needs alone.
What if I experience grief after placing my child with their adoptive family?
After a woman places her baby for adoption, it is not unusual for her to experience grief or sadness. There are sacrifices involved with every pregnancy option, and this is true in adoption as well. You will have the long-term support of Lifeline to be there for you and offer encouragement, hope, and community. You may want to talk with other birthmothers who placed before you, or have a mentor who can help you, as you process your grief.
Grief is different than regret, though. Many women who choose adoption are sad that it was the best option but feel confident that it was the best option. They are confident they did the right thing for themselves and their child.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you have any questions about adoption or want to talk about your options for your child, please reach out to one of our pregnancy counselors who would love to walk through that process with you. Reach out through our 24/7 FREE HOTLINE by live chat, text, or phone at 1-800-875-5595. Or you can submit a request for one of our pregnancy counselors to reach out to you.