A Act of Love Adoptions offer birthparents the opportunity to make informed decisions about their adoption plan with the help of counseling. They also have a wide range of choices available in making an adoption plan. It can be liberating to know that you have control over these areas of an unplanned pregnancy and also to know that you have help to make these choices for yourself.

Here are a few simple steps and issues you need to think about with regards to choosing adoption for your baby:

– Decide if adoption is the choice for you. The bottom line when choosing adoption is that you want not just what is best for yourself, but ultimately what is best for your baby. At this point, consider whether adoption is a choice you can commit to for yourself and your child. Of course, you can still change your plans during the process. You can seek counseling to provide you with guidance as to whether you are ready to be a parent at this time in your life. You should also evaluate the resources you have in terms of finances, as well as, emotional and moral support. Evaluating these areas will help you make the decision you need to make.

– Choose an adoption agency. Once you have decided on adoption for your unplanned pregnancy, the next step is to choose who can help you throughout the adoption process. There are instances where birthparents choose to work directly with prospective parents without going through an agency adoption or professional. Usually, this is ideal when you personally know the family beforehand. For adoptions where the birthparent and the prospective parents don’t know each other, a reputable adoption agency such as A Act of Love Adoptions is highly recommended. When choosing the agency, it is important to consider if the agency:

Holds the necessary licenses and accreditation from all the concerned government bodies
Is committed to your overall wellbeing and best interest
Carefully screens the prospective parents
Is staffed by caring professionals who are easy to contact and will help you with your needs
Enables you to build your adoption plan according to your personal choices and preferences

– Develop a support system that you can lean on during the pregnancy and afterwards. One advantage of working with an adoption agency is that they provide many resources and support for you. Aside from counseling, you can gain support from the team supporting your adoption and from your loved ones and friends.

– Decide on the type of adoption you want. Do you desire to build a relationship with the child and his family? Although open adoptions (where there is some contact with the birthparent and the family) are becoming more common, some birthparents choose a confidential adoption (where both birthparents and prospective parents do not plan to make contact with each other after the placement). Selecting a closed adoption might be chosen because birthparents feel they can move forward with their life easier than if they had contact. If you do choose an open adoption, you can set the parameters with regards to the level of contact you would like. Will it involve occasional letters and pictures from the family or do you want regular visits and phone calls?

– Choose the adoptive family. If you opt for an open adoption, the adoption agency will have a set of pre-screened prospective parents for your child. You will be happy with the choices available! With confidential adoptions, you can still set the criteria by which the adoption agency will use in choosing the prospective family.

– Secure financial support for the pregnancy. Please note that in most states birthparents can receive pregnancy related expenses. In addition, the law governing financial assistance for birthparents will vary across the country. However, as a birthparent, you may be entitled to receive help with the expenses related to the pregnancy. This can include medical expenses (medicines, doctor’s fees and hospital fees), reasonable living expenses (such as the groceries, food, rent and transportation costs), as well as, counseling and legal fees.

– Plan your delivery and hospital stay. What kind of delivery do you want to have? Would you like loved ones or friends in the hospital? Would you like the prospective parents to be there with you? Would you like to spend some time with the baby during your hospital stay?