What Birth Mothers in Florida Want You to Know About Adoption

By Eve Jones

Placing your baby for adoption in Florida and creating an adoption plan can bring up a lot of feelings. It’s rarely an easy decision. That’s why it can be helpful to lean on the advice of other women who have gone through it before. Remember, you’re not alone! Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re going through, we guarantee you’re not the first or only one to experience it. At Adoption Choices of Florida, we’re happy to provide wisdom from those who have gone through adoption in Florida. Here are some tips we hope will help you through the adoption process.

Advocate for Yourself Throughout the Adoption in Florida

Your needs and your wants are just as important as those of your baby. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions. No one knows you as well as you know yourself, so you have to be your advocate. Adoption agencies will be happy to assist you in any way they can, but they can’t read your mind. This means asking yourself tough questions and understanding what you want to get out of the adoption journey. Adoption is complex and can bring up many contradictory feelings, so knowing what you need will equip you to advocate for yourself.

Make an Adoption Plan

Read more on this here. In short, having a plan of action will only serve to help you as you navigate a difficult situation. It will also make it easier to advocate for yourself if you’ve done the research and have a solid plan for how you want this adoption to go. This includes things like assessing closure, whether you want an open, semi-open, or closed adoption, the support you’ll need, the family you’d like your baby to be placed with, and other factors.

Make a Birth Plan

We’ve written about how to prepare one here. It’s important to plan ahead and know what you’ll need, and to have it close at hand when the time comes. Birth often takes you by surprise, and no two pregnancies or births are the same, so it’s best to be ready for anything. Make sure your plan also covers the emotional side of things – the adoptive family usually leaves the hospital with the baby and you will have 48 hours to revoke the adoption if you choose to do so. Being prepared to say goodbye to your baby won’t shield you from all the emotions you may feel, but it will help to soften the blow.

Familiarize Yourself with Adoption in Florida

Often, what scares us the most is simply not knowing or not understanding the thing we’re facing. If you’re feeling scared or intimidated or overwhelmed, first, take a few deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, then start doing research. We have many articles on our blog with tons of helpful information, but you can also use Google to find even more if you need it. Arm yourself with knowledge – it may not completely dispel your concerns or fears, but you will at least feel more prepared for what’s in store. Being well-informed will make it much easier to make your adoption and birth plans, and it will absolutely help you advocate for yourself so that your needs are being taken care of throughout. Adoption agencies will provide you with all of the necessary information to make your decisions.

Allow Yourself Space to Grieve

Everyone reacts to adoption differently, but it’s quite common to feel a sense of grief and even struggle to find closure, especially depending on the type of adoption you’ve chosen. Once it’s gone through, it’s very important that you allow yourself to feel how you feel. You don’t have to feel how anyone else thinks you should feel – they’re your feelings, and it’s your time, after all. If you need extra time off work to process, or if you need to call your best friend just to cry, or even if you feel a sense of relief, know that your feelings are valid.

Have a Support Network

Many women often feel very alone when making the choice to place their baby for adoption. They might not have anyone in their life they feel comfortable confiding in, or maybe they prefer to stay strong and not let on what they’re going through. Making a decision like this is often much more bearable when we have people we can lean on, whether in real life or online. You can always contact your adoption specialist, even long after the adoption has taken place if you need support.

We also encourage you to have friends or family whom you can trust and confide in. There are also countless online communities full of wonderful, supportive people where you can share your story and read their stories. You can join private Facebook groups where you can post without worrying about anyone you know knowing your business. There are also communities on Reddit where you can post completely anonymously while still getting love and support from other people in the same boat. Having support, even anonymously, can be incredibly helpful and make you feel reassured about your decision.

You’re Not Alone through Adoption in Florida

As said above, this is rarely an easy choice. What birth mothers in Florida want you to know about adoption above all is that you’re not alone. Whether you talk to your family, your friends, your adoption specialist, or a group of strangers online, there are people who will be there for you and support your decision. Understand the process of adoption, make plans, advocate for yourself, and know you are loved and supported, even by people who don’t know you. You got this! Whenever you have questions or if you need help finding a support group, just reach out, and we’ll be so happy to help you.

If you are a pregnant woman in Florida considering adoption and have any questions or concerns about the adoption process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information on adoption, visit us at Adoption Choices of Florida or call us at: (833) 352-3678