What if I Don’t Want Help in Placing My Baby for Adoption?
By Moki Murillo
The adoption process can be an ordeal for many birth mothers, especially if they lack the resources. This is not the case for all birth mothers going through this process, of course. Adoption agencies can provide much-needed support to prospective birth mothers, such as financial aid and housing. However, perhaps you have all the resources you need to go through this process without them. Maybe you feel that you only need yourself and your loved ones to go through this process. We at Adoption Choices of Texas respect the choice of any birth mother who wishes to refuse any of the financial aid or counseling services we provide. That being said, we do want your choice to be an informed one. Allow us to inform you of what forgoing any of our assistance services could mean for you.
Not Accepting Aid from Adoption Centers
Birth mothers seeking our Austin adoption services, for example, can enjoy a number of services. Our adoption plans cover approved living and medical expenses. We can cover transportation both to and from medical or counseling appointments. We can even provide housing and legal assistance should the need arise. You will never be charged for meeting with adoption specialists or making any adoption plan at Adoption Choices of Texas. There are, however, real financial costs when that comes with pregnancy.
According to an article from the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, pregnant women pay more in medical bills. On average, pregnant women on large group plans pay almost $19,000 more than women who aren’t pregnant. These costs increase for women giving birth via C-section. Due to these costs, we recommend that you have your own private health insurance when delivering your child. Even on Medicaid, you could be charged around $3,000 for out-of-pocket expenses. If you are unable to afford these costs, our adoption plans include assistance in paying your medical bills.
Mental Health and Adoption
When you choose adoption in our Houston branch, for example, you have access to our adoption counseling services. At Adoption Choices of Texas, we understand that there can be negative feelings involved in the adoption process. Many birth mothers feel guilt or sadness when putting their babies up for adoption. These feelings are valid and understandable, which is why our counseling services can help with that. Not every birth mother needs this kind of support, but you should be informed of the potential risks.
Many birth mothers that we work with feel that they “abandon” their baby. They grieve the loss of that child even if they had good reason to put them up for adoption. You may already understand that your reasons for putting your baby up for adoption are valid. Rather than blaming yourself, you know that giving your baby to another family is what’s best for them. We are happy if you came to this realization on your own, but even then, there are risks. One such risk is postpartum depression.
In case you don’t know, postpartum depression is a mental illness that can occur in women after childbirth. Most women affected by this only experience mild symptoms, such as irritability and anxiety. More extreme symptoms exist, but thankfully most women make a full recovery. That being said, postpartum depression is a common occurrence among pregnant women. One in ten pregnant women will experience postpartum depression. While this condition is not life-threatening, we still recommend that you take care of your mental health after childbirth. Should your mental health become too severe, our counseling services are still available even after the child is born.
Adoption: An Unfortunate Stigma
We at Adoption Choices of Texas hope that you have a great support system during the adoption process. Unfortunately, not every birth mother looking to place their baby for adoption has that luxury. An article from Deseret News reported that birth mothers today face more stigma than they did in the past. During the 1970s, 70 percent of birth mothers said that they faced stigma for placing their baby for adoption. That number increased to 90 percent of birth mothers today. Unfortunately, most of that criticism comes from the birth mother’s friends and family.
It is a sad fact that adoption in this country is still frowned upon. Although you may get judged for this decision, know that we, along with any worthwhile adoption agency won’t. We hope that you have people in your life that support your decision. Ideally, you won’t need our counseling services to help deal with any social stigma. In case you do, we will be there.
Should You Face Adoption Alone?
As a reminder, our adoption services are always free to birth mothers. We offer them to help ease the financial, medical, and mental toll associated with the adoption process. Choosing to place babies into adoption is not an easy decision, and we hope our services are not necessary. We hope that every adoption process leaves little or no lasting pain for the birth mother. Perhaps yours will be one of them, and we are happy for you if it is. But if it ever becomes that difficult, visit our website and set up your adoption plan today. Our door is always open, and we won’t judge.
Si necesitas ayuda para poner a tu bebé en adopción, llame y visite nuestro sitio web hoy.
