If you decide to go through an adoption agency, the first step is to meet with a counselor who will answer any questions you may have. They can even meet with you in your home for convenience.

The next step is to choose a family. An agency has many families waiting to adopt and you will be able to choose the family that is a right fit. For every baby placed for adoption, there are approximately 36 families hoping to welcome the child into their home. (American Adoptions, 2020)

Step three is to create an adoption plan. Your counselor will help you along the way. He or She will help you plan your hospital stay, decide if it will be an open or closed adoption, and decide if there will be future communication between you and the adoptive family if that is what you desire.

Next, you will meet with an attorney (at no cost to you) who specializes in adoption law. The attorney will simply walk you through the process and make sure you understand your legal rights.

Then, after you deliver your baby, you can decide to place him or her for adoption. Once you and your baby are ready to be discharged, your baby will go home from the hospital with the adoptive parents.

To complete the adoption process, you will need to sign a consent to adoption form which is a legal document. You cannot sign this until 72 hours after the birth of your child and up to 60 days after birth. The document is not final until 10 working days after you sign. Your counselor will be available for support, before, during, and after the adoption process.

In an independent adoption, the birth parents and adoptive parents plan the adoption instead of having an agency mediate it. Every independent adoption is unique.

In an independent adoption, birth parents give legal rights directly to the adoptive parents instead of giving it to an agency.

Attorneys are not provided in an independent adoption. The adoptive parents and birth parents find their own attorneys. However, in Minnesota, the adoptive parents pay the legal fees so the birth mother/parents are not required to pay. Adoptive parents are also required to pay for any counseling charges (Adoption Minnesota, 2019).

One pro of making an adoption plan is that you will not be responsible for a child who you are not emotionally, economically, or physically ready to care for.

In independent adoptions and through most agencies you get to hand-pick a family for your child. So, you can have peace of mind knowing that your child will grow up in a loving home of your choice.

A third good thing that can come from making an adoption plan for your child is that you will be placing your child with a family who has likely struggled with infertility for a long time. This family will be ever so eager to meet and shower your baby with unconditional love.

There is never any cost to you, the birth mother/parents. (American Adoptions, 2020)

Adoption can be an emotionally difficult process. It is wise to think through and discuss the parts about adoption that scare you before you begin the process. We are here for you to talk through your questions or reluctance.

If you decide to do a closed adoption, it can be difficult for some women not to see the child grow up. There are pros and cons to both open and closed adoptions (Adoption Network, 2020).