Pregnant women considering adoption call the Independent Adoption Center daily asking what the next step is in the process. Depending on the due date of a woman’s baby, we will tell her a couple of different things. If it is a long time until the baby is due, the next step in the process is to learn more about adoption and what it would mean for the future of mom and baby, and perhaps dad. So, we will send her an information packet, mailed in a blank envelope to honor her privacy. At this stage, a counselor will call to follow up or the pregnant woman will call the IAC with questions. During this phone conversation the counselor will help the woman (and sometimes her partner and her family) sort through her emotions so that the she can clearly decide if she wants to start getting to know one of IAC’s families who is waiting to adopt.
If the baby is due soon, the next step is the same, but the time available to make the decision to choose a family and make a plan is shorter, so the most important thing to do is have a telephone conversation with a counselor so that the pregnant woman can have her questions answered right away. If the mom is not ready to speak with a family, she can definitely choose to wait. The final decision to place is always made after the baby is born, regardless of whether or not the baby’s mom has chosen an adoptive family. But, because IAC families want open adoptions, it is preferable for everyone to get to know each other before the baby is born. Since birthmoms and adoptive parents will always be part of each others lives, the most successful adoptions are planned ahead.
No matter what stage a woman is in when she starts to consider adoption, it is very important that she has someone to talk to who she can trust. Because Independent Adoption Center counselors are not there to pressure a woman into placing her baby, but simply to help her come to the decision that is best for her, many women prefer to talk to an IAC counselor, rather than a lawyer or another intermediary.
