Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a baby with another set of parents. An adoption can be arranged through relatives, an adoption agency, or independently. Adoption laws vary in each state, so you may want to see if there is a time frame that you can still change your mind, whether minors need parental consent to place a child for adoption (most states don't require this), and what the birth father's rights are. Many women who choose adoption feel satisfied with this choice, yet some do report that their sense of loss is stronger than what they had expected.
If you are leaning towards adoption, ask yourself if the following would apply:
Yes No Unsure
() () () 1. Nobody is pressuring me to choose adoption
() () () I believe that my child will have a better life this way
() () () 3. I respect women who choose adoption
() () () 4. I can accept and be alright with not being my child's parent
() () () 5. I don't think that I can fulfill a child's needs right now
() () () 6. I don't believe I can be an effective/attentive parent at this time
() () () 7. I will be able to handle the feelings of loss that I may experience
() () () 8. The child's birth father will approve of the adoption
() () () 9. I am selecting adoption because abortion scares me
() () () 10. I have people in my life who will support me, through my pregnancy and the adoption process
() () () 11. I am choosing adoption because I don't believe in abortion
() () () 12. Adoption seems to be what I should do but not what I want to do
