A prospective adoptive parent shares her feelings of sadness as the holidays approach while waiting to adopt. Parents who have been there offer advice.
“The Longest Mile”
“It’s been almost five months and my husband and I are still in labor. The pregnancy was even longer—twelve months. When will this baby come, we ask ourselves.”
Parent-to-Parent: Celebrating the Holidays While Waiting for Your Child
Parents share their experiences of celebrating the holidays while still waiting for their adoptions to be finalized.
Parent-to-Parent: What Does a Family Want to Hear While Waiting to Adopt?
Waiting to adopt is hard, especially when the wait stretches on for years. Real parents share the words that comforted them and got them through their waits.
Ask AF: Feeling Excited and Scared as We Begin the Process
“We’re just beginning the adoption process, and are waffling between excitement—and terror. Is this normal?”
10 Lists to Help You Prepare for Adoption
A list of lists to help you through the adoption process and wait.
“Slipping into Parenthood”
I bought that stuffed animal — and that book, and that baby hat — in a moment of weakness. But as the wait stretched on, I realized those slip-ups are what kept me going.
“The Stages of Waiting”
Are all the bewildering ups and downs I’ve experienced during our wait typical of the international adoption process?
“When Will an Expectant Mother Pick Us?”
During the long wait for an adoption match, friends and family may be sympathetic, but they don’t understand the anxiety that leads you to question every aspect of your adoption profile — and yourself.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Surviving the Wait
In hindsight, these veteran adoptive moms would have done some things differently during the wait — but not others.
“Guarding My Heart During the Wait”
After years of grappling with infertility, I could only focus on what might go wrong during our (in hindsight) perfect match and my daughter’s birth.
“I Want the Same Hubbub That Surrounds Pregnancy!”
When I announced our adoption plans, I hoped for the same kind of excitement that pregnant women get. After all, the happiness we’re expecting is the same.
Parent-to-Parent: The Hardest Part of the Adoption Process
Adoptive parents look back on the adoption process and share the hardest moments, from having to change routes to becoming parents overnight to seeing the birth mother say goodbye.
Preparing for Your Child During the Wait
The very best way to occupy your time while you wait for your child is to learn everything you can about raising adopted children, and to prepare for any eventuality.
How and When to Share Your Adoption News
Our adoptive families recommend that you share your plans in stages. While adoptions take, on average, one year from the date your home study is accepted, you won’t be in control of the timing. And if yours drags on, the last thing you want is daily phone calls asking, “So … any news?”
“Our Stages of Labor and Delivery”
Although I did not endure physical childbirth, I know every emotion that pours in when motherhood begins.
“What Are the Chances We’ll Get ‘The Call’ This Week?”
I finally realized that this was “The Call” when my social worker said, “Do you remember when you said this would be the worst week for you to get picked by an expectant mother?”
“My Endless Summer of Waiting”
This was to have been my first summer as a mom. Instead, we’re waiting for the clearing of one final hurdle.
“From Heartbreak to Hope”
When our first adoption match fell through, we were devastated.
Ask AF: What’s Typical in Adoption Agency Contact?
Answers to your parenting questions.