Expecting a place child in an adoption is much like expecting a baby through pregnancy. The excitement, the anticipation, the potential nerves, and with or without the morning sickness. It’s a major moment in an adoptive parent’s life, and rightfully so. There are many things to expect when you’re expecting an adoption, and here’s a list of some of them:
Nerves. This comes with the territory. Anticipation is always good – it means you’ve got something good to look forward to! Try not to worry too much, though – everything will work out the way it is supposed to. You may have to do a lot of waiting in this process, but every second spent in anticipation will hopefully be all worth it when you take your child home for the first time.
Questions. There will always be someone who doesn’t understand your choice to adopt. This doesn’t always mean that they won’t approve of it, but just be prepared for a lot of questions. Some people will be genuinely curious and supportive in your journey, and some will not – just remember, you chose this path for a reason, so stick to it! When people ask questions, be confident in your decision and use it as a teaching opportunity.
Legal Requirements. Before, during, and after the adoption process will require paperwork and some legal parameters. Your Adoption Choices agent can walk you through all of the steps you need to take to make the legal process easier and more digestible.
Choosing and being chosen by birth parents. With Adoption Choices, you will have an adoptive parent profile, with photos and bios of who you are and what your life consists of. This will help the birth parents decide who they want to move forward with in the adoption, so make sure you work with your Adoption Choices agent to make the bios as accurate and representative of your lives as possible. You will also, in tandem with the birth parents, decide what kind of relationship you prefer moving forward with the birth parents – closed or open. You can learn more about closed and open adoptions here.
A new member of your family. Just as with birth, adoption welcomes another person into your home. This is the most important part of adoption – accepting the new child as the newest member of your family.
