Adoption Q&A: Excitement and Panic During the Adoption Process

by | Jan 6, 2017 | Adoptive Families Blog

waiting adoptive couple playground.jpgQuestion: My husband and I are two months into our adoption journey with Lifetime, and I’m wondering if it’s normal to go between excitement and panic about most every part of the adoption process?

I worry about things like whether we’ll pass our home study, how long we’ll wait, and if any birth mother will choose us.

Answer: This is totally normal, and simply part of the adoption journey. Remember, you have a dedicated Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime here for you anytime you need to talk throughout the adoption process. Email or call her when you’re uncertain whether your feelings are intuition and should be taken seriously, or are just healthy adoption jitters.

What you’re experiencing is very ordinary in domestic adoption. As one of Lifetime’s successful adoptive parents shares, “I’m a hands-on type of a person, and so I finished our adoption profiles, website, home study, and adoption video within the first few months of contracting. Then the wait to be chosen by a birth mother set in. I had a difficult time; I was terrified we wouldn’t be picked! But what really helped me was that Lifetime was always there when I needed information or encouragement. I’m so thankful for Lifetime Adoption’s assistance, guidance, stories, faith, and wisdom they share with both adoptive families and birth mothers!”

Another Lifetime adoptive mother, Chantel, shares, “We waited for a while for our daughter and God answered our prayers. As we hold her, it gives us peace knowing God’s perfect plan. We should always trust His timing because it’s always perfect! When we were in the thick of our adoption wait, it was so nice to know that Lifetime’s staff was available to help! As we were waiting for our baby girl to be born, Kimberly at Lifetime Adoption was a wonderful go-between with our adoption attorney and the hospital social worker!”

Your adoption wait will be forgotten once you bring home the baby that God meant for you. Enjoy the excitement as you progress on your adoption journey! We’ve compiled some Lifetime articles which will help you become constructive during your adoption wait:

Adoptive Parenting Books to Read Before You Adopt

11 Anti-Stress Tips for Your Adoption Wait (and one BONUS tip!)

Becoming Adoptive Parents in God’s Timing

Why Wasn’t That Our Baby?

Any of the articles in our blog series “Before You Adopt

Having a Hard Time with Adoption Paperwork? Here’s 5 Tips!

Why Them and Not Us?

Hurry Up & Wait! 6 Ideas on What to Do During Your Adoption Wait

Listening to Lifetime’s FREE adoption webinars has also helped many adoptive couples in the waiting stage of the adoption process.

Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

Written by Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

Founder of Lifetime Adoption, adoptive mom, adoption expert, and Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P).

Since 1986, adoption expert Mardie Caldwell has been dedicated to bringing couples and birth parents together in order to fulfill their dreams.

“Many years ago, I was also searching for a child to adopt. We didn’t know where or how to get started. Through research, determination, and a prayer, our dream of a family became reality. I started with a plan, a notebook, assistance from a caring adoption consultant and a lot of hard work; this was my family I was building. We had a few heartaches along the way, but the pain of not having children was worse!

Within weeks we had three different birth mothers choose us. We were overwhelmed and delighted. Many unsettling events would take place before our adoption would be finalized, many months later. Little did I know that God was training and aligning me for the adoption work I now do today. It is my goal to share with our families the methods and plans which succeed and do not succeed. I believe adoption should be affordable and can be a wonderful “pregnancy” for the adoptive couple.

I have also been on both sides of infertility with the loss of seven pregnancies and then conceiving by new technology, giving birth to a healthy daughter. I have experienced first-hand the emotional pain of infertility and believe my experience allows me to serve your needs better.

It is my hope that for you, the prospective parents, your desire for a child will be fulfilled soon.”

Read More About Mardie Caldwell

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