Waiting for most anything – especially something as important as adding to becoming parents – can feel agonizing. There’s a lot of waiting involved in the infant adoption process. So in today’s edition of Before You Adopt, we’re sharing about a fun activity you can do while you wait to be chosen by a birth mother: travel.
Take a “baby-moon” vacation together. Getting away from it all and relaxing can be an effective way to survive the adoption wait. You could save up for a big trip, or just go on a weekend getaway someplace near your house. No matter which type of trip you decide upon, planning your vacation can take your mind off your wait. You might feel tempted to hold off on trips because you don’t know when you’ll get “the call” that a birth mother wants to speak with you. But, it’s important that you don’t put your entire life on hold during your adoption journey. So get some travel insurance and flexible tickets, then go forward with vacation planning. For many adoptive couples, these are the last few months of being “child-free,” so try to enjoy them and nurture your relationship. Enjoy that vacation!
“My wife and I went on a six-day Caribbean cruise. It was nice to have this trip to look forward to while making our profiles and doing all the paperwork. And, it was nice to have one final vacation together before we became parents,” Mike, a Lifetime adoptive father of two shares.
Make sure to inform your Adoption Coordinator about your travel plans, including how she can reach you. Unless you tell us not to, Lifetime will try to reach you about potential matches while you’re away from home. So making yourself available ensures that you wouldn’t miss a beat if a birth mother wishes to speak with you right away!
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.”