Preparing (Or Not) for Adoption Bringing home a new child requires plenty of advance preparation, whether you’re giving birth or adopting. Adoption brings a host of new concerns about whether parents are doing enough to make themselves ready for this new child. Prospective parents spend months pouring over literature, looking at infant pictures, and researching the very best ways to…
Adoption Counseling What do you think of when you hear the word counseling? Some might consider counseling a place for “other people.” Perhaps you consider counseling to be a place for people with mental health issues or for people who can’t keep their emotions in check on a day to day basis. Maybe counseling is for the weak. Maybe there…
10 Common Reasons for Putting a Child Up for Adoption Many birth mothers struggle with the idea of creating an adoption plan for their baby. Oftentimes, they wonder if their reasons for placing their child for adoption are good enough or understandable. Will she be judged for carrying a child to term and selecting someone else to raise it? Making…
Transracial Adoption We have all seen the covers of People magazine featuring the beautiful photos of Sandra Bullock carrying her chubby thighed, smiley faced, African american baby boy or Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt with their gaggle of children of all different colors, shapes and sizes looking so regal and trendy. Thirty years ago, these families would have been viewed…
6 Questions To Ask Adoptive Parents When Choosing A Family For Your Baby Birth mothers who choose adoption for their babies have an incredibly difficult task set before them when it comes to selecting a family who will ultimately raise the child. Most adoptive families assemble some of their basic information into a type of life book. Whether that means…
5 Things to Remember When Talking to a Birth Mother Talking with the birth mother of your potential child is a nerve-wracking experience for all parties involved. Adoptive families often wait patiently for the possibility of a match with a prospective birth mother, and the first conversation can be especially terrifying. Is there a possibility that the connection won’t be…
Why Do Parents Place Their Child for Adoption? Many myths exist in the adoption world regarding why a birth mother would make the decision to place her child in an adoptive home. Stigma can surround a woman who is attempting to give her child the very best possible future, but it doesn’t need to be that way. These women (and…
Open Adoption Early in the adoption process, both birth and adoptive parents need to ask themselves: What level of openness do I want for my adoption? This can be a difficult answer to come to since it involves factors that are still unknown. You know little about the relationship you’re agreeing to. You don’t yet know the names, faces, challenges…
An adoptive parent’s guide to the hospital experience As adoptive parents, there are many milestones in the adoption process. You spend a notable amount of energy and coping skills as you navigate each step and overcome the challenges that may have already come your way. To think, this is before actual parenting begins! Finally, you’re matched and your birth mother’s…
Gift of Life Adoptions has been working with birth moms for over 25 years. We understand that every adoption is special and unique and no matter how you look at, adoption is a blessing. Adoption is something to be proud of and is an unselfish act of love. Only you can decide if you are in a position to be…