Adoption is Hard Archives

What to do during your adoption wait…

BPetersonDesign2022-03-30T18:37:23-07:00March 18, 2021|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Outreach, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt|

Adoption is hard. There is a lot of waiting involved. Waiting to start the process, waiting for the home study, waiting for the home study approval (certification), waiting for adoption opportunities, waiting to be chosen, waiting for the baby you have been chosen for to be born, waiting for consents to be signed, waiting for the consents to be irrevocable, waiting for finalization… There are lots of different emotions and feelings throughout the process but one consistency is the wait. It feels like there is even more waiting than usual as the pandemic seems to have increased the number of prospective adoptive families looking to adopt, at the same time we are seeing less adoption opportunities than usual. So what should YOU do while you wait??? Click here to read more.

Selfish?

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:26:24-07:00March 1, 2021|Adoption Advisor, Adoption Disruption, Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt, Infertility, Open Adoption (Learn)|

This blog post discusses the term “selfish” and how that is often used in the context of domestic infant adoption. It discusses an episode of the teen drama All American and an adoption story in one of the show’s characters and my reaction after watching a scene involving a potential adoption disruption, or a closed adoption that turns open after the birth mother changes her mind. Click here to read more.

Who Am I Really?

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:27:27-07:00February 25, 2021|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt, Open Adoption (Learn)|

Guest blogger, Damon L. Davis, is an adoptee, an adoptive parent, and the host of the "Who Am I Really?" podcast, where he shares the reunion stories of other adoptees. You can find the show anywhere you listen to podcasts, online at www.whoamireallypodcast.com, and follow the show on social media @WAIReally. Damon's book "Who Am I Really? An Adoptee Memoir" recounts his amazing reunion with his biological mother, the accidental DNA discovery of his birth father, and all of his inner thoughts and emotions along the way.

5 Things You Shouldn’t Say to a Mom (or Dad) Through Adoption

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:32:24-07:00February 10, 2021|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt, Infertility|

Okay, if you’re reading this, it means you might have seen my first Reel! Hopefully I’ll get better at this! So, some of these questions and comments are totally personal, some feel harmless or are meant as a complement, but all are not recommended for the following reasons…

Post-Adoption Comprehensive Care

BPetersonDesign2022-04-05T13:58:34-07:00December 17, 2020|Adoption Advisor, Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Drug/Alcohol Exposure, Hoping to Adopt|

This guest blog post includes Five Recommendations for Parents to Seek Out For Their Child with a History of Adoption or Foster Care. It was written by Kimara Gustafson MD, MPH, Erin Bocock, Judith Eckerle MD with Adoption Medicine Clinic. This blog post will discuss different assessments and care that is available for a child who was adopted and/or a child who may have a background of abuse/neglect, stress, early adversity and prenatal exposures. To read more about these resources for families who have adopted a child, click here.

What’s In A Name?

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:34:22-07:00December 9, 2020|Adoption Advisor, Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt|

Naming your child is a big deal, many people have family names or favorite names they have picked out for their child for years before their child arrives. But in an adoption scenario, there are a lot of things to consider when naming or “re-naming” a child at the finalization of an adoption. Read more below to understand better how a child is initially named in an adoption scenario, and how that is reflected on two different birth certificates.

Another way to look at birthdays…

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:35:13-07:00December 2, 2020|Adoption Advisor, Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt|

So, today is my (gulp) 43rd birthday. I used to be one of those people who LOVED my birthday, and was so excited to celebrate it, preferably for a whole week. Now that I’m in my 40s, I feel a little less like that (I’d really rather like to stop aging altogether), but it has also been adoption that has changed my perspective on birthdays as well. My mom typically texts me or calls me the morning of my birthday, celebrating a special and momentous day for her as well. But the same can’t be said for a birth mother who placed her child with another. My daughter Cora’s birthday is only a week after mine, and now I feel a pang of sadness on Cora’s birthday each year. Click here to read more.

Be the Bridge – A Guide to Transracial Adoption

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:37:02-07:00November 23, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

This is a blog post written by Gina Fimbel, MSW. She’s an educator with Be the Bridge, an organization created to empower people and culture toward racial healing, equity and reconciliation. In her post, she explains more about their organization as well as their Transracial Adoption Guide that can help prospective adoptive families considering transracial adoption, or families who have already adopted transracially. Click here to read more, or to purchase their Transracial Adoption Guide.

Born Out of Tragedy…

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T07:38:08-07:00November 18, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

Do you watch This is Us? It is my favorite show right now, but I have to admit I have to be in the right mood to watch it, because it is rare that I don’t end up in tears during an episode. I haven’t yet watched this week’s episode (I was too exhausted to cry last night), but the first episode of this season was SO GOOD. In that episode they discussed COVID and the racial tensions of 2020, and the impact of these events on a close-knit family, including a 40 year old Black man who was adopted at birth by this family. This episode also touched on Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and broken relationships within that family. Many of these topics really hit home for me when I watched it, and I’m pretty sure I cried for about an hour afterwards.

Pre-Adoption Consultations from the Adoption Medicine Clinic

BPetersonDesign2022-04-01T08:30:44-07:00November 15, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Drug/Alcohol Exposure, Hoping to Adopt|

Today, we are featuring a piece written by Judith K. Eckerle, M.D. FAAP, Director of the Adoption Medicine Clinic (“AMC”) at the University of Minnesota. AMC is an outpatient clinic serving families with children adopted domestically, internationally, and from foster care. AMC provides pre-adoption consultations, medical reviews, travel counseling, and comprehensive post-adoption care. Their services can help prospective adoptive families consider their preferences and openness in their adoption journey. To learn more about their services, click here.

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