Follow a birthmom's journey
through the open adoption process with this pictorial essay:
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Paul, Susie, and their son Jackson met Ardena a few months before her baby was due. After a birthmother meets with a counselor and feels ready to start working with a family, she may read " Dear Birthmother" letters and choose one or more families with whom she would like to talk. Writing email, talking on the phone, or visiting in person are all ways the families can communicate. "I was still not clear if the adoption was the way to go," says Ardena, "until I saw Susie and Paul's profile that Lynne from Adoption Connection gave me. Once I read about them and saw their pictures I knew it was the right thing to do." |
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Ardena and Susie feel a kick. Every adoption is different. Some birthmothers want very little contact while others want more. They need support to get through the difficult ups and downs of pregnancy and the adoption process. Ardena created an open relationship. When Ardena met Paul, Susie, and their son Jackson, she says, "I had never felt better about the decision. They instantly felt like family." |
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Ardena and Susie get ready to sit down for dinner. During their visits before the birth of the baby the birth and adoptive families can discuss what will happen at the hospital, plans for future contact, or just get to know each other better with a shared meal. |
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Ardena and Sierra in the hospital the day after she gave birth. "Susie and Paul helped me out through every step," says Ardena. "Susie went to my doctor appointments and was my birthing coach. It was so amazing to share that with her." |
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Sierra takes a snooze one day after birth. In an open adoption the adoptive family takes the baby home from the hospital after s/he is released, usually around the same time the birthmother is released from the hospital.
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