Developmental regression, which means going back to a younger way of behaving, is not unusual in children of various ages, and especially in children who have recently been placed for adoption. While regression may be frustrating to you as parents, it can be worked through as a family.
Feeding is a typical major concern of new parents with an adopted baby. It can be overwhelming to figure out which formula is best for your new baby and which type of bottle they would prefer. It is always important to emphasize that amid all the stress, do not forget your own physical and mental health. If you are eating right and focused on building a healthy relationship, feeding your newly adopted baby will become more routine and easier over time. In this article, we will highlight some basic tips about feeding your newborn adopted baby:
One unexpected side-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has been how it has brought many adoptions screeching to a halt. Shutdowns make documentation, matching, and getting to know expectant mothers difficult and sometimes impossible. Adoptions can be frustrating under the best circumstances, but how can you cope when a pandemic has your adoption on hold?
In this article, we will provide some tips for coping when your domestic infant adoption is on hold and some steps to ensure your well being during this stressful time:
Humans are social creatures and isolation and quarantine times can seem very lonely, especially while waiting for a new addition to your family. A strong support system can help you through this time. Whether it is sticking to that socially distanced jog with a friend or FaceTiming family for a game of charades, this can help take your mind off dwelling on the hold and also boost your emotions with some familiar and loving faces.
Staying informed by your adoption agency and adoption attorney can help you feel more involved in the process. Your adoption agency and attorney are great sources to reach out to if you are struggling during the hold as they can provide or point you to valuable resources available to help you.
You are not alone in this challenging time and they too are navigating the hold process. Keeping a positive and consistent point of contact between you and the agency will help the process feel more collaborative and productive all around.
Realize the difference between reacting and responding to challenging surprises. Evaluate how you face difficulty and how you want to respond to difficulty. Make a personal plan for yourself to implement your own vision of productive response to challenges. Try establishing small ways that you can adapt in your daily life and slowly, flexibility can become more natural to you.
Flexibility is very crucial during these uncertain times. Observe your feelings regarding change and how those around you are adapting themselves. Seek out counsel or comfort from trusted support systems to help you in your implementation of flexibility and positivity in your routine.
Recognize your own strength and adaptability is a reason to celebrate yourself during this time. Your own mental and physical health should be a priority and self care is possibly one of the most important things you could do now. Your own self care will take some personal reflection and is different for everyone. It can take the form of an at home spa day, reading a new book, or bingeing a favorite comfort tv show. It can mean baking or learning a new hobby like crocheting.
This can also be a valuable time to reset, refocus, and strengthen the existing relationships at home, such as that with your partner. When you are feeling healthy and happy, then this hold process can seem a lot less lonely and stressful.
An open adoption is essentially a relationship between the adoptive parents, birth parents, and the child, versus a closed adoption, where the birth parents aren’t a part of the child’s upbringing whatsoever. In order for the open adoption to thrive, there are three key ingredients needed: commitment, communication, and flexibility.
Open adoptions can be complicated, as you are essentially bringing together people of varying demographics. The birth parents may be currently enrolled in high school, living with their parents in a lower-income neighborhood, and working shifts at the neighborhood fast food joint, while the adoptive parents might be 35 with a household income of $100,000 a year. Not to mention the unequal power position of the adoptive parents over the birth parents.
Attachment refers to the process of forming physical, psychological and emotional bonds between child and parent. For an infant, attachment begins in utero, as the fetus relies on the placenta for nourishment. Attachment for the mother begins after birth. Physical touch and comfort build the attachment between a baby and mother. Emotional and physical attachment between child and parent is required for a child to feel secure and have healthy relationships into adulthood.
An unexpected pregnancy can be a scary thing, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Even after you’ve made your mind up about adoption, you may have some questions about what the process entails. In this article, we’ll discuss the experience of being a birthmom and placing your baby for adoption.
Adopting a child is an amazing process this union creates a loving family for a child to grow up in. Adoption is a long path filled with many unknowns, questions, ups, and downs. Before you begin the process, there are some questions you should consider. This article will review some important questions that will help you evaluate if adoption is the right choice for you.
Expanding your family through adoption is an exciting and wonderful experience. As you wait for your newest family member to arrive, you may have questions or concerns you wish to voice to the expectant parents. Communication is the key to any successful adoption, but due to the delicate nature of this process, it helps to have an advocate. Adoption agencies provide professionals trained to mediate communication between birth parents and potential match families. This article will review some communication tips as you go through the adoption process before placement.
Early childhood is a time of exploration, and if your young child is especially curious, they may have already begun asking questions related to their adoption. Talking with adopted children about adoption and their birth parents can feel daunting, but it is an absolutely necessary part of creating a healthy adoptive family. To help you take this vital step, below is some advice on how to make this conversation easier for both you and your child.
