If you know nothing about the birth family’s medical history, or your child’s medical records are incomplete, you’ll want a medical professional with first-rate diagnostic skills to focus on areas of possible concern.
Bonding While You Work
Adoptive Families readers received, on average, 9.6 weeks of leave from work. Here’s how to make an informed childcare decision, and keep the transition from disrupting your bond.
“Our Love Stayed with Him”
As foster parents, you hope that the love and security you offer will stay in a child’s heart. When we reconnected with a boy we fostered through two reunifications 14 years ago, we found that it had.
Ask AF: Will Multiple Family Moves Disrupt Attachment?
Our daughter came home two years ago, at 11 months old. In that time, we moved in with my parents while we built a new house, then moved into that house, and, now, it looks like we will have to move again for a new job.
“My 10-Year-Old Nephew’s Adoption Day”
Seventeen of us crowded into the court as witnesses to my nephew’s finalization, bringing an end to 10 years spent in foster care—10 years of waiting for this day.
Ask AF: Sleep Problems
After two bumpy years, we finally got my daughter, now five, to sleep through the night. But she’s recently had a slew of sleep problems: night wakings, anxiety at bedtime, and so on. Is this because of adoption? What can we do? We are exhausted!
“What Will This Baby Be Like?”
A mother shares the “new, unexpected, and amazing” attributes of her adopted son, of which no one talked about at the start of their adoption journey.
“Journey Towards Love: Mimi and her Grandfather”
For months a mother tried to convince her dad that he could be a grandparent to the little girl she was bringing home. It took the child considerably less time to bring him around.
Connecting Through Everyday Baby Care
Dressing, feeding, burping, tickling, tucking into bed — the nuts and bolts of baby care bring the moments that can draw you together.
“Great Non-Expectations”
The intense motherly love that washed over me after Jack’s adoption was a shock to everyone — especially me.
One Big, Happy Family
Your beloved pet may be in for a shock when your baby arrives. How can you help him accept your new addition?
Older Child Adoption — Becoming a Family
In this collection, adoptive parents share their experiences of parenting older children they’ve adopted and offer wisdom on that initial adjustment period.
“Through the Glass”
When people learned I was pregnant, they were surprised that I was still planning to adopt.
“Talking About Adoption at Bedtime”
My daughter brings stuff up at bedtime. Most five-year-olds do; they don’t want to be left alone to sleep. She likes when I tell her stories in the dark and rub her back. Who wouldn’t like all that? Aside: bedtime can—if I let it—take forever.
Becoming a Mom or a Dad In Our Hearts
When did you know you were truly your child’s mother or father?
“Bonding with My Daughters Over Pink Nail Polish”
My first 19 years of parenting were spent learning the scientific names of dinosaurs and organizing a bug collection. Was I ready to parent preteen girls?
“A Christening Ceremony”
The moment I felt I became Eva’s forever mother and for Eva, adopted from the Ukraine, being my forever daughter.
“Pocket Rocks”
A mother shares the story of her daughter’s growth (who was once deemed “too small to fight for her needs”) at summer camp.
View the Baby Care for Adoptive Parents Webinar Replay
View the replay of a webinar with Nicole Mayer, RMA, RN, BSN to learn about baby care basics and hear answers to commonly asked questions from new parents.
“Overcoming Malnutrition with Pizza, Pasta, and ‘Dabo'”
How a cooking-impaired mom managed a happy Thanksgiving.