An honest examination of an adoptive mother’s feelings before, during, and after a transracial, open adoption.
“Open Adoption Converts”
Nowadays, I can’t imagine my family having come together any differently. But it wasn’t always that way.
“Our Son’s Direct Connection with his Birth Mother”
Our sons stay in touch with their birth mom through a P.O. box…and something a little less tangible.
Ask the Open Adoption Expert: Reconnecting with Birth Mother
We haven’t been in touch with our son’s birth mother since he was a toddler. How should we reconnect with her?
“You’re Up, Dad”
The most terrifying part of adoption was having to prepare for two conflicting futures.
“Choosing to Adopt Our Second Child”
When this 20-something, fertile couple decided to adopt a child, they shocked family and friends–and so did their daughter’s birth mom.
Ask AF: Renaming an Older Baby
Answers to your parenting questions.
Birth Mother Expenses: What You Need to Know
If a prospective birth mother decides not place her baby with us for adoption, can we get back the money we paid for her living expenses during the pregnancy?
“The Birthday Package for Our Son’s Birth Parents”
Photos and letters are the only things my son’s birth mother asked for. I hope that what we send expresses our gratitude.
“Maternal Instincts”
My daughter’s birth mother helped me trust my own maternal instinct.
“Letters to Noelle”
As my letter-writing to my son’s birth mother has evolved, so has our relationship grown.
“Unexpected Contact with Our Child’s Birth Mother”
We hadn’t planned on an open adoption. But when my daughter’s birth mother requested a letter, how could I say no?
“Prison Baby”
In this personal essay, one adoptee describes all the questions she wanted to ask her birth mother when she visited her birth country: a jail.
Ask AF: Talking About a Birth Parent’s Death
Our expert explains how to navigate the difficult discussions about a birth mother death with a very young child: what to say, and when to start talking.
“An Expectant-Adoptive Mom”
While I was waiting to be matched, I tried to step out of the shoes of “adoptive mom” and into the shoes of “birth mom.”
“An Evolving Relationship”
After a difficult visit with my birth son, I realized the commitment to him was strong enough to weather life’s ups and downs.
“Heart’s Desire”
My daughter—like my own mother—feels an almost primal pull toward the woman whose body she grew in.
Should We Contact our Son’s Birth Parents?
Adoptive Families asks advice on a reader’s behalf. Should we contact our son’s birth parents?
Searching for Birth Families
Parents who look for their child’s birth family abroad are ushering in a new openness in international adoption. Many say the decision to search requires careful thought.
“Our Canadian-Colombian Family Reunion”
After returning from a trip to my son’s birth country, my heart — and journal — was overflowing.