How I Made An Open Adoption Plan For My Baby

If Kadie Ballentine has learned anything in life, it’s this: don’t make plans.

A few years back her own plans were turned upsidedown when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant. After going back and forth between raising her baby herself or placing him for adoption, she eventually decided on adoption and ended up creating a brand new life plan for herself.

I first learned about Kadie’s story about a month ago when she sent me a link to her blog, Letters For Brody. As someone who had recently placed, she was looking to connect with others who had traveled down the same path and her agency recommended she get in touch with us. Continue reading →

10 Things A Pregnant Woman Considering Adoption Is Looking For In Parents Hoping To Adopt

One of the great things about open adoption if you’re hoping to adopt is that it gives you the chance to do your own networking.

The faster you can reach out to a pregnant woman who is considering adoption for her baby and build a relationship with her, the faster you can adopt.

But a question that a lot of hopeful adoptive parents have is, what is an expectant mother looking for? Continue reading →

Why We’re Hoping To Adopt A Baby Through Open Adoption

Lauren and Andy know how fate can bring people together.

Even though they grew up only an hour away from each other in Pennsylvania, they didn’t meet until years later while working in North Carolina.

Now the couple and their five-year-old daughter, Noelle, are hoping that fate works its magic again and helps them connect with an expectant mother considering open adoption for her baby. Continue reading →

I Know Open Adoption Isn’t About Giving Up Your Baby But Google Doesn’t

Let’s start off this post a little differently, with a quiz. Complete the following phrase: Open adoption means

a) giving up your baby for adoption; or
b) placing your baby for adoption

If you’ve read my posts, you know where I stand on the issue. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:

Open adoption isn’t about giving up your baby.

But Google, the world’s powerful search engine and the portal that most people use to research and begin their journey into adoption, has a different way of looking at things. Continue reading →

Trying To Connect With A Prospective Birth Mother? A Birth Mom On The One Thing You Shouldn’t Do

Trying to connect with a prospective birth mother? Wondering what’s the best way to set yourself apart and get matched?

If you’re planning to sell yourself, Brittany Hudson has one word of advice: Don’t.

She would know. A birth mother with extensive sales and marketing experience, Brittany and I recently exchanged tweets after I posted an interview I did with a hopeful adoptive couple about how they were reaching out to prospective birth parents. Continue reading →

Why Do Some Adoptive Parents Find An Adoption Match While Others Don’t?

I had some exciting news over the weekend: a couple that I helped re-work their adoption profile announced they had found a match.

An expectant mother had connected with them after coming across their letter online. The baby is due this fall, and even though they know the situation could change at any moment, they’re absolutely thrilled, as they should be. Continue reading →

From Blogger To Author: Life Lessons From An Open Adoption Advocate

Lori Holden has been blogging in her head since 1980 and online at Lavender Luz since 2007. I don’t know what her head has to say about making the transition, but I can tell you her readers — from all parts of the adoption constellation — couldn’t be happier.

Here’s a sampling of their comments to a recent post:

“Great post with lots to chew on!”
“I’ve told you this before but I need to say it again you are truly a role model.”
“You’re a class act, Lori. Lots to learn from this.”

As great as it is, this post isn’t about Lori’s blog — it’s about her new book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, which just so happens to be pretty darned good, too. Continue reading →

Why Every Adopting Parent Should Read A Birthmother Blog

How many birthmother or birthparent blogs have you read lately? If you have to pause to think about it, you’re missing out on a great resource.

I thought about this over the weekend after a birthmother asked me to add her recent adoption placement story to our Birthmother blog listing. Within moments of clicking on her site, I found myself lost in her story, going through all of the ups and downs of her journey with her.

Why birthmother blogs matter

Now if you’re just starting out in your adoption journey, you may wondering why do you need to read one? What do birthmother blogs have to do with you? You want to grow your family with a child. They gave up theirs, right? Continue reading →