This guest post is by Shannon Richman, a hopeful adoptive mother.

Where do you go after a failed adoption? That was the question I’ve been asking myself after the woman who chose us to adopt her newborn baby suddenly changed her mind at the hospital.

We knew that a failed adoption was a possibility when we initially went into the situation. We knew things could go wrong. But when they did, we never imagined how devastating it would be.

Our story began a few months ago after we learned that an expectant mother had selected our profile and was interested in meeting us.

Frances (I’ve changed her name for privacy reasons) was having a boy and due March 21.

Through our social worker we set up a time to meet her, along with her mother and twin sister. Although Frances was shy, the conversation flowed easily. There wasn’t much conversation about the baby.

Continue reading →

Source: Ker-Fox Photography

Marc and Brianne Womack figured it would take them six to nine months to adopt a baby.

By most standards, that’s pretty optimistic.

But their placement happened even faster than that: After only a few months into their wait, the Shiloh, Georgia couple were pleasantly surprised when they got the phone they were hoping for.

The next day, they went to see their new son. Four days later, they brought him home. Continue reading →

This guest post is by Kathy Rau, an adoptive parent. 

Sometimes there are no easy answers when it comes to foster care and adoption.

My husband and I adopted a baby girl from our local Department of Social Services. Several years after she came to us we found out that her baby sister was born. Both girls had the same birth parents.

However, her sister was already adopted by another family. We were heartbroken because we were never given the opportunity to adopt this child.

Once we got over the initial heartbreak we contacted the Department of Social Services, which was located in another state, and requested that our information be shared with the other family.

Our hope was the two girls could remain in contact with one another over the years. The other family was so gracious and agreed to our request. Continue reading →

For couples trying to adopt a baby, Facebook has become the go-to platform to share their story and connect with a prospective birthmother.

With unparalleled reach and an audience of more than 150 million users, it is by far the most popular and powerful online networking tool for waiting parents wanting to give their outreach efforts an extra boost.

Just ask Ray and Megan Simmons, a couple who turned to domestic adoption after struggling with infertility.

Recently, the Dalton, Georgia prospective parents did a photo shoot to announce their plans to adopt.

After the photos were posted on Facebook, their message went viral and made them an overnight social media sensation.

Continue reading →

This guest post is by Jasmine Proctor, a birthmother.

When I was 23 I had an unplanned pregnancy. I was already raising two children, and after suffering postpartum depression I knew I was done having kids.

I was so embarrassed I refused to tell anyone and didn’t know what to do. My boyfriend and I decided that getting an abortion would be the best decision.

But how could I do that and live with myself? Nevertheless, I made an appointment.

However, the week I was supposed to get it done I broke my arm and was transported by ambulance to a hospital for surgery. 

The morning I was scheduled to be operated on the hospital technicians showed me an ultrasound and there I saw my 10 week-old-baby.

A huge hand was on the monitor. It looked like he or she was waving. They showed me my baby’s heart rate and I knew then I couldn’t go on with my appointment to get an abortion.

Continue reading →

This guest post is by Paige Knipfer, an adoptive mother.  

As an adoptive mom, I heard some really hurtful comments about adoption and infertility when we were trying to adopt a baby.

I know that most people didn’t mean to be hurtful or understand why their comments were painful, but they still hurt me all the same.

Here are five myths about adoption and infertility and what you need to know about them. Continue reading →

Brian Wildmo and Brad Mahon have adopted a newborn baby and they’re crediting Facebook with making it happen.

“We never expected this,” Brian told WJRT. “We keep having to pinch ourselves because I feel like we’ve been in a movie.”

The Michigan couple had been fostering for a year when they decided to adopt a baby. To help them get the word out, they created a Facebook page and started networking. Continue reading →