Adoption matches are an inexact science. Even though many factors can help you connect with expectant parents, there’s no one surefire way to do it.

Having a strong profile letter can help. So can good pictures. Posting them online in places where expectant parents can find you can’t hurt either.

According to one school of thought, being childless can be an advantage because some expectant parents want their baby to grow up as an only child. But there are also many expectant parents who are looking for a families that already have children. 

At the end of the day trying to figure out what expectant parents with an adoption plan are looking for and how to increase your chances of getting picked can be exhausting. Especially when you realize how much is at stake.  

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

I’ve currently found myself in the waiting process of adopting once again. It’s one of the most dreaded parts of the adoption journey.

You’ve done everything in your power to get to this point. You’ve had tasks to complete to get you home study ready.

You’ve worked on your profile book endlessly. You rush only to wait.

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This guest post is by Christine Bauer, a birthmother and author.

Thirty-three years ago, at the tender age of 19, I gave birth to a perfect, beautiful 7-pound baby girl.

The day after she was born I held her; I talked to her; I told her I loved her but I just couldn’t take care of her at this stage of life. I also told her we would be together again someday.

She opened her eyes then and looked into mine, like she was telling me it was okay.  

Then I kissed her goodbye and handed her to my sister, who walked her down the hospital hallway and placed her into the arms of her new mother and father, Cindy and Dennis, whom I met through a mutual connection.

I chose an open adoption, which was fairly new in 1985, because I needed and wanted to know where my baby was going, where she’d be living, and how she was doing.

I wanted to watch her grow up, but from a distance. Cindy and Dennis were open and welcoming, and they told me I could visit my daughter any time I wanted.

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