Pregnant Woman who Already has a Family Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Nancy Vegas. I grew up in southern Georgia, and lived there until I met my husband Will. We moved to Missouri for work, and settled down in Kansas City. We had our first child 17 years ago, and our second child followed two years later. We enjoy hiking, mountain climbing, and outdoor photography. Are you a mother facing an unplanned pregnancy? Yes. I am. My husband and I took our second honeymoon about 6 weeks ago. It was so romantic to see Venice in all of its splendor. We couldn’t help ourselves. A little bit of red wine, an evening alone without the kids, and viola, caution went out the window. I was a…
Professional Pregnant Woman Chooses Adoption
Professional Pregnant Woman Meet Katie. Katie grew up in a loving stable household. She lived with her parents and two younger siblings. As the oldest, she was always the responsible one. No drugs, no underage drinking, just a normal, if somewhat sheltered upbringing. Her parents didn’t have the best education, so they always expected the most out of their children. Katie excelled in high school. She attended a magnet school where she was able to take special courses in business and finance. Katie made the honor roll all four years, and graduated 17th in her class of 126. More importantly, she honed her business acumen in preparation for a successful career. After high school, Katie attended college at the University of Colorado, where she majored in business. Between her classes,…
What will the Adoptive Family or Adoption Agency need to know about me?
Imagine you’re a birth mother placing her child for adoption. You are about to meet the prospective adoptive parents for the first time. You may be nervous, you may be excited. Maybe it’s a combination of both. One thing you are probably thinking of is what will the prospective adoptive parents need to know about me. The same holds true when you are meeting an adoption counselor at an adoption agency for the first time. Your adoption counselor is sure to have plenty of questions for you. In fact, this is part of the screening process for most adoption agencies. It is understandable to wonder what they want to know and how to answer their questions. There is no magic list of things adoptive parents or adoption agencies will want…
After the Adoption – What to Do as Adoptive Parents
After the Adoption - What to Do as Adoptive Parents As adoptive parents, you spend so much time preparing for the adoption you sometimes forget what life will be like after the adoption. Life doesn’t stop after the adoption is finalized. It keeps on going, sometimes at a more hectic pace than before the adoption. You may be wondering what life will be like after the adoption. Here are a few things that you can do after the adoption. 1. Celebrate An adoption is a huge milestone. Make sure to celebrate and welcome your new family member into your home. Celebrate in whatever way feels appropriate for you, whether that is throwing a party or simply staying at home and enjoying time with your new family member. 2. Update Records…
How to Protect Yourself Against Coronavirus
How to Protect Yourself Against Coronavirus COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus, is sweeping the world, with over 600,000 infected so far. The symptoms can be severe, especially for older adults. Coronavirus can even result in death. In fact, over 28,000 have died from the coronavirus. These grim statistics are resulting in social distancing and shelter in place orders worldwide. With this worldwide pandemic, the most common question on peoples' minds is how do they prevent catching the coronavirus. The answer is that there is no surefire way to prevent catching the virus, but that many common sense tips can dramatically reduce your risk of catching coronavirus. Here are four ways to reduce your risk of catching the coronavirus. Practice good personal hygiene One of the most important things you…
Covid 19 (coronavirus) and Adoption
Covid 19 and Adoption Covid 19, also known as Coronavirus 19 or simply coronavirus, has dramatically shaken up our world over the last couple weeks. Shops are closed, stocks are down, and social distancing is the norm. It seems like nothing is as it was just two weeks ago. And it seems like things are going to be this way for quite some time. With all the news surrounding coronavirus and its impacts for older adults, most people probably aren’t thinking about how it affects pregnancy and the adoption process. However, coronavirus will have an impact on pregnancy and the adoption process so long as it remains a threat. Here are some ways pregnancies and adoptions will be different in light of the coronavirus. Covid 19 and Pregnancy Pregnancies will…
What is a Home Study and why is it Necessary?
What is a Home Study and why is it Necessary? Adoptions have a lot of complex legal requirements. One of those legal requirements is the home study. Every prospective adoptive parent has to complete a home study before the adoption can be finalized. It is often the most stressful part of the adoption process for adoptive parents. This is because a social worker or case worker actually enters their home and judges their fitness to be adoptive parents. What is a home study? What does it involve? Why is it necessary? This article will answer those questions. What is a Home Study? A home study is a study performed by a licensed social worker or case worker. The study educates prospective adoptive parents about adoption. The study also evaluates whether…
After the adoption – What to Expect (as a birth mother)
After the adoption – What to Expect (as a birth mother) You’ve spent so much time preparing for the adoption. Nine months of doctors appointments and meetings with adoptive parents, not to mention the pregnancy itself. You then rushed to the hospital to give birth to your child, only to place him for adoption just days later. Now what. What will life be like after the formal adoption? Is my adoption journey truly over? What should I expect? These are just some of the questions you may be thinking as a birth mother who just placed their child for adoption. Let’s take a minute to discuss what to expect after an adoption if you are a birth mother. Life After Adoption Life after adoption is an important part of the…
Pregnancy as a Birth Mother
When people think about adoption, they often think about the legal process of placing a child for adoption. They are not mistaken to think of adoption in those terms. Adoption is commonly defined as the process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another from that person’s biological or legal parents. However, this definition doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what an adoption entails. For one thing, it doesn’t discuss the birth mother’s role in the adoption process. The birth mother plays a huge role in the adoption process. She chooses the adoptive parents. She gives birth to the child. In many adoptions, particularly open adoptions, she forms a loving relationship with her child just like the adoptive parents. Perhaps most importantly, the birth mother undertakes the crucial role…
Social Media and Adoption – The Good and the Bad
Social media is everywhere. It’s even a part of our political discourse. It’s so prevalent that sometimes it seems hard to avoid social media. It’s no wonder then that social media has affected the world of adoption. Social media has pervaded all aspects of adoptions, with good and bad results. Here’s a brief rundown on how social media has positively and negatively affected the adoption universe. The Positive of Social Media on Adoption There are a lot of positive ways that social media has impacted adoptions. For one, adoptions have become much more open. With social media, it is possible for adoptive parents and birth parents to easily maintain contact with each other, should they choose to do so. In fact, approximately 1 in 4 adoptive parents have used the…