According to the Adoption Institute, there are more than 1.5 million adopted children in the United States, and according to an Adoption Institute survey, about 60% of Americans have a personal connection to adoption in some way. As a family OB/GYN practice, we place equal importance on the role of adoption in building a family as we do on obstetrics and prenatal care.
Sharing the Decision to Adopt
Close friends and family members may know some of the details as to why you and your partner chose to adopt. If infertility plays a role in your decision to adopt, be sure to let them know upfront about your feelings. If you’re uncomfortable discussing the details about your infertility, set those boundaries early on. There’s no reason to feel pressured to share information you’re not ready to share.
Many people will be excited to hear about your news, and you should be prepared to answer lots of questions. “What country are you adopting from? How long with the process take?” These questions might lead to other questions that you aren’t prepared for. Explain to them that you are making a decision that you feel is best for your family. While it’s not an easy decision, you would really appreciate their support.
Encourage Positive Adoption Language
As much as possible, encourage positive adoption language with family and friends and use the same words around them so they can get used to adding them to their own vocabulary. For example, dropping words like “adoptive” and referring to the parents simply as parents can help clear up any misconceptions, and will allow the family members and other siblings to build the family just as they would if they were the biological parents.
Resources
If you would like to learn more about the adoption process in the state of Georgia, you can visit the Division of Family and Children Service’s website here. There are also plenty of great books and blog posts related to adoption, with a wide variety of topics, both for children and adults.
