Esmerald’s Story

My boyfriend and I knew we didn’t want children. In fact, we were actively preventing getting pregnant! I was taking birth control. My story is about adoption, so you might be able to guess where this is going.

One day I wasn’t feeling well so I went to the doctor. They drew blood, ran urine tests, and ordered other tests. They concluded I was four to six weeks pregnant. Okay, this wasn’t what we wanted, but we had time to consider our options.

Later in the week, at my first ultrasound, I was told I was 32 weeks pregnant! Yes, 32 weeks. I almost fell off the table. I only had eight weeks to go until my due date. Suddenly, the number of options diminished rapidly. This was not our plan. Not only was I far along in my pregnancy, but I also had been having my regular cycles. This was wrong on so many levels.

While I was panicking, my boyfriend suggested calling adoption agencies. Once we Googled “adoption agencies” there were many options. We wanted a personal experience and read reviews. We liked that Graceful Adoptions put a lot of effort into working with the birth parents and didn’t judge mothers for their pregnancy or the decisions they were forced to make. After we talked to Graceful Adoptions’ staff, our panic and worries went away.

We found everything we needed and even some of what we didn’t know we wanted.

When we called, we thought we might get some office person that was stand-offish. Instead, we connected with the team immediately. They were extremely approachable and made us comfortable.  When I explained how I discovered I was pregnant (almost falling off the table and even having my cycle), Karen laughed with me. She instantly “got” me and understood what I was going through. I instinctively knew this was the adoption agency we would use.

Originally, I was worried that we didn’t have enough time to get everything done before the baby was born. Graceful Adoptions’ team promised we would be ready, and they were right. We couldn’t believe how fast they worked, how easy communications were with them, and how they made the process so smooth. Yet, I never felt rushed or overburdened because they walked along beside me through the entire process, step-by-step.

We reviewed family profiles, interviewed the couple we liked most on a video call, then the couple flew from Florida to meet us in person. Getting to spend time with them over a two-day period was more than we could have hoped for. It gave us the opportunity to see them in several different environments and really get to know them. The adoptive mother is artistic, the father loves computers and gaming, they enjoy family time and even like similar foods as we do. When we met, they were super welcoming, warm, and kind. Their smiles lit up the room! They were 100% focused on getting to know us and making sure we were comfortable.

Graceful Adoptions even helped coordinate the hospital experience including the actual delivery, what my hospital stay would look like, and post-delivery care.  Because I had never been pregnant, I didn’t know what to expect following the delivery. Just as they had taken care of everything up to that point, Graceful Adoptions also ensured I had the supplies needed after my delivery.

Looking back, we feel that we made the right decision.  We know we made a huge impact on the adoptive parents’ life and made their dreams come true. Our daughter is better off now than she would have been if we had raised her. We gave her the best life possible! I look forward to the updates and seeing her totally spoiled by parents and grandparents.

For those who are pregnant and may be considering adoption, my advice is to reach out to Graceful Adoptions. Don’t be scared. I feel like making the first call was the hardest part because of all the unknowns. Everything was amazing. It was almost fun and interesting because I didn’t have any worries.   You will not feel like a hen laying eggs. You will have a close and personal experience and feel connected and bonded to the team. Seven months later we are still talking!