Birth Parents and Adoptive Parents Meet for the First Time
One of the most important steps in Graceful Adoptions’ adoption journey is when the Birth Parents and Adoptive Parents meet the first time. I like what one adoptive father said about his first meeting, “this [...]
Ways to Form Secure Attachment
Cocooning: For the first few weeks, limit others from feeding, holding, bathing the baby. If family and friends come to help, ask them to help with the laundry, cooking, dishes, washing bottles, etc. Body Contact: [...]
Attachment Myths and Facts
Myth: “My baby is attached to me because I gave birth to him or her.” Fact: Infants have independent nervous systems that may be different from yours. So unless you look and listen to your [...]
Adoption and Attachment
What is attachment? Attachment is a reciprocal process by which an emotional connection develops between an infant and his/her primary caregiver. Why is attachment so important? Children who have a secure attachment as a one-year-old [...]
10 Things Every Birth Mother Wants Adoptive Parents to Know
In my research I came across Patricia Dischler who is an author, speaker, child care professional and birth mother. She wrote this great list titled, “10 Things Every Birth Mother Wants Adoptive Parents to Know.” [...]
Birth and Adoptive Parent Relationships
I read in a book, “The Open Adoption Experience,” that adoption is a relationship, not an institution or a process. That really resonated with me. The Open Adoption Experience book. According to a [...]
Why an Adoption Agency?
When I made up my mind that adoption was the best for my daughter and I, the next step was to figure out where to begin. Do I use an adoption facilitator? Do I use [...]
Selecting the best adoption agency for you
When researching which agency would work best for me as a birthmother I was overwhelmed. I had a spreadsheet with all kinds of columns and questions. Above is a picture of myself and Karen Nissly, [...]
Adoption Myth 4: If Adoptees Loved Their Family, They Wouldn’t be Searching
The 4th myth of adoption says, “If the adoptee really loved his adoptive family, he would not have to search for his birthparents.” For adoptees, yearning to know about their heritage is still thought of [...]
Adoption Myth Three: Birth Parents will forget about their child
As a birth mother I will tell you forgetting about your baby is impossible. There has not been a single day that I haven’t thought about my daughter since she was born. I saw a [...]
Amy’s Story Part Three: Choosing and Meeting the Family
The day finally came that I got to speak with Amy and Lee. I had butterflies in my stomach all day. I was so nervous but excited all at the same time. The Graceful Adoptions [...]
Amy’s Story Part Two: Choosing Adoption
I couldn't do it. Ending my unborn daughter’s life because I ruined my own wasn't fair. But what else could I do? I was lost. I ran back to my mother. She listened to my [...]
Amy’s Story Part One: Life or Death?
I was wearing a pretty blue sun dress with tropical pink flowers the day I was going to commit suicide. I had considered black but I wanted to be pretty, not just sad. I couldn’t [...]
Adoption Myth Two; Birth Parents are to be Feared
The second myth of adoption says secrecy is a good thing, and that it is necessary to protect the birth parents, the adoptive parents and the adoptee. To adoptive parents, having birth parents involved can [...]
4 Myths of Adoption
If you are anything like me, when you are trying to make a decision, you want to read anything and everything you can get your hands on. It’s a good and bad trait because it’s [...]
Introducing new blogger: Jacqueline Leeker
http://www.viagragenericoes24.com/viagra-presentaciones-comerciales Hello everyone! I ‘m excited to introduce myself as the newest blogger for Graceful Adoptions. I’m a birth mother and also an adoptee. I chose Graceful Adoptions as the agency to help me place my daughter [...]
All Children Created Equal
Today Graceful Adoption challenges every licensed adoption agency to charge for the services they offer and not the characteristics of the child. As we celebrate the 86th birthday of Martin Luther King, we are reminded [...]
Kelley & Chris’s Story
It was an amazing experience. As fast as everything happened we couldn’t believe it. Still can’t. […]
Jeff & Julie’s Story
The adoption process has produced so many blessings that we can’t think of our life any other way than being adoptive parents. We adopted in July 2012 and the experience was more than words can [...]
Daniel & Alicia’s Story
When we stopped infertility treatments we felt liberated in our choice to adopt. Although we traveled a rough road with infertility, adoption was never our second option. Having an adopted brother and knowing many friends [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 8
We were filled with so many emotions as we travelled on that cold January day to a hospital several states away from our own. The whole drive I was texting with Macy regarding how she [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 7
That first night Macy, Josh and I went to eat at a local restaurant where we immediately started talking about all of our common interests. After the initial breaking of the ice, it seemed like [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 6
It was an afternoon in late October. I was cleaning out closets when I heard the phone ring and message playing. It was Karen with Graceful Adoptions. She said they were working with a mother [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 5
Due to the sensitive nature of this birth mother’s back story, her name has been changed to protect her and other’s identity. It was late September when I started talking with the Graceful Adoptions’ [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 4
Due to the sensitive nature of this birth mother’s back story, her name has been changed to protect her and other’s identity. I hadn’t been tracking my period as I was in survival mode [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 3
There are some people who think women who place a child for adoption don’t love their child. But we know that isn’t true. We know that adoption is about a mother’s unselfish sacrificing love for [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 2
Due to the sensitive nature of this birth mother’s back story, her name has been changed to protect her and other’s identity. Hi! My name is Macy, I’m 19 years old. I recently placed [...]
Mom to Mom: The adoption journey of one birth mother and one adoptive family: Chapter 1
Hi I’m Heather. I’m 30 years old, have been married to my one true love for over 6 years and I’m a new mom to a perfectly beautiful baby boy. On paper it sounds like [...]
Adoptive Parents and Birth Mothers: Understanding how the best day of your life can be the worst day of theirs
It’s often said that the day your child is born is the happiest day of your life and for most parents that is true. Except for mothers who are placing their child for adoption. On [...]
A Mother’s Story
This is a guest post, written by Lori G., one of our Birth Mothers. I had a wonderful experience at Graceful Adoptions and would do it all over again. When I found out I was [...]
Leo’s First Birthday: How We’ve Kept Our Promise To His Birth Mother
This is a guest post, written by Brian and Kristen Doud, Adoptive Parents. It was a simple commitment really. When we first spoke to Callie on the phone we told her that if she chose [...]
A Thank You to Those Who Make Adoption Possible
This is a guest post, written by Julie & Jeff , Adoptive Parents On this anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision, a personal thank you for all you do to promote life and family. [...]
The Girl Next Door
This is a guest post, written by Daniel & Alicia, Adoptive Parents. Going into the adoption journey, we were scared. But we knew it would all work out because of our faith. The list of [...]
Meet Our Award-Winning Service Director: Farrah Bonde
At Graceful Adoptions you will never hear us talk about a “pregnancy counselor” or an “adoption counselor.” And, you will never be counseled. We believe in supporting you as a person, and not zeroing in [...]
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
This is a guest post, written by Aubrey Bonham, one of our Adoptive Parents. When we started the adoption process, I had in mind a very calm and peaceful process – you know, picture perfect. [...]
Graceful Adoptions – The Backstory
I’m often asked, “Why did you start Graceful Adoptions?” The answer is, after years of driving revenues for corporations, life events changed me. They changed who I was and how I wanted to spend my [...]
All Men Are Created Equal!
As we remember the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, a speech delivered in 1963, we recognize how far we have come as a society. However, we still have so [...]
Infant and Toddler Adoptions
Although most adoption agencies work exclusively with women who have unplanned pregnancies, Graceful Adoptions also works with parents to place their infants and toddlers for adoption. […]
Independent vs. Agency Adoptions: Which Should You Choose?
If you have an unplanned pregnancy and are considering putting your baby up for adoption, you may want to know the main differences between Agency and Independent Adoptions. What is an Independent Adoption? […]
Looking for Adoptive Parents for Your Baby?
If you are considering adoption for your baby, you probably want to consider the quality of the adoptive parents you have to choose from. If you are considering putting your baby up for adoption, you [...]
Graceful Adoptions’ Adoption Program for Birth Parents
It’s true. No two adoption agencies have the same program for birth parents who are considering placing their child for adoption. And, Graceful Adoptions doesn’t have the same adoption program for any two birth parents. Why? Because no [...]
