Alex and Matt adopted their son through American Adoptions in 2020. Now, adoptive mom Alex looks back on their adoption story and shares their experience with American Adoptions.
In early May of 2020, I decided we had waited long enough for our baby. My husband and I had spent seven years trying to build our family, researching adoption and foster care, attempting fertility treatments, and experiencing a miscarriage. At some point, I tried to talk myself into a sense of peace that we would be childless and that was okay, but I couldn’t maintain the sense. I knew we were waiting for someone.
I had spent years looking into all sorts of routes to adoption. However, in my hour of certainty that it was time to move forward, I was confident that American Adoptions was our only choice. Although we made the decision primarily because of the unique financial protection the agency offers in the event of adoption disruption, we would soon experience the vast benefits of having our American Adoptions family journey with us through the adoption process.
Hours after submitting our application, I received a warm message from our Adoptive Family Coordinator, Jason. It had all the information we needed to move forward clearly spelled out. We got to work, and with the help of Jason and third parties we found through American Adoptions, we became an active family in early July.
We were continuously impressed by the American Adoptions professionals we worked with during this time. They responded to every request immediately, and with kindness and clarity. It was also during this time that we got to touch base with the fabulous human being who would help connect us to our son, our Adoptive Family Specialist, Melanie.
In the weeks that followed, we received thoughtful updates from Melanie that made the waiting a bit easier to bear. However, we didn’t have to wait long. On the morning of November 5th (only four months after our activation), we got the call. A baby boy. A 12-hour drive. Come as quickly as possible. The following afternoon, my husband and I cried tears of joy as we held our baby boy for the first time. It was magic.
In the week that followed, our son needed additional medical attention and tests, and we couldn’t have been more grateful to Melanie and our wonderful Birth Family Specialist, Erin, for all of their loving support and guidance. From the morning of the 5th until we brought our son home, our American Adoptions team was there to hold us up.
We felt so secure knowing they were on our side, working behind the scenes. We got to focus on loving our baby instead of worrying about all the technical details that our team was handling for us. When we had questions, they got back to us instantly. When we were worried, they were right there to reassure and support.
The education they had provided prior to our placement proved invaluable and helped us navigate all that we experienced when it was time to meet our boy and his birth family. After meeting our son, we had the opportunity to connect with his birth mom and siblings and offer our gratitude to this lovely young woman who made the hardest sacrifice any mother could make.
Once we got home, our American Adoptions team grew, and we were connected with Michelle, who handles post-adoption contact. As we had come to expect from all American Adoptions staff, she was incredibly kind, helpful, and quick to respond to our questions. We love knowing that we are still connected to American Adoptions, and can reach out any time we have concerns or questions throughout our son’s life as we continue to build a relationship with his birth family.
Our path to parenthood has been a bumpy road. However, once we made the decision to journey with American Adoptions, the path noticeably smoothed. Today, our American Adoptions family and associated third parties work hard to finalize our adoption, and we know we can reach out any time and get an immediate response. But meanwhile, all we have to do right now is focus on loving our sweet baby boy at last. Thank you, American Adoptions family!
Thanks for sharing your story, Alex! We love helping wonderful people like Alex and Matt. To learn more about beginning your own adoption journey, whether you hope to adopt or you need to find adoptive parents for your child, you can contact American Adoptions at any time for free information.
