6 Different Types of People You Need on Your Adoption Team
Choosing to place your baby for adoption may be one of the bravest decisions that you make as a soon-to-be birth mother, but it may also be one of the most difficult. You’re going to need an entire team behind you to make the next very pivotal steps in your life. From friends and family to adoption and medical professionals, each choice you make in the adoption process will require extra support for every facet of your life.
Fortunately, Adoption Choices of Colorado is here to help. We understand the emotions and stresses that the adoption process can bring, and how lonely the adoption journey can feel at times. That’s why it’s important to know that you are not alone. Here are the six different types of people you need on your adoption team to help ensure that you have a very successful and positive adoption journey.
1. Other Birth Mothers
Experience is definitely one of the best teachers — especially with something as emotionally taxing as placing your child for adoption. For this reason, having someone in your corner who has walked along a similar path is optimal to get through the ups and downs of the adoption process. Of course, your situation might not be the exact same as theirs, but they’ll still have insight that the average individual might not. Ask them about how placing their child up for adoption affected them, and what they would do differently now if they were in your shoes.
Adoption specialists and resources like Adoption Choices of Colorado would be more than happy to connect you with our partner, Lifetime Healing, a support group dedicated to helping birth mothers. They meet on a monthly basis and welcome anyone who has experienced the adoption journey.
2. An Adoption Counselor
If you aren’t sure what to do, or want to research your options more, you may want to speak with an adoption counselor. Someone who can listen, help you understand your thoughts and feelings and guide you to the best decision for you and your baby. You do not have to be completely committed to the idea of placing your baby for adoption to make an appointment.
Our adoption agency offers you free counseling services, where you will have a safe, confidential and nonjudgmental environment to express your emotions and learn information that can educate you on all perspectives regarding your unplanned pregnancy options. These sessions are available to any immediate family members or the child’s birth father, if they would like someone to talk to as well. After the adoption has been finalized, you can still meet with an adoption counselor for post-placement emotional support.
3. Your Doctor
Your physical well-being, as well as the health of the child, is vitally important. For this reason, you’ll want to make sure that you stay in constant contact with your doctor throughout your pregnancy and adoption journey. Be sure, also, that you attend all the routine checkups, ultrasound appointments and pay attention to any prenatal care advice your doctor gives you.
Your doctor and healthcare providers will be your best resource in letting you know how to have a healthy pregnancy, and to ensure that both you and your baby stay safe and happy. So, if you have any questions or concerns about your specific circumstances, be sure to consult with your doctor.
4. Your Friends and Family
The adoption journey may be fraught with ups and downs — good days and bad. This is why one of the types of people you need on your adoption team should be your friends and family. If you aren’t comfortable telling all of them, that’s completely okay. You don’t need to feel pressured to do so. Yet, having a trusted friend or close family member to have your back in the tougher moments can make all the difference in the world.
Even if your friends and family members aren’t necessarily your rock during your adoption journey, they can and should still be vital parts of making it through. They may not have all of the answers that you need or think you need on this journey, but they can be there to pick up the slack for when life gets too hard. This can involve things like cooking or picking up a meal for you when you’re too tired to do so for yourself, or taking care of some of your day-to-day chores. Most importantly, though, your friends and family should stand by your decisions and support you, no matter what.
5. Your Partner or Spouse
The biggest source of strength, compassion, and encouragement can be your partner or spouse — your proverbial teammate. They can be your:
- Your shoulder for you to cry on: who listens to your every issue and fear, even when doing so seems insurmountable.
- Your cheerleader: who rejoices with you in the good times and the victories you’ll experience throughout your adoption journey.
- Your anchor: who is there to keep you grounded in times of grief. To remind you why you placed your baby for adoption, and how selfless, loving and brave you are for doing so.
6. Your Adoptive Family
Although it might seem strange to imagine, remember that you are helping adoptive parents’ dreams come true by allowing them to raise and love your child. Once you select them as your child’s adoptive parents, they become part of your extended family. Thus, depending on what type of adoption you choose to pursue, they can and should be part of your adoption journey. Whether that’s giving them updates on your pregnancy or letting them come to your doctor’s appointments with you, that’s all up to you to decide when you’re creating your adoption plan.
If you choose an open or semi-open adoption, you will have the opportunity to keep the prospective adoptive family in the loop about everything that you’re going through. This way, they will know how they can best support you and help you through the adoption journey as well. The closer you all become before the baby is born, the stronger and more successful your lives together will be after the adoption has been finalized.
Types of People You Need on Your Adoption Team
There’s nothing worse than having to go through a big life-changing decision and feeling like there’s no one around to help you. Yet, when you place your baby for adoption, you will never have to feel this way. You will be surrounded by support, encouragement, comfort and anything else that you need.
Our goal at Adoption Choices of Colorado to make sure that both you and your baby are well taken care of, and that you have the most positive and empowering adoption journey possible.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Timothy “Blake” Donohoo is a writer with a myriad of experience in various mediums and formats under his belt. With over two years’ worth of writing obituaries for marketing firms, consumer products groups, and the entertainment industry, Blake has both an informative tongue and a sharp wit that continually educates and entertains, gluing the eyes of an entire spectrum of readers.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he received his BA in Communication, Blake has in the past written for healthcare publications such as Chattanooga’s True North Custom as well as Catholic Health Initiatives. Blake continues to write exciting content for CBR.com, where he regularly waxes philosophical concerning the goings on of the comic book, film, television, anime and video game industries.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!