- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- iparenting adoption articles
- iparenting adoption q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
My Adopted Daughter at My Breast
Our Path Toward a Wonderful Nursing Relationship By C.J. Johnson
The lactation consultant I called suggested I wait a few days and start again when I had healed. I explained to her that we were about to have two different families visit and stay in our home during the upcoming two weeks and our household would be very busy. I decided to wait until two weeks later when all the visitors had left and try pumping again. I assumed it would still take months to get our baby and I would have plenty of time to prepare milk for her.
Our first batch of visitors came and went, and then my husband's family arrived from Seattle for a six-day visit. On the fifth day of their stay, a short month and a half after we had applied for adoption, we received a call from the agency saying that there was a birth mother who was interested in our family. She was flying to our state that very night with her week-old baby and wanted to meet with us. We were told that if the meeting went well we could have our baby in the morning.
We were shocked that we could have a child so suddenly. My first concern was that I wouldn't have any milk for her. But so many parts of the situation felt right to us so we decided to meet the birth mother.
We liked her right away and she felt comfortable with us. She was a lovely Hispanic woman with petite features and seemed feisty and very bright. We laughed and cried together that night as we asked each other questions about our hopes for the baby and what she needed from the adoptive family. The evening went very well, but she still did not say a word about us adopting the baby. We hugged her for a long time and left wondering if this baby was to be ours.
The next morning our household was still and tense. All the Seattle relatives stayed close to us waiting for the news. Each time the phone rang we hoped it was word that we could get our baby. Finally, near 11 a.m., the agency called to say she was signing the papers and we could come pick up our baby girl.
