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Adoption After Giving Birth

What Makes Couples Decide to Adopt After Having a Baby?

By Teri Brown

So how do you go about preparing your children for their new sibling? Groza says open communication is your best bet for bringing – and keeping – everything out into the open.

"Whether a child enters a family by birth or adoption, there needs to be ongoing, open discussion about the changes a new member of the family will bring," Groza says. "Hopes, fears, expectations and all the fantasies that everyone entertains need to be discussed, discussed and discussed again. Families should find other families in the same situation and talk with them about their experiences, including allowing the children to talk."

Stacie Cahill has a masters degree in social work and is the author of several books on adoption, including My Parents Love Me Too (Xlibris, 2005). She agrees that open dialogue is imperative.

"It is best to celebrate both biological childbirth and adoption during the wonderful time," Cahill says. "Many families forget to provide the biological child with any attention due to the excitement of the adoption process. Families with biological children may overcompensate with celebration regarding adoption in order to help the adopted children feel special. Many times biological children get lost in the adoption excitement, and do not feel as important as adopted siblings."

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