Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the adoption process is the waiting. Unlike a standard pregnancy with a typically fixed timeline of nine months, adoptive waiting periods are much less predictable. For adoptive parents to be, the wait can sometimes feel endless. Here are some ways you can support your friend or loved one as they wait to adopt.
With their permission, help spread the word about your friends’ adoption to be by sharing their adoption profile. Share their profile on Facebook or other social media. The more the word about their adoption gets around, the better their chances are of finding the perfect match.
Help your friends plan a “babymoon.” Maybe think of something they have always wanted to do, and that may be hard to find the time to do once there’s a baby or child in the picture. Something as simple as a weekend away can help the adoptive parents to be in your life experience fun and fond memories during what can be an arduous time.
Another fun way to make the waiting period fun is to throw a baby shower. Just because the parents to be aren’t giving birth to their child doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a baby shower. Even if a shower is held early in the process when not a lot of details are known, gifts can be unisex or the shower can double as a fundraiser of sorts.
Some parents-to-be experience anxiety during the waiting period, unsure of how long they will have to wait or what’s to come. If your friend is feeling stressed, help her unwind with a spa day. Pamper yourselves and treat her to a massage, facial, or pedicure.
Not having been through the process, it can be hard to find the right words to say to friends waiting to adopt. If you are having a hard time finding the right things to say to support and comfort your friends through the waiting process, help them find someone who has been through the same thing. Adoption support groups, both local and online, are great sources for connecting with people who are going through or have been through similar experiences.
When it comes to supporting the future adoptive parents in your life during the waiting period, the best thing you can do is just be there for them. Even if you aren’t sure what to say, use your words and the tips above to let them know that you will be there to support and help them in whatever way you can.
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