Legacy Adoption Services

Baby’s First Birthday

Baby’s first birthday is a big milestone in the adoption journey

A baby’s first birthday is always a time for celebration. But when you’ve placed your baby for adoption with an adoptive family, you may find yourself with mixed feelings as the big day approaches: Happiness that your baby has been surrounded by love for their first year, combined with sadness for what you might have missed. Our Texas adoption agency encourages planning ahead for your adopted baby’s birthday, so that you, your baby and the baby’s family can all mark this milestone in a way that feels right.

Plan the level of contact you want on your adopted baby’s birthday

When you place a baby for adoption through our Texas adoption agency, you will be able to decide what level of contact you want to have with your baby and their adoptive family. Celebrations, such as birthdays and holidays, are special times for any family, so it’s important for everyone to have clear expectations ahead of time. That’s why your adoption agreement will detail exactly how contact will be handled going forward, based on your preferences.

Through the years, our Texas adoption agency has seen a variety of arrangements for celebrating an adopted baby’s birthday. Some pregnant moms decide they want to visit or Zoom with the baby and adoptive family to celebrate with them, while other others prefer to send a heartfelt gift or letter. For some women who place a child for adoption, it’s easier to have no contact on birthdays. All of these, and everything in between, are valid options.

When you’re thinking about the level of contact you want to have in the future, picture yourself in variety of scenarios when baby’s first birthday comes around. How do you think you would you feel about marking the occasion in these ways?

  • Celebrating with your baby’s adopted family, in person or by phone or video call
  • Sending a gift, card or special keepsake letter to your baby
  • Commemorating baby’s first birthday at home with your own family, friends and loved ones
  • Doing something special for yourself to mark your child’s birthday privately
  • Planting a tree in your child’s honor, and watching it grow through the years ahead

Baby’s first birthday is time to reflect

Regardless of how you choose to mark your child’s birthday, treat yourself with kindness. It’s normal for this milestone to rekindle memories of the difficult decision to place your baby for adoption. After all, the day you give birth is an important milestone in your life, too. Take time to reflect and find peace within yourself, whether you are close to your baby or far away.

When you place your baby for adoption, you give a family the priceless gift of celebrating birthday after birthday with a beloved child. Marking the first birthday is something they look forward to from the moment the baby is placed into their arms, and you are the one who makes that joy possible.

Our Texas adoption agency understands the feelings that you may have about your baby’s first birthday, and we want you to remember that doing the right thing for yourself, and for your child, is the greatest gift of all. We will always be here to support you, both during and after the adoption process. We are here to help, so reach out when you need us.

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