Everyone handles situations differently, but there is no secret recipe for handling your emotions while going through the adoption process.

If you have made an adoption plan for your baby, you will go through many emotions over the course of a few months to a year. Here are a few ways you can handle these emotions instead of letting them get the best of you:

Acknowledge what you are feeling
Pushing emotions away never helps you work through them. Don’t be afraid to speak with someone (your options counselor, a licensed counselor, etc.) who can help you figure out why you might be feeling a certain way.

Find support
Whether it comes from family, friends, the adoptive family you matched with, or a counselor, it is so important to have people who know what you are going through. You need to have someone you can go to when your emotions are threatening to take over.

Education
In the months leading up to the birth, educating yourself about what emotions you might feel later in the process could make a huge difference. Feeling prepared for what is ahead could keep you from feeling overwhelmed by everything once the placement has occurred.

Writing
Having an outlet such as writing can help you process what you are feeling. By putting things on paper or typing them out, you give yourself the chance to acknowledge why you might be feeling a certain way.

Find other resources available for birth mothers
There are many support groups, online chats, and testimonies written by birth mothers that you can find online. Each one will help you realize that you are not alone in the way you are feeling; there are many women who can relate to what you are going through. Find them and connect with them!

The options counselors at Legacy Adoption Services are ready and willing to help you work through any and every emotion you might be feeling. Adoption is never an easy road to travel, and it is much harder if you try to go down it alone. Call Legacy today to begin meeting with an options counselor.