Today's article comes to us from Elizabeth Laing Thompson, the author of When God Says, “Wait” and When God Says, “Go.” She writes at LizzyLife.com about clinging to Christ through the chaos of daily life. As a minister, speaker, and novelist, she loves finding humor in holiness and hope in heartache.

Elizabeth lives in North Carolina with her preacher husband and four spunky kids, and they were totally worth the wait. You can connect with Elizabeth on her author site, on Facebook, and on Instagram. 

The summer after our third anniversary, I turned to my husband and said, “And now, let there be babies!” Kevin looked at me with vague panic haunting his eyes, but said, “Okay! That sounds fun. I think?”  We expected to just get off birth control, light some candles, and four weeks later, do a happy dance around the bathroom, positive pregnancy test in hand—that’s how the grow-your-family thing seemed to be happening for all our friends. Only it didn’t happen that way for us.

Perhaps you began your adoption journey after a struggle with infertility; perhaps the Lord has simply put it on your heart to open your home to a child. Whichever route led you to pursue adoption, you must have quickly learned that the time table is out of your hands—and often involves a season of waiting. The complex and emotionally draining process of growing your family can seem to stop and start so many times you end up with whiplash—not just for your feelings, but also your faith!

In domestic infant adoption, the wait to be chosen by a birth mother can be a challenge for hopeful adoptive parents. Recently, Tracy, an adoptive mother in-waiting, shared with us how Lifetime’s encouragement, support, and webinars have helped her.

Tracy, and her husband, Jamie, are actively waiting to be chosen by a birth mother. To prepare for their future adoption, Tracy attends monthly webinars. She shared how the support and encouragement of Lifetime's staff have helped her family, and how Lifetime’s adoption webinars inspire her to write during their wait. You’ll be inspired by hopeful adoptive mom Tracy’s uplifting adoption poem and honest feedback on how Lifetime's supportive staff have filled her with hope for her family's future:

Finally, the day you've been waiting for has arrived: it's time to bring home your newly adopted baby!

The days of searching and waiting are over, and it's time to begin a new season of life as a parent. Your entire family wants to meet this little one, and this is such a joyous occasion.

It's a very normal reaction to want to focus solely on bonding with your new child. Many families say they'd like to forget the adoption process: the paperwork, the interviews, the rejection, and the long wait. They desire to move on as a typical family. These are understandable feelings for adoptive parents. 

But, amid all your joy, you need to remember and respect the open adoption contact agreement you made with the birth mother. Honoring this agreement benefits the entire adoption triad (you, your child, and the birth family) in these ways:

In the United States, 10% to 15% of couples face difficulty conceiving after trying for at least one year. While some of those couples will go on to have biological children, some will not. For many of these couples, moving from infertility to adoption helps them fulfill that part of their life where they feel something may be missing.

For many couples that contend with infertility and live out the daily struggle that comes with it, an important question emerges: do you want to be pregnant or do you want to be parents? It is difficult to determine when to forego fertility treatment and opt for adoption, especially after you have been trying for so long. Fortunately, this is a decision you can make in time. You just might need to take a few extra steps along the way.

After a long journey of deciding to adopt, completing paperwork, waiting for an adoption opportunity, and getting to know the birth mother, the big day is finally here – it’s time to meet your baby!

The trip to the hospital is the often most anticipated event in an adoptive family's journey. To help you prepare, we've put together this quick guide on your adoption hospital experience. We also answer some of the most common questions that adoptive parents have and share an exclusive adoption webinar about what to expect when your baby arrives!

Happy National Adoption Month! Here at Lifetime Adoption, we celebrate adoption year-round. But November holds a special place in our hearts. This month is recognized across the U.S. as National Adoption Month, and it's the perfect opportunity to share the beauty of adoption.

Today, I'd like to share about how adoptions in the U.S. have changed over the years. Join me as I reveal a peek into the past of how adoption has evolved from a secretive practice to a nationally recognized and celebrated event!

The decision to adopt a baby is a very personal one to make. Why do couples turn to adoption to expand their family? It's not possible to say there's one reason why people adopt since every family is different. Each couple will seek an infant adoption for their own reasons.

Many wonder what some of these reasons to adopt are. Join Lifetime Adoption as we share 12 common reasons to adopt a baby!

Today's article comes to us from Family Living Today, a website that answers questions about everything to do with modern living. Family Living Today is a free resource that provides everything from in-depth product reviews to expert advice. 

When you adopt, you're not only adding a new family member to your home. You're also bringing a child into a new environment with new people and family dynamics.

There are the safety, security, and emotional needs of your adopted baby to consider, as well as the needs of any other children you have as well. While bringing a newborn to your home is a joyous occasion, the transition may not be a smooth one. But with the right preparation, you can remove some of the obstacles. We've got a few tips to help you and your family through the transition!

When most people think of adoption, they imagine adoptions of the past when closed adoption was the norm. Society's views on adoption have evolved over the years, and now most private or independent adoptions are open adoptions. In fact, only 5% of infant adoptions are closed, according to a 2012 survey of 100 private adoption agencies.

What this means for you is that more than likely, you will have an open adoption with your child's birth mother. 

There are varying degrees of contact in an open adoption arrangement, from emails sent through an adoption professional to annual in-person visits. Open adoption comes with many benefits for everyone in the adoption triad: adoptive parents, adoptee, and birth parents.

Birth parents know that open adoption does not mean that you share custody. You are the parents, and they will respect this. They simply want to know how their child is doing and that they made the right decision. I've seen so many great open adoptions and wonderful birth mother relationships. You should be open and honest about the amount of involvement she will have with the baby. 

By setting healthy boundaries, the adoption experience will be a happier one for you, your baby, and the birth parents. Keep reading to learn about open adoption agreements, the hospital experience in open adoption, topics to discuss with your child's birth parents, and more!

Many don't know about this, but there is an adoption symbol. You may have heard people use the term "adoption triad." It’s a commonly-used term in the adoption community that describes the three sides of every adoption: the birth family, the adoptive family, and the adoptee. The triangle in the symbol represents those three sides. The heart intertwined in this symbol of adoption represents the love involved in the relationship of adoption!