The Trimesters of Adoption

We are crazy blessed to have so many friends walking along with us through our journey.  Each day the outreach, positive thoughts and prayers are humbling.   We love the support, but recognize it's often hard to explain the adoption process to others (we’re still learning all the ins and outs ourselves).  Then we came across several posts by various adoption agencies that talk about the “Three Trimesters of Adoption.”  We thought, “Such a cool way to explain the process!”  So here goes:

First Trimester: It’s spent doing paperwork and getting certified.  Blah.  Just like the pains of first-trimester morning sickness, this really is the worst part of the adoption process.  Paper, paper, paper.  Thankfully, we’re past this trimester.  Check!

Second Trimester: It’s the waiting-to-be-matched period (which we’re currently in).  Unlike a “standard” pregnancy trimester, this could take a few months or several years.  We’re praying we’ll be in the months, not years camp!

Third Trimester: This is where there’s been a match and now the adoptive and birth parents anxiously anticipate the birth!  This trimester could last up to 5 months, but generally coincides with a pregnancy’s third trimester.  However, in adoption this trimester could be skipped altogether.  We could end up getting the call that a baby’s already been born (in adoption lingo this is called a “stork drop”).

Like any journey, what we learn along the way is as meaningful as the final destination.