Bringing an adopted newborn into your home is not an easy undertaking. The first few months are the most challenging, but it can be less of a hassle if you know exactly what to expect.
It is necessary to have every detail for a safe and smooth adoption, but there’s a whole new life after adoption, and you should be prepared for it. Here are some things you can expect after adopting a newborn.
Newborns Sleep a Lot
The first few weeks after their birth are always very hectic, as the newborn tends to sleep a lot, and will only wake up when they need to be fed. Due to their short sleep cycles, almost every newborn wakes up about three to four times per night. You have to be prepared to wake up a few times to feed your newborn at night. This, however, is just for a short time. At about three months, the baby will settle into a longer period of sleep and wake times.
The Influx of Visitors
You will get lots of visitors who want to adore your baby, hold them, and play with them. It’s natural, right? Newborns are adored by everyone.
A new parent, however, needs to set aside some alone time with their newborn. The bonding process should start immediately, and you will have to adjust to a new routine that caters to the wants and needs of your child. Don’t be afraid to set limits on their visits and take time to yourself.
Get Ready For Questions
The baby will raise many questions from people. It isn’t just the usual questions like, “How have you adapted to your new lifestyle?” and “Is your baby a good sleeper?” There are also a host of adoption-specific questions, like, “What’s the biological mom like?”, “Where did he come from?” and “When will you announce his adoption?”
To prepare for these questions now, it’s important to put together a game plan to help tackle them when they arise. You do not need to share anything from your child’s story that is uncomfortable or hard for you to talk about. A good rule of thumb to follow if you are not sure how to proceed is to envision your child in 12, 15, or 20 years from now. If he or she finds out that you shared sensitive information about his/her birth story without his/her consent or knowledge, how will he or she feel?
Mistakes Are Inevitable
In the process of adopting a newborn, so much of your journey is to prove yourself to others and show them that you are a perfect parent. However, this does not mean that you won’t struggle along the way. You’re bound to make mistakes, whether it’s not getting your baby to sleep or running out of diapers.
The bright side is that parenting is rather forgiving and you’ll get much better at it with practice. Don’t be hard on yourself. Remember to be proud of yourself when you get stuff right and learn from your blunders when you don’t, because parenting is an eternal learning process.
