December 05, 2015

You’ve gotten the call!

For some, the adoption call comes after months (or longer) of waiting and plenty of time to plan. But what if you’ve newly started your process and the call comes out of nowhere, and you have absolutely no time to get ready? As exciting and perfect and wonderful as that moment is, there’s a lot to think about, and your whole life is going to change — the more you can prepare yourself the better.

So what can you do? First of all, it’s all about doing this best you can. Like this mother shares, even if you have everything planned as much as possible, surprises are the name of the game (like getting the call the one week you don’t have child care lined up).

Make sure you have a few staple items packed away to take with you. Pack a little bag with a few things to get you through those initial first days: a camera, chargers, extra batteries, a baby blanket, a few bottles, a pair of pajamas and some travel essentials. If you have to travel to pick up your baby, you can always pick up more things when you get there, but think about what you’ll want as you’re waiting in the hospital, what’d you’d like to have on hand as you greet your new baby. Making sure you have enough tucked away for a couple nights will allow you to completely focus on your newborn, and not worrying about what you’ll need. Think about how you want to document the moment and make sure everything is charged and squared away. You don’t want a phone or camera dying if you haven’t even been able to get photos!

Have a few people on-call at home to pick up things you might need. Do you have a crib, bottles and nipples, diapers, a changing table? If not, that’s okay! Organize a list of people beforehand who can take care of those things while you’re out and help set things up at home for when you’re bak. You’re going to want all the time possible to focus on your baby, and you could be gone for weeks. Having a few people on hand who you trust to take care of things at home is a lifesaver.

Talk to your employer. If you could be jetting off at any minute to pick up your baby, it’s a good thing to let work know. Even if you don’t know when it will be happening, arranging that time off before hand and coming up with a contingency plan for work will be a huge stress reliever. You don’t want to be stressing about work when trying to focus on being a new mommy or daddy.

Consider booking a train back. If you have to fly to wherever your new baby is, considering booking a one-way flight there and a sleeper car on a train back. It’s so much more comfortable than a flight, it gives you private time as a family, and it allows you to focus on bonding together without the terror of bringing a newborn child on a flight. It will take a bit longer, but it could be monumentally less stressful and actually really fun.

Have kids? Get child care lined up! Make sure you have a list of people on hand who are able to take care of your kids at a moment’s notice. The same for pets (or at least someone to drop them off or pick them up at the kennel.) This is a huge stress reliever and it will allow you to leave at a moment’s notice knowing things are safely taken care of at home.

Don’t panic! Becoming a parent is diving into a world filled with unknowns. What’s most important is that you are welcoming a new child into your family and embracing a new journey in parenthood. Delegate, try to keep calm, and focus on what’s right in front of you — that sweet new child. Everything else is will come together.