Faith, 38, from Wales, adopted three children with her husband Stuart after they were told she would not be able to carry a child naturally and here she tells her story…
"I'd gone to Norway with my husband on honeymoon to see if I could have IVF because I'd had four traumatic miscarriages at 12 weeks and while we were over there, I was told I had thyroid issues and polycystic ovary syndrome.
When we discovered I couldn't have kids naturally and carry a child full-term, we didn't want to put ourselves through trying again.
I thought if I had the same experience another time, I wouldn't be able to cope. Having the full stop on that conversation was actually very empowering because hearing I couldn't carry full-term made us say 'ok that's out the picture then'.
It was liberating because it helped us go onto our new dream of adoption and when we came home, we started looking into it.
We always knew that we were going to adopt at some point in the future because me and my husband have a heart for children and there are so many out there that need homes and love so it was always part of our plans.
Originally, we'd wanted to have two biological children and an adopted child but of course that changed when we found out I couldn't carry my own child full-term.
The process of adoption and applying to become adopters is very long, you speak about lots of things from your childhood and also have to get approved by a panel.
Before we started the transition and the kids came to live with us, we had a few meet-ups, one of them was in a park near us with two of them.
We parked in the car park and we could just hear them shouting "mummy, daddy!" and running towards us. That was such an incredible moment which will definitely stay with me forever, it was so powerful and emotional.
It was incredible when our three children came home because we had waited for it for so long. We'd gone from being a married couple to parents overnight and even though we were planning for it we definitely weren't prepared – it was a huge adjustment but it was so amazing.
On the first morning after they came to us, they all came into our bed and ate bacon sandwiches while we watched a film with them.
It was so special and it made me realise that everything we had been through had been worth it to get us to that moment. For me, it's like they were always meant to be with us and it feels absolutely amazing to be a mum.
It's such a precious thing and a lovely feeling when you're trying to do something and you hear them saying "mummy, mummy".
Being exasperated by constant interruptions is actually really nice because I think 'ah yeah, I am a mum', I'm like every other mum across the country and a real parent.
When they ask about their biological parents and families or they come up in conversation, we completely embrace it and we're open.
We've made it clear that we will always support them and come with them to their houses if they want to meet them or see them when they're older.
Family life is very busy and super loud, there's always something to do. We love being outdoors with the kids, last summer we went off in the van together and had adventures.
We're all so excited to go abroad on holiday when their adoption is completely finalised – we can't wait to experience that together.
"Life is chaotic but I wouldn't change it for the world, even in the harder times when you feel like you're constantly washing and cleaning and tidying, it's so worth it."
Suzanne Griffiths, Director of the National Adoption Service for Wales and Foster Wales said: “We hope that during this year’s National Adoption Week, people thinking about adopting across Wales, will find the information being shared helpful and inspiring.
"We aim to answer many of the questions they might have about adopting a sibling group, children with more complex needs or an older child. Our services are always happy to provide more information.”
Find out more adoption in Wales: adoptcymru.com
Source: Read Full Article
