One of the best things about this process so far has been making new friends with two other PAM's (Pre Adoption Mum's as we now call ourselves!) and their partners. We all started Stage One together and have enjoyed our shared sense of humour on the training days, it didnt take long for us ladies to start sending lengthy emails to one another about our journeys so far, hopes, worries, funny stories, anxieties over being judged on our packed lunches on training days! etc. Realising we had so much to talk about we decided to meet up for lunch, I dont think we stopped talking for 5 hours! It was so wonderful for us to be able to talk to other people who had not only been through the turmoil of infertility but were out the other side making the decision to adopt. Often when on this 'journey' its all too easy to feel ostricised from society and alone because it seems that these issues, particularly infertility, can have a bit of a stigma around them. I know we all felt very alone at points, which is why we're so happy and relieved to have formed our little support group now, I like to think of it as a sort of Adoption NCT group! I think they should exist, perhaps as an optional extra to the training process. Its a great way to normalise things for people - something i feel very strongly about - Motherhood can be approached in so many different ways and this needs to be celebrated more widely.
Not only is it a great support to us all now, I think we all realised that its going to be such a support to us when we have our children placed with us - there will be so much that will be able to go unsaid between us and we will understand the additional stresses to our parenting journeys as well as being able to share in the joy of all. In my experience sharing like this definitely makes things more manageable and enjoyable. I'm SO excited for us all right now :D and hopefully one day soon the 'P' in PAMs will stand for 'Post'.
Not only is it a great support to us all now, I think we all realised that its going to be such a support to us when we have our children placed with us - there will be so much that will be able to go unsaid between us and we will understand the additional stresses to our parenting journeys as well as being able to share in the joy of all. In my experience sharing like this definitely makes things more manageable and enjoyable. I'm SO excited for us all right now :D and hopefully one day soon the 'P' in PAMs will stand for 'Post'.
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