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Hi all,
I am a birth mother trying to gain some insight from those who have adopted. Every so often I hear of a family celebrating 'gotcha day', the day their child's adoption was finalized. I also hear the term 'stork drop', which I am unsure the meaning of. I assume it means matching with a baby that has already been born.
I really struggle with terms like this. "Gotcha", to me, seems like a child is a possession to be won. I am not an adoptee, but I would imagine that could potentially be hurtful. My birth child was not 'gotten' from me- she was given, placed from loving arms to loving arms. And I am not a stork, I am a human being who sacrificed her heart for her sweet baby who needed more than I could provide at the time. I am sure that adoptive couples don't mean to be hurtful or erase birth parents from the picture, I am sure these phrases are simply meant to be cute.
But it does hurt sometimes. I feel that these phrases sugarcoat the fact that adoption is trauma to both the adoptee and the birth parents. Don't get me wrong- I love adoption and have no ill will toward those who adopt. I would just like to understand a little bit more about these terms and why they are so frequently used. Can anyone shed a little light on this for me?
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I am a parent thanks to a wonderful woman who placed her son for adoption and I also struggle with the "gotcha day" phrase. I love adoption, but I honestly think one of the most bittersweet days I have ever experienced was the day my son was born and we took him from the hospital. His birth mom kissed him, whispered she loved him and then handed him to me. My heart completely broke. I cried the two hour drive back home. I can only imagine that finalization day will have a mixture of emotions as well.
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I've also been wondering about this "Gotcha Day" thing. I agree that using the term in a domestic infant adoption seems unnecessary and kinda icky. But I wonder if using it for adoptions like foster or orphan adoption is a little better? What do you think? I feel like the important thing to remember if you're going to celebrate these days is to never downplay the birth parents.
I know some adoptive parents celebrate "gotcha" day. I don't. I have 4 kids and I have enough trouble with birthdays and holidays. And adoption is based on loss. Plus, L, now 19, came to me at 6. He was originally slated to be RU with his bm. All I remember is he came to me in May. I wouldn't remember the exact date.
I think adoption blogger Gayle Swift covered Gotcha Day pretty well in this article: