Adoptive Mom Life | Open Adoption, Adoptive Parenting, Birth Family, Christian Community, Biblical Encouragement

Do you have a group of people you’re doing life with, or are you sitting on the other side wishing you had a group of people to do life with as an adoptive parent?   Friends, what if I told you it wasn’t just “nice to have” but also biblical to live in community with likeminded people? What if I told you it would bring down your stress levels, improve the lens in which you view inevitable challeng...

Our adopted children’s journey began long before we held them—and it’s sacred. It includes grief and beauty, pain and redemption. Some of it belongs only to them and the Lord.   In this episode, I dive into why we, as adoptive parents, share, and how we can be more mindful in what we share about our child’s story.   I also give you 4 “heart check” questions to ask yourself before sharing something...

Are you an adoptive mom who feels weary? Do you try to juggle everything only to be left feeling depleted?   On today’s episode, I’m giving you tips for refilling your empty cup so you can pour into your children and be the mom God has called you to be.   Email Me: heartgrownmamapodcast@gmail.com Join our private community on Facebook: bit.ly/adoptivemomlife    

Welcome back to Adoptive Mom Life! If you’ve been feeling a little disconnected from your child lately — especially as an adoptive parent — you are not alone.   Summer can be this open stretch of relaxing free time, but it can also bring up emotions, boredom, tricky behaviors, or dysregulation. And sometimes, summer can unintentionally be filled with too much solo time or screen time for your chil...

Hey mama! If you've ever felt the whisper that you're not enough, this episode is for you!    Does that mom guilt creep in more often than you’d like? From the small things, like feeding them too many chicken nuggets and not enough veggies, to the BIG stuff, like being fully responsible for their relationship with their birth families as they grow up.   As a mom, it can feel impossible to do it al...

It’s summertime! Maybe your kids are out of school for summer, or they’re about to be! This is when either excitement or panic sets in for you, mama!   For all of you work-at-home moms, how do you navigate a peaceful summer where they have fun, but you’re able to get actual work done, too? How can you balance your need for vocation and vacation? Your must-dos and your want-tos? Your needs and thei...

Welcome to Part Two of our episode on how to support a friend who’s waiting to adopt a child. This can be a difficult journey to navigate.   The waiting, the hoping, the milestones, the holidays, baby showers, and getting your heart and home ready to welcome a child.   If you’re here, I can imagine you want to support them with love and grace, but you’re not sure how! Go back and listen to Episode...

Do you have a friend or loved one who’s adopting a child? If so, this two-part episode is exactly what you need to show up with wisdom and kindness and support them in an intentional way.   The fact that you’re here today says a lot about how much you love your person, so first and foremost, THANK YOU for taking the time to better understand the world of adoption.   Please share this episode with...

Would you consider yourself an introvert? If so, you’re in the right place!   On today’s episode, I’m talking about parenting adopted kids as an introverted mom. While it can be very challenging on the nervous system, it can absolutely be done. I’ll share some common burnout triggers for adoptive moms, along with ways to create boundaries and create time for recovery.   Believe it or not, introver...

Today’s episode is all about open adoption and ways to stay connected with a child’s birth family. I talk about different methods for maintaining contact with your child’s birth family, and how each scenario is completely unique according to everyone’s preferences.   Whether you’re hoping to adopt and plan to have an open adoption, or you’re raising children and need to hear from someone who just...

It’s time for another R.E.N.E.W. episode, and this time, it’s for April.   April means spring, and spring is ALL about renewal, so I can’t think of a better time to renew ourselves on this motherhood and adoption journey.   Whether you’re waiting for your family to grow or raising little ones like I am, we must keep our minds, bodies, and spirits nourished and cared for.  Sometimes, that means edu...

Inspired by a book and a podcast interview, I wanted to have a conversation around giving kids more control over their lives within safe and loving boundaries.   Moms, what if I told you that all kids’ and teens’ mental health issues revolve around one central theme: a low sense of control.   Clearly, there may be other factors involved, like genetics, trauma, and neurodiversity, and each child is...

In this fun, two-part series, I chat with my husband about infertility and adoption from a “his and hers” perspective.   We share some very candid moments, offer advice for couples dealing with infertility and advice for couples as they transition into pursuing adoption to grow their families.   I hope you learn something new, share a few laughs with us, and reach out to ask us follow up questions...

In this fun, two-part series, I chat with my husband about infertility and adoption from a “his and hers” perspective.   We share some very candid moments, offer advice for couples dealing with infertility and advice for couples as they transition into pursuing adoption to grow their families.   I hope you learn something new, share a few laughs with us, and reach out to ask us follow up questions...

What’s the one thing we, as a society, all have in common right now? It’s a lack of time!   I get it. You don’t have time for self-care and you don’t have time to be still or mindful. But what if I told you that your future kids really depend on you to be a whole, healthy person?  Whether you’re waiting to adopt a child, or raising your adopted children, this episode is for you.   On today’s episo...

On this (sometimes teary-eyed – sorry!) episode, we’re talking about finding beauty from ashes. Sometimes we face difficult things. Sometimes it’s a minor health setback or car troubles. Sometimes it’s a failed adoption match or another negative pregnancy test. And other times, it’s losing someone you love. These setbacks and heartbreaks are inevitable in life on this side of heaven. But we can st...

Hey friends! On today’s episode of the Heartgrown Mama podcast, we’re talking about the word R.E.N.E.W. and how we can apply this acronym in our motherhood season.   Today, I’ll talk about what we’re reading, educating ourselves with, nourishing our bodies with, enjoying, and writing about.   Join us each month as we record another R.E.N.E.W. episode, where I’ll share things that I’m loving, learn...

Today we’re talking about infertility leading to adoption. This isn’t always the order of things, but it is seen fairly often.   Does one always lead to the other? Absolutely not!   On today’s episode, we’re going to dive deeper into infertility and how, at least in my story, it was the stepping stone that led me to God’s plan for our family, which was adoption. And while I never saw that plan com...

On our third and final episode of our Love Series, we talk about ways to show love to your child (adopted or not!) and, spoiler alert: one of those ways involves showing love and respect to their birth families.   Just like in previous episodes, most of these ideas cost you nothing but time. Time well spent is what we will all remember years down the road. At the end of the day, your children just...

How can we love and honor ourselves while we wait to adopt a child?   In this sometimes fragile season of waiting, how can we care for ourselves as we would a good friend? Are there things we can say “no” to, and boundaries we can set? Who are you surrounding yourself with? What things can you be doing to spark joy?   Stay tuned for five (mostly FREE!) ways to show love and kindness to yourself.  ...

How can we better show our love to our spouses while waiting to adopt a child?   This is a really unique season, but also a time where you can pour into one another and build a strong foundation for your future family. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 simple ways to show love to your spouse (and most of them cost NOTHING)!   I can’t think of a better time to share tips for loving your spouse than...

Do you have a picky eater in your home? Are things too green, too squishy, too spicy, too stringy, too bitter, or too sour? I have a child who has become a very picky eater and won’t eat many (if any) fruits or veggies.   So, I created a one-week challenge to eat the rainbow and earn a super fun reward. So far, the kids are LOVING it and we’ve seen some massive improvement in willingness to try ne...

Are the what-ifs swirling in your mind about your child’s future? Do you lose sleep over worry or anxiety about it? As an adoptive mom, I understand this very well.  Today, we will use the acrostic, L.O.V.E. to form healthier thought patterns around these intrusive thoughts.   L: Love O: Openness V: Validation E: Education   Let’s reframe our mind when these thoughts come creeping in, and lead wit...

In the final episode of our three-part series on self-care, we discuss whether self-care is biblical or if it has selfish implications. I think it can go either way, depending on how it’s being done. Too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing!   We discuss a handful of scriptures as they pertain to self-care. The Bible doesn’t explicitly mention self-care, but there are some verses that sp...

Taking care of yourself as an adoptive mom is vital for your well-being and your family’s health. By prioritizing your own needs, you'll be better able to support your child and your family in the long run.   In the second episode of a three-part series, we explore the ways mamas-by-adoption can take some solo time to fill their cups, from coffee with a friend, to perusing the library alone, to co...