While We Wait

Waiting is the hardest part. This is the reality that Heidi Schlumpf has come to understand. The adoption process, which often comes after months of fertility issues, is itself a time- and money-consuming venture fraught with stressful paperwork and disappointment. It is nothing like the excited anticipation with which natural-birth parents await the arrival of their new child. With the average wait for adopting a child anywhere from one to three years, countless hopeful parents encounter feelings of helplessness, sadness, anger and frustration. To help them cope through the stress of the adoption process, Heidi Schlumpf, who finally adopted her first child with her husband Edmund after three years of waiting, offers While We Wait--a collection of reflections with words of commiseration, compassion and ultimately hope. Topics include: infertility, domestic vs. international adoption, the cost of adoption, waiting through the holidays, jealousy, marital stress, coping strategies, and spiritual resources.