Anticipating the adopted child: women's preadoptive experiences.

A phenomenological pilot study looked into the experiences of 3 women choosing to adopt internationally. The mothers of a total of 7 children from 4 different countries shared the journey leading to adoption: the desire to create a family, the labour of the adoption process, and the experience of bonding with their children. The preadoptive period was a time of preparation, generating the themes of taking control, creating a family, anticipating, celebrating the pictures, honouring the child's origins, investing personally, and bonding. This research validates and adds credibility to the experiences of adoptive mothers, thus contributing critical information to the knowledge base of the nursing professionals who work with these mothers.