How did being adopted yourself affect your decision and experience of being

[greenbean]

an adoptive parent? I was adopted as a baby and we're shortly going to begin the adoption process ourselves. We're adopting because I can't have children because I had to have a hysterectomy because of severe endometriosis. We have no natural children of our own. I wanted to know if you found any benefits or disadvantages to tracing your birthparents before you adopted, or if you chose not to and if so why, or really just anything about how you found the process? If your partner wasn't adopted, was any aspect of their experience of the adopted process affected by the fact that you're adopted- for example, did were they made to feel at any point that they "should have known things" because of their relationship with you? How did you find relating to your adopted child- was it easier or harder than you expected? Did it bring up things for you about your own adoption? Sorry for the inquisition-style question- it's really difficult to find adoptees who've then adopted, especially those who are adopting out of a kind of necessity rather than by choice. I have looked for my birth mother before- I did it on my own when I was 18 but never really got anywhere. I would like to find her because I have a lot of questions- I think really what I'm worrying about, if I had to boil it down to one thing, is my being adopted negatively affecting whether we get accepted or not, and also potentially negatively affecting the child/ren that we adopt. I'd appreciate your answers whatever your reasons for adopting- I just feel like a member of a very small club and I don't know anyone else who's been in this situation. If there's anything you think I might find useful or might not have thought of, I'd really appreciate that too.