Before adoptions were socially accepted, many birthmothers lost all contact with their children and their adoptive families. This caused a lot of heartbreak, both for the birthmother and her child when he or she grew up. But now, open adoptions allow the adoptive family and birth family to communicate. This adoption process creates a  healthy and happy situations for everyone involved.

Open adoptions account for 95% of adoptions in the U.S. This means that 95% of birthmothers are directly informed about their child’s life throughout the curse of the adoptive family’s parenthood. This is not only good for the birthmother’s mental and emotional health, but it allows the adoptive parents to know about the family history and cultural background of their child.

These are some common communication methods you can use to stay in contact with your baby and their adoptive family:

• Email. You can write letters, receive photos and exchange information with your baby’s adoptive family through email. This method is minimally invasive to the family’s life and brings forth less hesitance on the adoptive family to choose an open adoption. Email is a good alternative to sending and requesting information or photos through mail.

• Social Media. All new parents love to post photos of their children on social media. If you don’t want direct contact with the adoptive parents, a good option could be to follow them on social media. You can watch your baby grow up and see all the big events in their life. The adoptive parents may also send you private videos of things they don’t want to share with all of their friends.

• Skype. Video conferencing over Skype is a great way for you to see your baby in the early months of their childhood. Many adoptive parents would be happy to share video time with you and the baby. Skype visits may decrease as the child gets older, but it’s a great way to be there for the first few years of his or her life.

• In-person visits. Some adoptive parents may agree to meet you in person. They may want to update you or bring you photos. Most will not want to bring the child, especially if they are grown from infancy. However, an open adoption increases the likelihood of meeting your child in their adult life. If they or you do not feel comfortable with an in-person meeting, you can always opt for remote communication instead.