The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the feelings and perceptions of parents undergoing the process of private infant adoption in Western society. Ten individuals were interviewed and, through ethnographic analysis, categories and themes were derived. Participants moved sequentially through seven phases, from the choice to adopt to receiving the legal birth certificate. Adoptive parents described the phases as laden with fears and anxieties. The participants considered themselves to be risk-takers. Major themes that emerged from this study were uncertainty, unpreparedness, and commitment to an unguaranteed investment. Additional themes were isolation, competition, judgment, and ostracism from a variety of sources. Health professionals can support these parents by assisting them in establishing coping strategies and through educating them during each phase of the process.
