Beyond the Home Study

In this solo episode of Beyond the Home Study, Abbey Ramirez dives deeper into the world of private adoption. Picking up from Part 1 with Laura Noonan, Abbey addresses the many lingering questions potential adoptive parents have — from choosing between an agency or attorney to understanding the emotional and financial realities of the adoption journey. Drawing from her personal experience, Abbey offers practical advice, gentle encouragement, and an honest look at what it’s really like to walk this path.Whether you're just beginning to explore adoption or are already in the process, this episode will leave you feeling more informed and a little less alone.

In This Episode:

- Agency vs. private attorney: what you need to know

- The real cost of adoption — and how to plan for it

- Fundraising tips and mindsets

- Creating your family profile book: why it matters

Links & Resources:

Ohio Adoption Grant Program

Adoption Credit | Internal Revenue Service

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This is Part 1 of a special two-part series on Private Adoption 101. In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Abbey Ramirez is joined by Laura Noonan to answer real questions from a woman exploring the possibility of private adoption. Abbey and Laura walk through what the process actually looks like—from first steps to matching—and share both personal experiences and practical tips. Together, they discuss how to navigate emotional challenges, choose between an agency or a lawyer, prepare financially, and build meaningful relationships with birth mothers. Whether you're just beginning to consider adoption or are already on the path, this episode offers clarity, encouragement, and insight.

In This Episode

• What to expect emotionally when considering adoption

• Laura’s family story: how they decided to adopt

• Why connection with birth moms is vital

• Understanding trauma in adoption and its impact on bonding

• Differences between agencies and attorneys—and how to choose

• Building your family profile book (and why it matters)

• Budgeting for adoption: what to plan for

• The highs and lows of the matching process

• Why openness can create more opportunities

• How to start the conversation with your support network

Links & Resources

• Follow us on Instagram: @beyondthehomestudy

• If this episode helped you, please rate & review the show

• Support our work at Buy Me a Coffee ☕💛

📌 Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where we go even deeper into the logistics of private adoption—from legal steps to post-placement support.

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose and Abbey sit down with Anna Bernacki—an adoptee, former foster parent and now adoptive mom of four. Anna shares her deeply personal story of growing up as an adoptee, choosing to foster, and parenting in a transracial family. Together, they unpack the emotional layers of adoption: grief, identity, language, and the importance of honest conversations. Anna brings wisdom, vulnerability, and a hopeful challenge to adoptive parents to listen, stay humble, and build supportive communities.

In This Episode

• Anna shares her story as an adoptee and adoptive parent

• How adoptees often feel like detectives piecing together their history

• Why the language we use around adoption matters

• Navigating racial identity in transracial adoptive families

• The grief that can come with adoption — and how it shows up

Connect with us on Instagram @beyondthehomestudy
Support the Show

If you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!⭐ Leave a rating and review wherever you listen☕ Buy us a coffee to support the podcast

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose and Abbey sit down with Samantha Miller, adoptive mom and cohost of the Going There podcast, to have an honest conversation about birth moms — and how we talk about them with our children, our families, and in our communities.

Samantha shares her own adoption journey, including the beauty and challenges of open adoption, setting boundaries, and honoring the birth mom in her child’s story. Together, they unpack how faith and community can shape the way we talk about adoption and how adoptive parents can approach these relationships with humility, honesty, and grace.

In This Episode:

• Why birth moms deserve honor and space in adoption stories

• Navigating open adoption boundaries

• Talking to kids about their birth moms from a young age

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, hosts Lora Rose and Abbey open up about their personal experiences with transracial adoption. They reflect on the importance of representation, the realities of foster care versus adoption, and how they support their children's racial and cultural identities. With honesty and grace, Lora Rose and Abbey emphasize the importance of humility, lifelong learning, and the role of community in raising children through adoption.

In This Episode:

• The differences between foster care and adoption preparation

• Why representation in toys and media matters

• How children identify with others who look like them

• The value of building a diverse, supportive community

• Modeling cultural curiosity and openness as parents

• Why early conversations about race are essential

• Tools and resources to support transracial adoptees

• Embracing growth, grace, and learning in adoptive parenting

Support the Show

If you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!

⭐ Leave a rating and review wherever you listen

☕ Buy us a coffee to support the podcast

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora and Abbey dive into the joys and challenges of traveling with kids—especially those who are adopted. From Memorial Day meals and RV adventures to managing expectations and finding felt safety on the go, they offer practical advice and personal stories to help families travel with more peace and flexibility.

In this episode:

- Strategies for travel with adopted children

- Sleep, snack, and screen-time hacks

- Toy swaps and creative entertainment ideas

- Tips for food, routines, and staying grounded on the road

- How to reframe travel as parenting in a different place

Links & Resources:
Travel bag backpack for infant car seat: https://amzn.to/3F6qPjS

Travel bag backpack for convertible car seat: https://amzn.to/4jkY5ls 

Travel Case for Yoto Mini: https://amzn.to/4kfm9r2 

Squigs: https://amzn.to/4jrAPCm

Drawing pad: https://amzn.to/43PG6yK

Wooly Willy: https://amzn.to/43QvEXN

Magnetic guys: https://amzn.to/43mjm9D

Magnetic board: https://amzn.to/3Hfgdjj

Kids Bluetooth Headphones: https://amzn.to/43nZ9QR 

Rings for Stroller or Carrier Seat: https://amzn.to/4dx8lWb 

Support the Show

If you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!
⭐ Leave a rating and review wherever you listen
☕ Buy us a coffee to support the podcast

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Abbey and Lora bring both heart and humor as they dive into parenting hot takes—from screen time to crawling and whether it's ok to change your adopted child's name. They also share personal family updates, celebrate milestones, and reflect on what it means to parent with intention in both biological and adoptive families.

Through candid conversations, they explore the tension between societal expectations and real-life parenting, especially in the context of adoption and foster care. You'll hear honest thoughts on misunderstood parenting tools, the developmental importance of crawling, how to respect birth parents in adoption stories, and why it's okay to shift your approach as your kids grow.

Support the Show:

⭐ Leave a rating and review wherever you listen☕ ⁠Buy us a coffee⁠ to support the podcast

💬 Join the ConversationWhat’s your biggest parenting hot take? Have a milestone moment or a screen-time opinion to share? Drop us a comment or DM—we’d love to hear from you!

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@beyondthehomestudy

In this episode, Lora and Abbey dive into the beautifully messy world of sibling relationships in adoptive families. From shifting birth order to navigating loyalty, grief, and identity, this conversation brings nuance and compassion to the often-overlooked dynamics between siblings. They explore how adoption affects every child in the family—not just the one who joined through adoption—and share ways to support kids through open communication, shared family values, and intentional parenting.

You'll hear real talk about balancing different needs, making space for big feelings, and celebrating the unique roles each child plays. Whether you're preparing to grow your family or already parenting through adoption, this episode is packed with insights, encouragement, and reminders that there's no one right way to do family.

In this episode:

• How adoption can shift sibling roles and birth order

• Why loyalty and grief often show up in sibling dynamics

• Tips for having open, age-appropriate conversations about adoption

• How to hold space for individuality while nurturing family values

• Encouragement for navigating sibling rivalry with grace and intention

• Why resilience often grows through messy moments

We want to hear from you!How has adoption shaped sibling relationships in your home? Share your stories or questions in the comments, or send us a message—we love connecting with you!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram ⁠@beyondthehomestudy

In this heartfelt episode of Beyond the Home Study, Abbey and Lora sit down with Bethany Meacham, an adoptive mom of over 10 years, to explore the real and raw journey of international adoption. Bethany opens up about what led her family to adopt, the challenges of the adoption process, and how they prepared their hearts—and home—for a new child.

From tough conversations about race and identity to the complexities of sibling dynamics, Bethany shares the lessons she's learned and the growth her family has experienced along the way. With honesty and compassion, she offers encouragement and wise advice for families considering adoption, especially those who want to do it thoughtfully and well.

📌 In This Episode:

• Bethany’s path from foster care to international adoption

• How grief and personal loss shaped her heart for adoption

• The challenges of international adoption—including trauma and waiting

• Navigating race, identity, and cultural heritage with intention

• What changed when Malachi came home: sibling dynamics and family growth

• Why preparation, education, and ongoing support are essential for adoptive families

• Encouragement and real talk for those considering adoption

Links & Resources:Visit Bethany’s website: www.handletteringbybethany.com
Follow her on TikTok: @bethanymeach

Questions, comments, or your own adoption story? Email us at [email protected] & follow us on Instagram: @beyondthehomestudy

It’s our very first guest episode, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Emily Burns to the mic! In this heartfelt and eye-opening conversation, Emily shares her unique journey through embryo adoption — a path that allowed her to both adopt and experience pregnancy.

We talk about what it’s really like to navigate infertility, choose donor embryos, and embrace motherhood in a way most people haven’t heard much about. Emily gets real about the emotional rollercoaster, the medical and ethical considerations, and the incredible love that fueled every step of her path to parenthood.

This one’s for anyone curious about the lesser-known corners of adoption — or anyone who just needs to hear an honest, beautiful story of hope and perseverance.

In this episode:

• Emily shares her personal story of choosing embryo adoption after infertility

• We explore how embryo adoption combines the experiences of pregnancy and adoption

• The emotional process of selecting donor embryos — and what makes it so complex

• Why medical history can be tricky (and how families navigate it)
  

🔗 Links & Resources:
National Embryo Donation Center

Got a question or story to share? Email us at: [email protected]

or

Emily at: [email protected]

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• @beyondthehomestudy