Second child without second pregnancySarah and Joseph's long journey to becoming an adopted child

The application process requires a lot of patience from Sarah

Until the call comes that the adoption authority has found a suitable child for Sarah and Josef, it is unclear to the two of them whether they will ever become adoptive parents. Before the two are approved as adoptive applicants, the couple has to go through a lot of paperwork, many interviews and a five-week seminar. A process that ultimately takes three years.

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Even then, the chance to take in a child doesn't come straight away. “It took three years until we were recognized as applicants. And then we waited almost another year,” Sarah remembers in an interview with RTL. “It was long and difficult.” Because around them, the two of them see how other applicants are already being placed.

Second child? Without pregnancy!

There is a reason why the Buttalas decided to adopt their second child. While pregnant with her first son, Ari, Sarah suffered from severe nausea. She has to vomit again and again and even has to go to the hospital several times. “I lost ten kilos and then the birth was very long and very difficult,” she says.

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She doesn't want to do it a second time – especially because the nausea would mean that she couldn't be there for her son Ari during that time. “If I have this pregnancy sickness again, I'll be gone for months and won't be able to do anything,” says the mother. “We didn’t want that for him, that his mom would then be in the hospital and no longer responsive.”

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For Sarah and Josef it is clear: This is their daughter!

After Joseph and Sarah are finally accepted as applicants, it takes another year until they finally become parents for the second time. On a November morning in 2023, the long-awaited call comes: a little girl, just four days old, is waiting for Sarah and Josef in the hospital. The two of them set off immediately with Ari.

“I immediately started crying. Even before I saw her,” says Sarah. It is immediately clear to Sarah and Josef: This little girl is their daughter. For both of them it is the same feeling as when they held Ari in their arms for the first time after he was born. For the couple, there is no difference between their biological and adopted child. It's also very exciting for Ari, who was six years old at the time – he's finally a big brother.

Adoption is normal – that's what Amalia should grow up with

Sarah and her husband are open about the fact that Amalia is adopted right from the start. They make their arrival day and adoption day at home a very personal day for their new little family.

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In addition, the Buttalas founded the first adoption meeting in Bremen. “I wanted our daughter to feel that adoption was completely natural and something everyday,” Sarah explains her idea. “That's why I wanted to have a playground meeting, (…) I didn't want her to feel like a little unicorn and not know any other adopted children.”

There are now around 30 families from Lower Saxony and Bremen taking part. The children are up to five years old. The Bremen Adoption Authority, the Office for Social Services, provides contact.

Sources used: own RTL research