[Devora]

In addition to checking with your agency about whether they allow visits before the DNA match, make sure that if you visit early and can only visit once that you're prepared for a long wait then until you see the baby again. I don't know how a person knows if they can handle that without going through it, but it's something to think about. I knew that it would be very hard to leave our son (and it was more painful then I even imagined) so we intentionally waited to visit until we were about to be entered into PGN. I could not have handled going through most of the process having seen him and not being with him.

However, we did see a lot of people who were visiting at the same time as we were who had tiny, tiny babies. So obviously there's not one right answer -- everyone has to figure out what works best for them. But I do think it's helpful to think about the long haul and how you think you will handle it.

Best wishes,
Devora