Tracing birth parents if adopted

[HangryBrickShark]

I'd like to try and trace my birth parents.
I was adopted in 1970 and I know that I will have to go through a process that includes counselling if born before 1975.

Has anyone done this and have you found either full or half siblings through this process?

Did you find any negatives with searching for birth parents? Both my adopted parents have sadly died, so I feel like this is my time.

Thank you.

https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register

I would start here on this register. I am not adopted but I know a woman who gave up their baby at a similar time, the early 1970’s. It was still frowned on having a child out of wedlock and she was just a teenager. Good luck and please do seek counselling.

Have you tried Ancestry DNA or similar? It cuts out the official channels and I would still seek the counselling and support, but it is one route to getting straight to who you may be biologically related to, when you’re ready.

When my adopted daughter wanted to find siblings we started with a birth certificate. This gave a place to start looking .We looked on online voting records and got an address which turned out to be an old one but our letter was forwarded and we made contact. Good luck

NC for this to protect my family’s privacy.

I was adopted in 1971 and I traced my birth family when I was going to be working in the town I was born in. It was a very small town, I was going to be working in the community and I wanted to know if there was anyone that I might need to be careful of, having already been aware that the circumstances of my birth were very unhappy and complicated. It wasn’t a young unmarried mother story.

I did speak with someone who worked through my records with me. The first shock was that my birth mother had died in the mid 70s. She was young and she’d had what looked like a really sad life. I also had half siblings. I wasn’t looking to make contact with my birth family but it was still a shock.

I’d definitely think through how you’ll feel about all the possible outcomes. There may be a family out there who feel they aren’t complete without the baby that they had to give up. There will be other people who never want to think about that situation ever again, and there will be every shade of feeling in between.

I would definitely go through the official channels. You’ll get support and you will get all the facts. I hope that you find what you are looking for in your search.