You know you aren’t the only woman who has ever made an adoption plan, but you can still feel alone. You know you aren’t alone. Yet, knowing that doesn’t change what it can feel like. Support groups are a great way to connect and feel less alone, but sometimes the idea of a support group can be daunting instead helpful … Read More
7 Ways to Build a Relationship With Your Chosen Adoptive Family
Choosing an open adoption often means a plan has been worked out for you, the birth mom, to receive pictures and updates about your child. But relationships are a two-way street. How can you effectively grow a healthy relationship with your child’s family? Here’s what you can do to get to know your child’s adoptive family: 1 – You may play … Read More
Responding to Negative Reactions to Your Adoption Plan
Let’s face it: not everyone is going to agree that you’re making a good decision by choosing an adoption plan. But how you handle their reactions can make a big difference in your relationship moving forward. There will be family members who may suddenly volunteer to raise your child for you “until you are ready.” How do you respond? Jenny … Read More
Letting Go – On Owning Your Grief and Healing Your Heart
The day your baby went to live with his adoptive parents, you let go physically. But did you let go emotionally? Despite what people may think, you don’t just close your heart and thoughts. You made a big decision, and while it might be easier in many ways if you could just move forward without thinking about it or feeling … Read More
What Kind of Adoptive Family Are You Looking For?
The adoption process is very difficult for most birthmothers. Once you’ve decided that adoption is the right path, you must make many more choices along the way. Do you want an open or closed adoption? What is your birth plan? What happens if your adoption plan changes? How do you choose the right parents? It can be very exhausting, especially … Read More
Birthmother Grief: How to Handle the First Year After Placement
Birthmother grief is complicated. It will fade over time, but birthmoms will often experience “waves” of grief or uncertainty, especially within the first few years of adoption. Every mother is different and may not face the same struggles at the same time as others. But, we all have one thing in common: we love our children. We love them enough … Read More
5 Reasons Adopted Children are Grateful For Their Birthmothers
Many birthmothers never get the chance to know their children after they are placed in an adoptive family. It is a sad reality, but many birthmothers live with the worry that they may have disappointed their children or caused pain in their lives because they chose adoption. But, after hearing countless stories from adoptive children, we believe the opposite is … Read More
Choosing a Different Way: Open and Cooperative Adoption
As society changes, so does our view of adoption and the relationships that can form from it. Cooperative adoption is a relatively new concept but has been widely accepted by the adoption community. These types of adoptions follow an agreement between the birthparents and adoptive family that some contact will be kept after the placement. This means different things to different … Read More
Could Adoption After Parenting Be Right for You?
Sometimes life takes a completely unexpected turn. A surprise pregnancy when you already have a full house can change everything. When 38-year-old Cheryl faced an unexpected pregnancy after she thought she was finished having children, she didn’t know what to do. She knew she had two personally acceptable parenting choices: to parent a fifth child or make an adoption plan. … Read More
7 Ways to Support My Adoption Plan
Let’s face it: not everyone is going to know how to respond to your news about making an adoption plan. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to them, and sometimes they are afraid of offending or hurting you by asking questions. You can help them by sharing some or all of the following ways they can support you and your adoption … Read More