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More than half of all pregnancies today are unplanned, but only a small percentage of them—less than 3 percent–result in an adoption placement. Because of that, there are still many misconceptions surrounding women who chose adoption for their baby and confusion about how they feel immediately after placing. Even birthmothers—the term given to women who create an adoption plan for her child—have a hard time coming to terms with their decision and struggle with a variety of conflicting emotions ranging from anger and guilt to excitement and confusion.

If you’re pregnant and thinking of giving up your baby for adoption, you probably have countless questions and not a lot of answers. We’ll try to answer some of the most basic questions here. But before we do, we want to point out that you’re not “giving up” your baby. Adoption is a difficult decision but it’s a loving one, too. Today, with open adoption, women choose placement not because they want to get rid of their child or don’t want anything to do

When things get tough, we tend to be our own worst enemy. Instead of moving forward and looking for solutions, we dwell on our problems and blame ourselves.  If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering adoption for your baby, you may find yourself in this predicament. From questioning whether you’re a good person to worrying about how your parents will react to your decision, it’s easy to focus on the negative. Thing is, the only person who can get you

It’s the biggest fear faced by every expectant mother who chooses adoptive parents for her baby: How do I know if they’ll keep their promises? Creating an adoption plan is probably the most difficult thing you’ll ever do. With no road map or role models to fall back on, you may find yourself second-guessing yourself every step of the way. And finding parents to raise your baby is one of the most unknowable parts of the process. For some, choosing an an adoptive family before placement helps put their

This guest post is by Emily Brunett, a birthmother. No matter how much you prepare, sometimes you just can’t find all the answers. This was true for me when I chose adoption. My son Dominic was placed at birth about 15 months ago in an open adoption. When I was pregnant and faced with the adoption decision, I scoured the Internet looking for answers. Research quickly changed my faint idea of adoption to a more concrete understanding of the options,

Is there anything more difficult than creating an adoption plan for your baby? How about finding the right adoptive parents? In some ways, selecting a family is just as, if not more challenging than choosing adoption in the first place. With so many prospective single parents and couples to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start. Or where you’ll end up. At first glance, all of the hopeful parents you’ll come across will seem so appealing. What’s to say

Is there a difference between saying “give up a baby for adoption” and “place a baby for adoption”? And if there is, why does it matter, and how does it change things if you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering adoption? Actually, It matters a lot. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Words matter. The language we use to describe a birthmother’s decision says a lot about how we think about her. And it also influences the way that her child thinks about his adoption—and

This guest post is by Maxine Chalker is the founder of Adoptions From The Heart and an adoptee. If you’re pregnant and thinking of putting your child up for adoption, then you’ve got a lot of factors to consider. The percentage of unintended pregnancies in the U.S. stood at 45 percent in the years between 2009 and 2013. When should you consider adoption as an expectant mother? As a mother, you have rights and being in a position of facing an unplanned pregnancy

This guest post is by Paige Knipfer, an adoptive mother. When I started the process of adopting a baby, I wish I would have had a checklist. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a checklist girl. I love my lists and Post-its!  Adopting a baby is hard because it feels like you have no control. And the truth is, you really don’t.  Having a list would have given me a clear picture of what I needed to do

This guest post is by Jasmine Proctor, a birthmother. A lot of people wonder how I could possibly “give away” my baby. I didn’t give him away. I placed him. For me, placing him in an open adoption was one of the easiest decisions I ever made. After I unexpectedly became pregnant, I looked at where I was in life. I was raising two kids both under the age of 5, their dad and I were unemployed, and we were