Birth Mother Matters in Adoption

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption #46: What Can Make Adoption Seem Difficult From a Birth Mother's Perspective- Part One (Disclosure: We can only speak on behalf of our adoption agency, Building Arizona Families, as state and agency law and policies may differ.)  We will be answering questions like: “If I call an agency does that mean I am committed to doing an adoption?”“Are there fees I have to p...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption #45: Love & Loss in Adopt Reunification Part 2 I met my biological mother in 2007.  I spent about 6 months prior to our reunification; filing a court petition to open my closed adoption, to be able to retrieve my adoption records in the hopes of finding my biological mother.  During this process, I learned that there are always highs and lows; things you find out t...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode #44: Love & Loss in Adopt Reunification Part One Believe it or not, I am an incredibly private person with what has become more and more a public persona.  This transition for me is still new and at times still takes my breath away.  I am beyond grateful to answer questions, share my story and open the door into the adoption world as well as into my own ado...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 43: Working in the Adoption Field So often, everyone from family members, friends, clients, strangers or really anyone who catches wind that I work in the adoption field seems to be really curious as to what it is really like to work in the adoption world. My favorite- go-to answer is “It’s the best and worst job you will ever have.”  When an adoption case...

 Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 42: Birth Father Roles & Their Impact Many times birth fathers and birth mothers have broken up and are not longer together and without his support; emotional, physical, financial and mental- a birth mother decides adoption is in the best interest of both her and her unborn baby.  The birth mother may have realized that her relationship is incredibly unsta...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 41: Abortion Education Part 2 Title X The "rule" requires "financial and physical separation" between facilities or programs that provide any kind of health service using Title X funds and those that provide abortions.  It also prohibits referrals for abortion as a method of “family planning." The rule does state that providers are allowed to give abortion...

Abortion News: The cost of an abortion in the state of Arizona appears to range from $560 to $2500, depending ont he provider, type of abortion and how far along you are in your pregnancy. States are not required to submit abortion data to the CDC, but the overwhelming majority do. The Planned Parenthood annual report, covering the 2017-2018 fiscal year, was published over the weekend of Jan. 19-2...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 39: Understanding Their Choice 1 & 2 This is an intimate interview of a birth mother and birth father as they explain why they chose adoption for their unborn baby.  They candidly discuss their lives and life choices that led them to their adoption path.  Their lives are relatable to so many others and listenting to their story will not only answer question...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 38: Understanding Their Choice Part 2 This podcast is the second half of s an intimate interview of a birth mother and birth father as they explain why they chose adoption for their unborn baby.  They candidly discss their lives and life choices that led them to their adoption path.  Their lives are relatable to so many others and listenting to their story...

 Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 37: Understanding Their Choice Part 1 This podcast features an intimate interview of a birth mother and birth father as they explain why they chose adoption for their unborn baby.  They candidly dicsuss their lives and life choices that led them to their adoption path.  Their lives are relatable to so many others and listenting to their story will not only...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 36: The Christmas Podcast For Adoptees: Include your adopted child in family traditionsHelp your child create memorial keepsakesRemember that all families are differentMake your own family advent calendar For Birth Parents:  The first year may be the hardest, as “firsts” usually are.  It can be normal for birthmothers to struggle with their child’s absence...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 35: A Birth Mother's Heart Adoption choices are difficult, there is no other way to explain this.  Choosing to carry a baby for nine months and place that baby with another family may seem unimaginable.  However, to that pregnant woman, she has stories, secrets and dreams that people may not be aware of.  She may not be in the same financial position, in a...

  Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 34: Adoptive Parent Hospital Information This episode is specific to Arizona and Building Arizona Families Adoption Agency.  The information contained in this podcast may or may not be applicable to other states and or other adoption agencies. With Building Arizona Families Adoption Agency, we have a designated adoptive family case manager and a designate...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 33: Making a Hospital Plan Your hospital plan is basically a  letter to the hospital staff, to the adoptive family, and to your adoption agency. It will detail what you want your hospital stay to look like, including who will be there, how you will give birth, how much time you want with your baby, and which items from the hospital you would like to bring h...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 32: Adoption Positive Language Here are some reasons why adoption language is important. Educating others: There are a great many negative myths and ideas surrounding adoption. It clouds what can be a beautiful way to become a family in a scary light. Because of stories on the news, and uneducated members of society -that being adopted is shameful and somet...

 Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 31: Bonding With Your Adopted Newborn Post adoption depression: What is it? Could it happen to you? Mothers frequently feel a loss when baby is born. Postpartum depression is common. Post-adoption depression is equally common, though hardly ever mentioned. Why feel down just when a monumental dream has come true? But after the high of waiting for baby to a...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 30: Understanding the Adopted Child 1. Understand that “adoption” may be difficult to speak about Children may not always be sure when and if we can speak about adoption, to whom, when, where and how much is okay to talk about. Some adopted children may not want to talk about adoption in front of anyone else. 2. Make sure that your adopted child knows they...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 29: Why Do People Adopt? There are many reasons why people choose to adopt..  Whether they choose to adopt domestically, internationally or from the foster system (or an older child who is related to them), prospective adoptive parents recognize that there are many children who don’t have the safe, loving and supportive home environments they need. This is...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 28: Choosing An Adoptive Family Choosing an adoptive family for a birth mother does a few things in addition to moving her along in the adoption process: It makes her adoption decision real, she is looking at books of pictures of real families who are being presented to parent her unborn baby. This can create a myriad of emotionsSome birth mothers try to po...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 27: National Adoption Month #NationalAdoptionMonth  National Adoption Day is officially celebrated on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. National Adoption Awareness Month is here! It’s a month-long event to encourage people to learn about adoption, recognize people who have been impacted by adoption, and organize positive adoption-related events.  Facts Abou...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 26: After An Adoption Match Fails How do you move forward after an adoption match fails.  Listen to an adoptive family first-hand how he and his wife moved forward.  Learn how to look part the grief towards the rainbow at the end of your adoption journey, how to restore faith in your adoption choice and how to grieve and move on.  Accept grief for what it i...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 25:  Support & The Ability to Grieve Services provided for Adoption Aftercare Services Education. Learn about your choice and the road which led you down it. Self-Care: Take care of yourself oin every area. Reading:  A number of good books discuss the birth mother experienceFind specialized counseling. Therapy with other birth mothers. Individual counseling...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Episode 24:Why More Teens Don't Choose Adoption? Adoption is the least-prevalent option among pregnant teens. Research shows that only 1 to 2 percent of women place their children for adoption, and that the number of teens who place their babies for adoption has declined sharply over recent decades. Teenagers' brains are still maturing and the following are some of...

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption 23: Changes in Abortion Across the United Abortion conitnues to be a very hot topic and many states are reviewing and proposing law changes as well as ones that have passed and are enacted.. Between January 1, 2011 and July 1, 2019, in our country, states enacted 483 new abortion restrictions, and these make up nearly 40% of all abortion restrictions enacted by sta...

Epsiode 22. Adoptive Families Beginning the Adoption Process- What You Need to Know   We hold adoption information seminars across the United States, speaking to adoptive families about the adoption process and educating society on adoption.  In speaking with families interested in adoption, we are asked the same questions at every adoption seminar: What are birth mothers looking for in an adoptiv...