Is it 2008? Because this article just transported me back fifty-or-so years. It also further proves a point that many of today's birth mothers are saying: stigmas against single mothers are still alive and well.

Mothers who have relinquished in the past twenty years are often told that they don't know what it was like "back in the day." And I agree, to a point. While very few young mothers are now shipped off to homes and hidden from the public to relinquish their children in secret and silence, the... more

I told you about the Colorado Representative that referred to young, unmarried pregnant mothers as sluts. I urged those of you who lived in Colorado to go ahead and write letters. I wasn't the only one urging those offended to write. A group of teen mothers from the Florence Crittendon School in Colorado wrote to Larry Liston. And, guess what? He read them.

Not only did he read them. He went to the school... more

Just in case you think it's a bunch of hullabaloo that unwed mothers (and fathers) are made to feel negatively about their situations, take a look at this mess coming out of Colorado. That's right. You read that right. A lawmaker called unmarried, pregnant teenagers (and the fathers) "sluts." Pick your jaw up off the floor.

Representative Larry Liston laid it all on the line with the following comments.

"In my parents' day and age, (unmarried teen parents) were sent... more

I came across a comic strip concerning adoption. As I've written before, I don't delve much into the comic strip realm so I just mainly come across these things on the web. I don't even know the name of this particular comic strip as the blog on which it was located did not properly credit the artist. It had babies, that's all I know. Let's set up the scene:

Two babies are in their strollers.

Baby #1: I'm adopted. Baby #2: What's that mean? Baby #1: I don't know but I think it means my mom found me on ebay.

(Paraphrased.)... more

I recently came across a blog that hit on the "wrong reasons" to adopt a child. It got me pondering about the many "wrong reasons" for various things in the birth parent realm of action. I don't see comprehensive lists like those anywhere, so let's consider.

What are the wrong reasons to place your child? What are some wrong reasons for actions within an open adoption relationship? And what are some wrong reasons for actions when you consider search and reunion?

First and foremost, you should never relinquish your child just because someone in your... more

I'm rarely rendered speechless. (Just in case you missed that after a year of reading my blogs on this site.) However, as I was reading blogs yesterday via my Google RSS reader, I had to sit and stare at the screen for awhile. I then had to message a trusted friend, a non-birth mother, to see if I was totally off base in my confusion and offense. Once she had a similar reaction, it still took me a majority of the day to figure out why the wording on a shirt bothered the living snot out of me.

What did the shirt say?

Adoption is the new Pregnancy.

Now,... more

I experienced an uncomfortable situation just over a week ago. I was at a "Granny Shower" for our Pastor's wife. (We were showering the Granny-to-be with books, picture frames, clothes and other babysitting-worthy type gifts since her daughter doesn't live in our church area.) Being pregnant at a baby shower opens you up to a whole myriad of questions, comments, opinions, statements and, of course, unsolicited advice. I wanted to hide under the rocking chair.

While the host of the party knows about my placed daughter, I have not found a need to tell the majority of women... more

I hate overly simplistic views of complex issues. Presidential campaigns bring out the best of them, don't they? With abortion remaining a hot button issue, we're bound to be subjected to some real bang-up statements regarding abortion, adoption and how easy it all would be if the world just magically acted in one way or another.

For example, Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has decided that if you decrease the number of abortions, the number of adoptions... more

Until my son used the word "tragic" to describe our situation, I had not associated my adoption loss with that word. However, it does totally apply. I love commenters who stretch my mind, and make me think. Happygirlphd did that with her comment below after this post.

You call the circumstances of that pregnant woman (and later birth mother) tragic. I wonder if you consider all cases of considering or deciding to place a child for... more

One popular motto of the womens' rights' movement many years ago was, "A woman's place.....is everywhere." For years, I had a car license plate holder that with that motto. Yet, I did not know about its popularity with the movement.

I do support the idea that women should be treated fairly in all respects. However, I think we have a ways to go in respecting women in adoption. Plus, I also believe that there is some confusion as to what it really means to respect a woman and her decisions.

In this... more