Jenna generously shares photos with us in bloggerland. I love seeing photos of adorable Nick with his ever present grin. It seems so obvious that he is a happy and most loved baby. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and his photos show me a content, well taken care of baby. It seems obvious that he has two parents who dote on him. Other bloggers happily show off their beautiful children as well. Mo, Grant,the Moose, and Sandra to name just a few kindly provide photos of their little ones. Angela and Michelle also provide cute photos... more

Sometimes there are reasons that mothers and babies cannot stay together, and need to be raised by others. However, given that some experts believe that babies will bond better with adoptive parents if they have first had time with their first parents, I wonder why we ignore that? Maybe too few people just do not believe that, and think it is better for a baby to bypass its first mother altogether if there is to be an adoption?

Do people fear allowing the first mother to bond with the baby because they feel that if she does, she might change her mind? If... more

Before birth, they are together, mother and baby with a unique symbiotic relationship. We now have some evidence that suggests that babies need to be with their original mothers after birth. Even if there is to be an adoption, some well respected authorities now believe that the familiarity and bond between baby and mother needs to be guarded and respected for a time. The theory is that bonding first with their original mothers allows them to bond better with others later, including the child's adoptive parents.

When babies are deprived of that time with their... more

So often in the adoption world, we hear discussion after discussion about who is a Mother, what makes a Mother and who has the right to claim the title of Mother. Rarely are the thoughts ever united on such a topic even among those who should agree with one another. No two women view the topic exactly the same. And that's one of the things that The Motherhood Project likes about Mothers and Motherhood.

The Motherhood Project... more

It's hard sometimes to step between my titles of Firstmom and Mom. They are so intertwined within my being that I often find myself trying to distinguish the one "me" from the other "me." Don't confuse what I'm saying: I am not, for one iota of a second, implying that I am the same as Munchkin's Mom or that open adoption is co-parenting. I am not and it is not. But the love I share for both of my living children is so profoundly equal and simultaneously different that it is often perplexing. My soul is torn trying to remember my place in each of my childrens' lives.... more