One of my complaints during my pregnancy was that I didn't have a lot of information. That's why I strive so hard to get information "out there" for expectant mothers considering placement. And so I come here today imploring birth parents to take a few minutes, visit this site and put up a review of your agency experience.

Adoption Agency Ratings is mostly filled with adoptive parent reviews. Some are good, some are bad. It's a great resource. But we, as birth parents, can improve upon what is already pretty awesome. By including our experience, expectant parents considering placement... more

Thursday again? That means it's time for another list of thirteen things that are related to the birth parent experience in adoption. This week I thought I would hit on thirteen comments that I'm "cool with" hearing when I share my adoption story. (You might be able to guess what I'll share next week!)

Just like every other member of the triad, birth parents have been subjected to comments that make their skin crawl. Over the years, I've found that certain comments are either less offensive or fully... more

It's been kind of doom-and-gloom up in here lately, no? Thankfully, I have a nice little reunion story to share with my readers. This one hails out of India. (Be sure to visit the article because the pictures included are beautiful.)

Minda, a nineteen-year-old adoptee, and her (adoptive) mother Catherine traveled back to India to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of the home from which she was adopted. Many other adoptees and family members traveled for the event as well. As she... more

I have always driven home the fact that 100% honesty, no matter what the cost, is needed in adoption. This goes for pre-placement matching and post-placement relationships. This story out of Nebraska proves the reasons why.

In short, an adoptive family was on a waiting list for two years when they were finally matched with an expectant mother. The expectant mother, like every other expectant mother considering placement, had a list of things that she wanted in a family for her child. One... more

Apparently it's one of those weeks when adoption is high on my radar. My feed reader and inbox seem to be filled with adoption related material. Unfortunately all of this material seems to be rubbing me the wrong way. As if we needed more proof that the general public doesn't understand adoption from any angle, comments from a celebrity and a parenting blogger just drove it home a little... more

I'm going to talk about Juno again. Jennifer Garner wasn't nominated for an Oscar for her role as the adoptive mother in the movie. Truthfully? I'm a Garner fan and bet she did a great job in the movie. What I'm not pleased about? The way Entertainment Weekly (print version) covered the Oscar-snub and described the role. Let me quote from the magazine:

As the prim and proper Vanessa Loring, Garner practically glowed with maternal warmth and longing. She definitely deserved that baby - and a nod for best supporting actress.

She... more

A video on CNN caught my eye. The title, "Crying Mom Gives Up Baby," piqued my interest. Add into the fact that it featured fire fighters and it hit high on my interest radar. I went into it with trepidation, of course.

In the general public hierarchy of birth mothers, mothers who relinquish via the Safe Haven system are not too far from the bottom rung. Now, don't read into what I said. I said that's how the general public tends to view mothers... more

I've spoken at length about the unethical practices plaguing the American adoption system with regard to how expectant mothers are treated before, during and after the adoption. I think it is also important to take a deeper look at how mothers in other countries are being taken advantage of by even more corrupt systems. I complain about how I was short-changed and lied to but my experience pales to this one coming out of Guatemala.

Now hush. I'm not launching into a debate about the legal happenings... 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 swear. I must be a glutton for punishment. As I was flipping through channels last night after my older son was put to bed, I saw the name of a movie. I stopped and pressed the information button on Love Notes to see more about the movie. Of course, the word adoption was red and glowing on my screen.

Okay, maybe not red and glowing but it could have been. I was expecting something completely different and, bam! There's adoption in my face!

Instead of continuing on my clicking journey, I stayed.... more