MYTHS OF ADOPTION
The decision you must make right now is not going to be an easy one, no matter what you do. However, you must weigh all the options and choose which one is best for you and your baby. Perhaps the benefits of adoption will be for you.
There are 3 big lies that have plagued adoption in the past:
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Lie #1 - Adoption equals abandonment.
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Lie #2 - Adoption equals deception.
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Lie #3 - Adoption equals an unbearable sacrifice.
Truth #1 - Adoption is NOT abandonment. Adoption is one of the most loving, unselfish acts a woman can consider. There are countless childless couples who desparately want a family. With open adoptions, you can choose the couple that will raise your child based on ethnic background, religion, socio-economic standing and more. You have the power to ensure that your child is placed in a good home where he/she will receive love and be raised in the manner that you choose. You can also pick a family that will allow you to have as much or as little contact with the child as he/she is growing up.
Truth #2 - Adoption is NOT deception. TV shows and magazines these days glamorize the concept of single motherhood.That is deceptive. Actresses and models make considerably more than the average single mother living below the poverty level and they can afford to hire help in raising the babies they are raising. The thing that those magazines and TV shows don't mention is the affect on the children of being raised in a single-parent home. The statistics about the effects of fatherlessness on children is anything but glamorous.
Truth #3 - Adoption does NOT require an unbearable sacrifice. Again, today more and more adoptions are open adoptions. The biological mother has the power to choose the adoptive family and can stipulate that she be allowed visitation. She can become another member of the family - almost like an aunt to the child. While it is a sacrifice to give up your child, it is an unselfish act when it is done to ensure that your child will receive a stable, secure family who will love him/her and provide all the necessities of life.
Take a look at some common concerns and questions. There are also some great sites for birth mothers and adoptive mothers to find support or for pregnant women to ask questions about adoption.
Check out these resources on adoption, including steps to take and things for the birthmother to consider while planning the adoption.
