Open adoption has changed me in some very notable ways. Having to confess to my parents that I was pregnant and then going through the roller-coaster of emotions that are coupled with open adoption together brought me a lot closer to my family. I attribute my open, comfortable and close relationship with my mother to my pregnancy and the success of my open adoption.
The most powerful aspect of open adoption is its ability to improve the quality of life for everyone involved. It’s true that the baby is better off in an open adoption situation. The baby gets the wonder of being raised by parents who worked so hard to get him while also having the pleasure of knowing the woman (and sometimes the man) who brought him into this world and gave him a fighting chance. A baby of open adoption is raised with so much love; there isn’t a greater thing in the world!
Though a birthmother may struggle with her decision and may deal with many tumultuous emotions during her pregnancy, it is likely that she will ultimately feel an overwhelming sense of relief, as I did. She gets to live her life as a teenager/young adult without dealing with the everyday burdens of being an unprepared mother. And then, when she is ready, she can see her child grow up in a family that wasn’t only prepared, but was waiting for her baby. She can see the joy that she has brought into this world beget more joy and that feeling can only lead to a sense of pride and accomplishment.
And that’s what open adoption has given me: pride. I am so proud to be a birthmother, to have given life to not just a beautiful baby boy but also to a whole family. I am so proud to live everyday knowing that what could have been a life of struggle has become a wonderful gift. Open adoption has not just changed my life for the better but the life of my whole family and the life of my son.
