An article out of Cleveland caught my eye this morning. It talked about unplanned pregnancy with a positive tone instead of the normal doom-and-gloom that normally accompanies the subject. It also painted a realistic portrait of the hardships of young parenthood and the importance of family support.

I know that when I first found out I was pregnant with the Munchkin, I was nervous to tell my parents. I feared their reaction. It is true, as well,... more

If you're experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, you may be a little apprehensive about this holiday season. The holidays are notorious for family gatherings, running into old friends and general public meetings. How far along you are in your pregnancy will have an affect on how you might need to deal with people and their questions this season.

If you're just newly pregnant, you won't likely have to field questions in public places. Running into a friend at the mall won't present a requirement to explain the basketball under your coat if you still aren't... more

I was in the process of writing yet another post about unintended teen pregnancy when I came across this article. I wasn't surprised by the title at all: Many adults face unplanned pregnancies. As a direct example of that, my brother and I were both surprises for my (married) parents. The article gets to the point right away with this very important quote:

Although many worry about the prevalence of teen pregnancy, few realize that the United... more

No one plans to experience an unplanned pregnancy. (Or they wouldn't be unplanned!) Perhaps the sudden thrust into making decisions you have never before considered has left you angry. If so, read on. (Perhaps not, but read on anyway because the possibility of some anger issues isn't unheard of with regard to unplanned pregnancy!)

Maybe you're angry at your child's father, whether it was consensual sex or not. Maybe you're angry with your parents for being angry with you or for refusing to offer any support. Maybe you're angry with friends who have suddenly... more

If you are already matched with a potential family for your baby or in the process of seeking out such a family, I have one very important bit of advice for you: Learn how to effectively communicate. Now. Trust me on this one!

Right now, you are just getting to know one another. You are trying to get a feel for their personalities, their character and whether or not you feel that they will be the best family to raise your child. You are probably tentative in your question asking and in how you reply to their questions of you. You are likely to shy away... more

As an expectant mother considering placement for your child, maybe you've heard about National Adoption Month. Maybe you heard it on the news, read about it in your local newspaper or saw it talked about somewhere on Adoption.com's website. Maybe you think it concerns you, your baby and the adoption plan that you might be making for your child.

Well, it doesn't.

Hold on. Back up. Wait. What?

It sounds ridiculous, right, that as a mother considering adoption, National Adoption Month isn't about you or your child at all. But it's true. National... more

While reading the Sunday Secrets over at Post Secret yesterday, I came across one that really made me stop and think. It made me think about my own unplanned pregnancy. It made me think about my life before that positive pregnancy test. And it made me think of our readers on this blog. The photo was of two hands resting on a very pregnant belly. The text read:

If... more

I write about confessions on the subject of adoption with regularity over on the birth parent blog. As I was searching through the archives for adoption related ones, I came across this one that I thought would hit home with those experiencing a crisis pregnancy.

I was going to put my last baby up for adoption because my husband left me..He returned 2 weeks before she was born, and told me we weren't going do it. I was watching her crawl and... more

I just wrote over on the birth parent blog how people sometime balk when I talk about my daughter or share our adoption story. However, having been in your shoes before, I can also remember when people would balk when I would talk about how I was placing my child for adoption when she was born. Having the hindsight I have now, as a birth mother, I thought I could offer you some support and some insight into what they may be thinking or feeling. It doesn't excuse any disrespect on their... more

Recently I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping at night. It takes me forever to fall to sleep and then once I am asleep I wake up multiple times. While I am not pregnant, this sleeping issue reminds me of being pregnant with Charlie. Towards the end of my pregnancy, I had the hardest time finding a comfortable position to sleep in.

Are you experiencing difficulty sleeping during your pregnancy? You are not alone! Issues with sleep are common amongst pregnant women especially during the third trimester.

Below are a few things that could be preventing you from sleeping or could be waking you up during the night as well as ways to deal with them.

Do you wake up... more