One unexpected predicament that some birthmothers have to face after relinquishment is a change in the relationship between themselves and the adoptive family, this typically happens more often between the expectant mother and the prospective adoptive mother. Several birthmother friends have experienced this and I dealt with it myself.

During her pregnancy, once she has chosen an adoptive family, some expectant mothers begin to spend a lot of free time with or talking to the adoptive parents. Often times the adoptive mother may accompany the expectant mother to her doctor... more

As college students head back to campuses for the new school year, they will be dealing with an added expense; the steep rise in the cost of birth control. A change in federal law known as The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 went into effect on January 1st and has caused the cost of birth control for college students to sky rocket. Before the law went into effect, drug companies who manufactured birth control were able to offer college health centers and pharmacies substantial discounts on birth control but this new law makes it too expensive for drug companies to continue offering... more

Have you noticed any subtle changes here in the crisis pregnancy blog? I’ve been doing some really late spring cleaning – I’ve cleaned up the categories, added more sub categories and overall have tried to make the blog more accessible and easier to find any specific topics that you may be searching for.

I have some new upcoming plans for this blog as well. Once a week I will be doing a post that is related to the “parenting option” side of unplanned pregnancy. I will feature resources, government programs, websites, tips, suggestions, and success stories related to the parenting... more

It gets heavy here in this blog sometimes with all of the discussion about decision making, grief, pregnancy, etc. and I figure we could use a short break from the heavy topics and a little chuckle every now and then. The story below will give you a little laugh (or at least a smile as you shake your head in disbelief) and is proof that babies have their own schedules of when they should make their grand entrance into the world.

A very pregnant but not quite to her due date woman named Antoria Gillon waited in line for over sixteen hours with other 13,000 hopeful contestants in the... more

In my last post, I discussed independent adoptions. Now, let’s discuss agency adoptions. Once again, we will start off by defining “Agency Adoptions” from the Adoption Glossary.

Agency Adoptions: Adoption placements that are made by state licensed adoption agencies that screen prospective adoptive parents and supervise the placement of children in adoptive... more

As you are considering adoption, you may be reading about two of the different types of adoption; independent (also called private) adoptions and agency adoptions. There are pros and cons in each type of adoption. In this post and the next one, we will look at both of these types of adoption.

First off, let’s look at the definition for independent adoptions from the Adoption Glossary.

Independent Adoptions: These adoptions are arranged by an intermediary other than an adoption... more

In my last post, I talked about whether or not you should notify your doctor that you are making an adoption plan. As I concluded in that post, it really is a personal decision.

But if you do ultimately decide that you wish to tell your doctor and other medical personnel that you wish to notify that you are making an adoption plan, it can be a bit of an intimidating conversation for some. Below are a few tips and suggestions on how you can... more

If you are making an adoption plan, you may be wondering if you should inform your doctor or health care provider about it. I don’t have a solid yes or no answer for you. I think it is personal choice and just depends on how secure you are in your decision and the plans you are making for the birth of your baby and your hospital stay.

Obviously, if the potential adoptive parents are attending doctors appointments with your or you plan for them to be in the labor and delivery room, then it probably makes more sense to tell your doctor that you are making an adoption... more

So, you have just taken the pregnancy test and it is screaming “positive” at you. You are probably feeling a myriad of different emotions and having a million different thoughts running through your head. You may not be sure what to do first, how to feel, etc.

You may be hesitant to tell many people that you are pregnant right away. You need time to absorb the shock you are probably feeling. But I do suggest telling someone right away. Choose a trusted friend or family member (or perhaps your baby’s father, depending on the situation and circumstances)... more

If you are pregnant, you may have noticed that you are experiencing some mood swings. One minute, you feel happy and content and then the next minute you are crying, possibly at a sappy commercial or maybe for no real apparent reason at all!

No you are not going crazy! Mood swings are normal during pregnancy because of the hormonal changes that your body is going through in addition to the stress and turmoil you are already feeling as you deal with an unplanned pregnancy and make decisions about both yours and yours baby future. Most women find that... more