If you are leaning towards parenting, then use your time wisely! During your pregnancy is a great time to get prepared to be a parent. But if you are going to be a first time parent, you may be lost at what you should be doing to prepare. I have a few ideas below to get you started.

1. Take a parenting class and/or read parenting books and websites. Learn as much as you can about being a parent and newborn care as you can. Many local hospitals and community centers offer parenting classes for parents-to-be so call around and see if there is one offered... more

A great resource for those of you who may be experiencing high risk pregnancies is the website and non profit organization, Sidelines. While Sidelines is not adoption or unplanned pregnancy specific it is high risk pregnancy specific.

Sidelines is a national non profit organization that provides support for expectant mothers who are experiencing high risk pregnancies for one reason or another. Sidelines was founded by 2 women, Laura Maurer and Candice Hurley in July of 1991 and started out as small chapters spread... more

I ran across an article out of Knoxville, Tennessee about a new program for women in unplanned pregnancies. This one is called House of Courage. House of Courage was created by Bonnie Skolfield who had her own unplanned pregnancy at age 15. Luckily, Bonnie had the support of her family and her church to aide her in raising her child but she knows that not all women in unplanned pregnancies are that lucky. Bonnie’s church helped her to find a job and ironically it was at a crisis pregnancy... more

It has been hot, hot, hot in my neck of the woods lately! We reached above 100 degrees several times last week. I prefer to stay in doors in my nice air conditioned home whenever possible during heat waves.

Being pregnant and dealing with this type of heat would not be fun! It’s bad enough just dealing with hot weather, but add the added weight and body changes that occur during pregnancy and you are probably feeling pretty miserable!

So if you are pregnant, especially in your third trimester, I hope you are staying cool! Here are a few... more

Children have over active imaginations and fears. Explaining adoption to your child may stir up some fears and anxiety in your child. He or she may have questions that seem silly to you but make perfect sense to a child such as “Are you going to give me away too?” Or, “Don’t you love the baby?” It is so important to reassure your child that he or she is going to remain with you and that you love him or her and that you love the baby too.

For Noah, routine is very important most of the time and during this time it was super important that our... more

Just as you will grieve the loss of your motherhood and your baby, your child will have to deal with some grief too. Although some open adoption agreements will afford them the opportunity to know one another, it will probably not be the same sibling bond that they would have if they were growing up together in the same household.

Helping your child deal with his or her grief, while you are dealing with your own, is not easy. I have heard that time and time again from many birthmothers. Below are some simple ways that you can help the child you... more

A great tool to aide you in explaining adoption to the child you are parenting is the book, Sam’s Sister by Juliet Bond. This book explains adoption in the very context in which you may be experiencing. There are a lot of adoption books out there that explain adoption to children but these are usually for the adopted children themselves not the birth siblings of adopted children.

Juliet Bond, the author of this... more

“Aren’t ultrasounds neat? This was my first official picture of Charlie taken right after I first found out I was pregnant. I think it is neat to see this little, tiny person growing inside of your body.

Seeing that first ultrasound also made my unplanned pregnancy seem so real. I think I had been in denial that I was really and truly pregnant up until that point. But it’s hard to deny it any longer when you see your baby floating around on the screen. It was then that I knew I had to do whatever I could to protect my baby and give him all that he... more

Parenting a child and making an adoption plan for the one you are carrying creates an additional dilemma for expectant mothers. At some point, you are going to have to explain adoption and your decision to your child.

You don’t need to tell a young child too much of the details, but you do need to begin preparing them. Small children need time to absorb the information you are giving them, adapt to the changes that might occur in their lives, and reassurance that they are loved and not going anywhere. I think the best approach is honesty at an... more

Are you already parenting a child or children and are now considering adoption for your unborn baby? Once upon a time before I was a birthmother and a member of the adoption community, I never would have guessed that birthmothers would have children older than the one they placed. I imagine that others who have no connection to adoption think along the same lines. I myself am one of these mothers who were parenting at the time of placement. My involvement in the adoption community since Charlie’s birth and relinquishment has showed me that this is not as... more