Weekly, I interview different birthmothers for the Birthmom of the Week segment, but I also thought it would be interesting and helpful to interview someone who considered adoption but ultimately chose to parent.

I’d like you all to meet my friend Rebecca. Rebecca is a nurse residing in Canada and is the proud single Momma to two children, baby G. who is currently 13 months old and her son, B., who will be six years old next week.

Rebecca unexpectedly found herself pregnant. She very seriously considered adoption for a long while by researching agencies, talking with birthmothers, looking at profiles of adoptive couples, educating herself on her rights, and so on. Ultimately Rebecca decided that parenting was the best thing for her and her children.

Rebecca was found out right away that she was pregnant and very soon after began to consider adoption and was already parenting a five year old alone at the time.

Knowing how difficult it is being a single mom of one child, I couldn't imagine raising another one. I wanted so much more for my baby than I could provide. I had a tremendous amount of guilt bringing her into a single parent home. Her father lives very far away and I wasn't sure how much if any involvement he would be able to have. My father died when I was a child so I know what it's like to grow up without a father. This was the biggest reason I considered adoption. I was also worried about how I could manage financially.

Rebecca begin to explore adoption, but still strongly wanted to parent but knew she needed to give both options a fair shake.

I talked with many birthmoms for guidance and support. I eventually contacted an adoption social worker and met with her twice. I reviewed many adoptive couples’s profiles online.

When Rebecca was about seven months pregnant, a lady in her church spoke about a crisis pregnancy center that she worked at. Rebecca began going to the crisis pregnancy center for counseling. This is what led Rebecca to ultimately choose parenting her daughter over adoption.

I believe that God has a plan and I wanted to be open to what he wants. I knew that as long as I was listening to Him he could turn this into something positive, whether I chose adoption or parenting. When I was about 7 months pregnant I went to the crisis pregnancy center for counseling. It was there that I felt God minister to my heart and confirm to me that I was to parent my baby. I had a huge sense of peace. I know that God wouldn't have asked me to parent my child if he wouldn't provide everything necessary to do it.

To be continued…