August 20, 2018

Supporting BirthParents Through Adoption

 

 

Working with birthparents and seeing the emotions they go through in making the decision to place their child for adoption is not an easy task.  But it is necessary to support them through their adoption.  One way to prepare yourself to support a birth parent is by educating yourself.  There is a book for that! And this book has something for each member of the adoption triad.

 LifeGivers: Framing the Birthparent Experience in Open Adoption by James L. Gritter

It is a raw look at the decisions that birthparents make and what could and will occur in the often difficult journey of life lived without the child that she gives birth to.

If you are a Birthparent, I encourage you to read this book.  If you ever wanted to feel validated in the emotion you have felt as a birthparent, you will find it in this book! Guilt, regret, joy, pride, envy, grief, letting go, hanging on, worthiness, self-love, and so on.

In the chapter Why the Public Dislikes Birthparents:
"Pregnancy at an inopportune time in life raises complex moral questions. I believe we learn at least as much about the moral strength of these folks from the way they work through their situations as we do from the circumstances leading to their pregnancies. The adoption choice reveals a great deal about their character and basic values."

In the chapter The Pursuit of Worthiness: 
"How sad that the extraordinary strength underlying the adoption decision is so often mistaken for failure - but that's the way it is with adoption." ...and goes on to say... "Those who ignore the complicated nature of adoption will never understand its astounding depth and its mysterious capacity to enrich even those who endure loss."

In the chapter Circumstances of Necessity:
"Women who are thinking about adoption should not base their ideas on propaganda: They deserve a reasonable description of its costs and benefits." It is so important to educate yourself before entering into adoption. Keep learning to feel what your heart needs to feel in order to live life.

In the chapter Holding On and Letting Go, had this to offer when speaking of a birthparents ambivalence and the heart - head factor:
"...she faces a conflict between mind and heart, between thought and emotion - a potent clash between different internal systems of perception and appraisal." ...and goes on to say ... "We find inventive ways to deny, avoid, delay, ignore, and minimize those factors that move us down a difficult trail."

Adoptive Parents should read this book.  It will help you understand many different factors that birthparents must go through in order to help your family grow. Respect and communication are two factors that are imperative in adoption and the author reaffirms this. This book will help you understand that your child's birth family will be very important to them.

In the chapter The Pursuit of Worthiness:
"The decision to entrust a beloved child to more promising arms requires great strength of character, for it is never easy to stand alone and counter conventional thought."

In the chapter How Birthparents Fit In, when speaking of envy:
"If the hurt and frustration of infertility has not healed to some degree, it will be predictably difficult for adoptive parents to honor and appreciate the importance of the life giving role." Learning to accept the things you cannot change, and living with what you have been given will play a huge role in your relationship with your birthparents.

In the chapter How Birthparents Fit In:
"...children are not confused by the involvement of birthparents (in their lives). To the contrary, open adoption kids are especially well-positioned to figure things out." ... and goes on to say ... "And when children feel the unconditional love and affection of all the crucial contributors to their life stories, they are positioned to thrive." It is crucial for adoptive families to understand this and believe it.

Adoptees should read this book.  It will help you understand the mind of a birthparent.

From the chapter The Pursuit of Worthiness, regarding answering those difficult questions from an adoptee:
"A question from his soul deserves an answer from hers, and she prays she can somehow find ways to explain her lonely experience, all the while knowing this is an experience for which there is no adequate language."  There is hope that understanding will be there.

In the chapter Birthparent Regret:
"An expression of wistful regret that simultaneously wishes things could have been different yet accepts the reality that they cannot be is important and constructive information for an adopted child" ... and goes on to say ... "It reassures the child that she has always been loved and that she is where she belongs."

In the chapter How Birthparents Fit In:
"Adopted children deserve a firsthand account of their birthparents' rationale for adoption." and goes on to say ... "So many people are uncomfortable with the pain of adoption that adopted children often learn to deny their feelings of sadness." I feel very strongly that every adoptee deserves the right to know where they came from. There should be no secrecy about who you are.

I think this book is a wealth of information and could be beneficial to anyone who wants to learn more about a birthparent's choice.  In adoption, life keeps evolving, growing and shifting with each and every year.

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