Life-Long Choice
Many women have been in this position before. Earlier on in their life, they had an unplanned pregnancy and they placed their child for adoption. Later on in life, they may decide they are ready to start a family of their own. However, placing a child for adoption does not just end there; it’s a life-long process for both the birth mother and her child.
Having Another Child
Some women have felt hesitant to get pregnant again after placing their child for adoption. On the other hand, some women have felt a desire to have another child when they are ready to be a parent, termed as “baby fever.” Mothers develop physical and emotional connections with their children, and after placing a child for adoption, they long to reconnect with those feelings again.
The Emotional Challenges
Many women have described the process of having another child to be emotionally challenging. Some have said they felt another child would be a replacement for their first one.
Some women have decided to not have more children due to the grief they felt. Others have described having another child after adoption to be a betrayal to the other child.
For some, the experience of going in to deliver another baby after adoption is triggering in reliving the emotions. The paperwork is completed in the hospital, and the final moments with the birth mother and child take place there, too.
After placing their child for adoption, many women have recounted that if they knew how hard the aftermath would be, they would have kept their child.
Parenting Older Children When You’re Pregnant Again
In other cases, some women may be parenting older children and place a younger child for adoption. In some cases, they may get pregnant again and are faced with the difficult decision of whether to parent or place them for adoption.
Support is Available to Birth Mothers
Birth parent support services are available to help with these challenging times. Even with a healthy open adoption relationship, support is still crucial.
