Emerging Voices – Reflections on Adoption from the Birth Mother's Perspective

Surrogate mothers 10 years on: a longitudinal study of psychological well-being and relationships with the parents and child

“…With adoption, the birth mother makes the decision to relinquish the child after she becomes pregnant whereas with surrogacy this decision is made before pregnancy is achieved. Indeed, the finding that birth mothers often feel a sense of loss, sadness and guilt after relinquishment (Kelly, 2009) has not been replicated in studies of surrogate mothers. Also, with gestational surrogacy, the surrogate has no genetic relationship to the child and therefore may not feel that she has lost a part of herself.…”

Writing the Unknown: An Expressive Writing Intervention with Adopted Korean American Adults

“…After birth family reunions, many adopted individuals report a decrease of uncertainty regarding their own identity, but also a new type of uncertainty about their relationship with their birth mother and their relationship with their adoptive mother (Powell & Afifi, 2005). This emergence of a different type of uncertainty mirrors self-reports from birth mothers who are reunited with their children (Kelly, 2009). At the same time, there are many adopted individuals and birth mothers that report satisfactory relationships after the reunion, including a sense of peace after the reunion (Kelly, 2009;Powell & Afifi, 2005).…”

“…This emergence of a different type of uncertainty mirrors self-reports from birth mothers who are reunited with their children (Kelly, 2009). At the same time, there are many adopted individuals and birth mothers that report satisfactory relationships after the reunion, including a sense of peace after the reunion (Kelly, 2009;Powell & Afifi, 2005).…”

Understanding the Adoptive Family within the Context of Christian Hospitality

“…Ruth Kelly categorizes three groups of birth mothers who place their children for adoption and describes their feelings about the placement decision. 8 First are birth mothers who place their child because they are in an environment where they feel they have no choice in the decision. In some situations, becoming pregnant and parenting outside of marriage is not accepted and the mother is expected to place her child for adoption.…”