Birth Mother Matters in Adoption: One in Four, Part 1 of 2

Birth Mother Matters in Adoption: One in Four, Part 1 of 2 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month  It may be uncomfortable to talk about miscarriages or stillbirths, but when we say nothing about the loss of the baby, the grief is not acknowledged.  Just because a birth mother is placing a baby for adoption does not mean she does not care about her baby, actually the opposite is true- she loves her baby so much that she is making the hardest choice.  In my experience when a birth mother miscarries or has a stillbirth, she suffers incredibly, questioning herself if the reason the baby passed away was her fault, did her baby not feel loved enough or wanted and was that why? When we are silent about perinatal loss, we send the message that there is no space for mourning, leaving adoptive and birth families isolated and alone in their grief.  The goal of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month of breaking the silence and stigma surrounding pregnancy and infant loss. This month honors the millions of families who have experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. Pregnancy and infant loss impacts so many families. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage.