Using Birth Mother Support Groups To Make the Missouri Adoption Process Easier
By Mitchell Kennis
Adoption is not to be taken lightly. The process can be extremely taxing on birth mothers who weren’t prepared for the commitment and even those who were. So, there is no shame in asking for help or talking with others about how you are feeling. Joining a birth mother support group is a perfect option to depend on others who can really understand you. Support groups help birth mothers talk through their doubts and feel more comfortable with their choice for adoption.
What is an Adoption Support Group?
Let’s define what a support group is in general before getting into how adoption works with one. Support groups are individuals joined by similarly tough circumstances who talk through things and support one another. Each one is different in what ties its members together, but all work to take the stress off their shoulders. Some other distinctions can be the means of meeting and when, which can be online or in-person, weekly or monthly.
A birth mother or adoption support group works in a very similar way. Women who are planning on “giving my baby up for adoption” meet with others doing the same. Those who already have put their baby up for adoption can also join a group of mothers who did too. There are probably many local support groups to choose from; take time to pick the one right for you. Local adoption agencies in Missouri will be more than happy to help you find a group if needed.
A Few Ways Support Groups Can Make Adoption Easier
Let’s say you aren’t convinced you need a support group. It’s fair to be skeptical. After all, your adoption process is your own unique journey. However, a journey needn’t be taken alone. No matter what form your open or private adoption takes, there are things others can do to help. With that, here are three things that a birth mother support group can do to support you.
1. A Place to Relate to Others Choosing Adoption in Missouri
Groups created from a shared experience remain strong because of that commonality. You might be surprised how closely other birth mothers relate to your adoption story. Some women have gone through the mindset of “considering adoption – I can’t take care of my baby,” like you might’ve. Others will attest to your inconveniences of pregnancy. Still, Others could share your same adoption specialist, taste in music, or comfort food.
It is remarkable how many connections we can find with one another when looking for them. These bonds of similarity are bridges to trust and understanding. A support group can to help you by innately comprehending and sympathizing with where you are coming from. Your meetings can become a place to reflect on hard memories with the assurance others can relate.
2. A Space to Reside with Birth Mothers of Missouri Adoptions
The circumstances of pregnancy are not always ideal. An unexpected pregnancy leading into an adoption process is something perspectives from the outside don’t fully get. Birth mothers who say, “I need to adopt out my baby,” are sometimes heard but not understood. These scenarios can manifest in many ways, including a kind of alienation from one’s family or friends. An adoption becomes that much harder when you don’t have a space that feels considerate and safe.
A birth mother support group can play this role as a secondary home easily. You become a member of a community. A community that understands where you’re coming from, consoling you over dilemmas no one else fully gets. Other birth mothers who can just give you the comfort you need to relax.
Life will come to break up the meeting eventually. You can rest assured knowing this space will be there at the next meeting.
3. A Spark to Kindle Beyond Pregnancy
A dislodging of held friendships can come with the obligations of an adoption. There is power in choosing that “I’m going to put my baby up for adoption,” but others can’t fully appreciate that. After all, there are things you’d be giving up to do so, and your friends could be less than understanding about it. This doesn’t make anyone a bad friend, but sometimes pregnancy is viewed as an obstacle to fun.
Other birth mothers within your support group might not feel this way, however. Your meetings can provide the time to connect with these other women and make lasting friendships. Maybe you won’t find much outside of adoption that you can relate with them on, and that happens. A support group though provides an opportunity to talk with others you might not have otherwise. It is a time to compare show recommendations or vacation plans. Friendships can be as simple as that.
Now We’re All in this Together for Your Adoption in Missouri
It is easy to say you are doing fine when you aren’t. Conversations with strangers can often feel shallow in how much emotion they hide behind an “I’m good, how are you?” With a support group, that changes. You are part of a group that cares about how you really are and helping your recovery into actually good. Adoption Choices of Missouri would love to help find you a birth mother support group that gets you for you. It is never too late in the process to ask for help, and we’re always here to provide it.
It isn’t a bad option either to seek support with your adoption before finding a group. In such cases, your agency, Adoption Choices of Missouri, is here to serve birth parents statewide and beyond. Please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll-free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 816-527-9800
