Ep. 8 - You Should Know... What It Feels Like to Place Your Child for Adoption: Michelle's Story As A Birthmother

Michelle was a mother of 3 who had been married 9 years when she and her husband decided to place their 4th child for adoption.  Michelle went on to write about her birthmother experience in her blog, Not Quite Juno, My Adoption Story from 2010-2017.  In this very emotional episode Michelle takes us through the last 14 years of her adoption experience and the hope she holds onto regarding her daughter Lauren.  

Michelle’s story first touched me as an adoptive mother when I  came across her blog in 2010 and has continued to impact the way I view adoption and interact with my daughter’s birth mother. I  think every advocate of adoption and adoptive parent needs to hear her story, along with the stories of  others, because while adoption can be a very beautiful gift it is a very individual experience that does have origins in loss, grief, and sometimes desperation and trauma. 

Discussed in this episode:

• What Michelle knew about adoption and the adoption process prior to placing Lauren for adoption
• The stigma associated with being a birthmother
• Michelle’s interactions with her daughter’s parents over the years
• Michelle’s 2 visits with her daughter
• The exclusion of Lauren’s birthfather from any visits with Lauren by her adoptive parents
• What Michelle wishes she would have known or done
• Michelle’s hope concerning Lauren
• What Michelle thinks anyone associated with adoption should know

If you are an adoptive parent, adoptee or birthmother and would like to share your story please email [e-mail]. 

Connect with Karin Taylor:

Instagram: @KarinTaylorOfficial