By: Joseph DiPietro

Are you a friend or family member of a soon-to-be or current birth mother? If so, you have come to the right place. You may be wondering how you can offer her support during the adoption process. The courageous journey all birth mothers face when finding their child a home is not one to be shared alone. You are already taking the right steps by seeking general advice.

At Adoption Choices of Nevada, we provide support for the birth mother as well as her family and friends. It’s important for you to understand different ways to support a birth mother throughout the process. The birth mother will be grateful for your conscious efforts to assist her.

Communicating with a Birth Mother during the Adoption Process

The words spoken to a birth mother can be quite beneficial for her emotional well-being. As a friend or family member, you will want to maintain a flow of positive adoption language when assisting with the birth mother’s needs. You might wonder, what exactly does positive adoption language entail? Just like any string of uplifting words, positive adoption language is used to promote encouragement and comfort when discussing the adoption process.

Whether your relationship with the birth mother is immediate or acquainted, your words should be highly positive and never undermining. In every area of our lives, we tend to slip into a negative mindset. We also see what damage can be done to ourselves and those around us when we don’t treat circumstances with hope. This truth is the same when speaking about adoption with a birth mother. Even the slightest change in rhetoric can prevent a birth mother from feeling like an inadequate parent. Such phrases like biological parent and keeping a child can be better replaced by birth parent and parenting a child. These changes can aid in preventing anxiety and distress.

Your Availability for the Birth Mother during the Adoption Process

Encouraging words through positive adoption language can go a long way, but being at the birth mother’s side when you say them might be even more important. Maintaining a consistent, physical availability for the birth mother can be one of the best forms of support to offer during the adoption process. For birth mothers considering adoption, a flood of questions and worries can consume their overall experience. Your consistent availability, whether that be friendly visits or assisted errand runs, will tell the birth mother that she is loved and remembered.

When you make the time to visit with the birth mother, it’s always best to let her lead the conversations and activities. Not every birth mother following through the adoption process will be vocal about her thoughts and needs. Letting her have control of a day’s plans will help her voice out unearthed stress that may have been building up. Even if you are extremely close with the birth mother, try to refrain from talking about her child’s upcoming adoption. Talking about it is not a wrong thing to do, we just believe it to be best that the birth mother is the one to initiate the conversation. After all, your physical availability to her is not meant to place you as the head counselor for the adoption process. What you can offer, instead, is intimate support that will not go unnoticed.

Remaining Vulnerable to a Birth Mother during the Adoption Process

When it comes to supporting others for any reason, we all tend to act like we have it under control. That we are a trustworthy ally. Your intentions may be to comfort a friend or family member in need, but what really solidifies trust is vulnerability. Acknowledging to the birth mother during the adoption process that you don’t have all the answers could be a relatable tribute she needs. We understand that this process can be quite overwhelming for everyone involved. The best support for a birth mother may ultimately be a close friend or family member telling her that she is not navigating adoption alone. 

As a matter of fact, this kind of vulnerability deepens trust between family and friends. Adoption Choices of Nevada will never pass you the responsibility to solve unexpected problems. Your commitment and open heart for the birth mother are more than enough. Our adoption agency will be sure to address any of her concerns.

The Best Ways to Support a Birth Mother during the Nevada Adoption Process

At Adoption Choices of Nevada, we truly value your support for the birth mother. The adoption process is a wonderful experience, especially when the birth mother has confidence in her child’s future. The positive words and vulnerability you offer will keep the birth mother in a state of peace. Our adoption agency will also help her navigate this life-changing event. 

Adoption Choices of Nevada has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. You can also call us to speak to someone now. Contact Us 24/7: 855-940-4673 (Toll-Free) | 702-474-4673 (Las Vegas) | 775-825-4673 (Reno) | 775-738-4673 (Elko).