The Many Benefits of Open Adoption

Learning the truth about adoption for your pregnancy

By Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

Unlike years past, today adoption has taken on a new face. No longer is everything done in secrecy to where the Birth Mother never has the pleasure of looking upon the face of her newborn child. Many women who have thought of putting their child up for adoption have found they are put off by the many inaccurate images that the word "adoption" brings to mind.

There was a time when a Birth Mother would hear the word "adoption" and envision her child being snatched away soon after birth to disappear into oblivion; resulting in the fact that she would never know for sure that she had done the right thing. Fortunately, today the face of adoption has been dramatically altered with the practice of Open Adoption.

Open Adoption is beneficial to all who are involved, but most of all it is beneficial to the child. A child placed through Open Adoption grows up with a greater sense of identity; knowing not only the love of their birth parents, but also the love of their adopted family. They will grow into a more stable and secure adult if they know the truth of their adoption and why their Birth Mother felt it was the best choice. No matter what the truth is, it is always easier for a child to know than to face never knowing why they were placed with a different family.

Another extremely important aspect of Open Adoption is access to vital genetic information. There are times when having immediate access to health information can be a matter of life or death. Void of any health history, a doctor could waste a great deal of time running endless tests on an ill child when a little background on the parents would have given medical personnel some direction. An accurate health history may also be of help in preventative medicine by allowing your child's doctor to perform routine tests that he deems relevant in light of the child's genetic background.

Another significant advantage to open adoption is that the Birth Mother has some say in who adopts her baby. If a child knows that their adopted family was their Birth Mother's choice for them, it may help them to accept that choice more readily during those years when they are questioning the adoption. In face, you may view families who want open adoptions at www.OpenAdoption.com

It could be extremely difficult in this day and age to keep the fact that a child is adopted from them their whole life, and even if this is attempted, how will they eventually feel about it if they were to ever find out? It is generally agreed that being open with a child about their adoption is the best course, and how much easier is this to do if the adoptive parents have some information about the Birth Mother.

Choosing Open or Closed Adoption is strictly the personal choice of the Birth Mother. For a Birth Mother to know that she has some choice in who will raise her child and that adoption does not necessarily have to mean that the child will disappear from her forever, makes Open Adoption a much more appealing choice.

To speak with someone 24 hours a day about open adoption or to ask questions, please call 1-800-923-6784.

Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P. is an adoption professional and an adoptive mother. She has written four books on adoption including So I Was Thinking About Adoption... and has worked with thousands of young women considering their options with an unplanned pregnancy. You can download a free copy of her book at www.FreeAdoptionBook.com

For more information about adoption, visit www.LifetimeAdoption.com