Celebrating Birth Mother’s Day in a Texas Open Adoption

Many birth mothers find it difficult to celebrate their relationship with their child, even in open adoption arrangements. However, there is a great opportunity to honor this special bond on Birth Mother’s Day, a national holiday created by birth mothers for birth mothers. With Birth Mother’s Day fast approaching on May 8, 2021, there are several ways to celebrate this special holiday and honor the selfless choice that made your child’s adoption possible, whether you are the birth mother or an adoptive parent.

If you are a birth mother in Texas, it is important to remember that placing a child for adoption does not make you any less of a mother. Here at Adoption Choices of Texas, we want to help you celebrate the life you have chosen for yourself and your child, while still honoring the special bond you share.

Celebrating Birth Mother’s Day as an Adoptive Parent

• Send a Handmade Card from Your Child. As an adoptive parent, sending a handmade card can be a great way to show your child’s birth mother that you are thinking of them. By sending the birth mother something that is handmade by your child, you can give them a physical reminder of the special bond they share, even when they are unable to be together. Making a handmade card for their birth mother can also be a great opportunity for your child to express any difficult emotions surrounding his or her adoption.
• Make a Gift Basket for Your Child’s Birth Mother. If you are struggling to think of ideas for honoring your child’s birth mother, a gift basket can be a great and simple way to show your appreciation for the birth mother’s selfless choice. A gift basket to the birth mother can be as simple or as complicated as you like, and you can include anything from chocolates or flowers to pictures or a handwritten note. Receiving a gift basket can be a meaningful gift for your child’s birth mother, and it will assure her that she is appreciated by you and your child.
• Hold a Birth Mother’s Day Celebration. Depending on the level of openness in your child’s adoption, having a party or event to celebrate Birth Mother’s Daycan be a great way to celebrate the relationship between your child and his or her birth mother. If you and the birth mother are comfortable with celebrating the holiday together, this can also be a great opportunity for your child to bond with his or her birth mother. Common Birth Mother’s Day celebrations include anything from taking your child’s birth mother to eat or organizing a special event

Celebrating Birth Mother’s Day as a Birth Mother

• Send a Handwritten Note to Your Child. As a birth mother, Birth Mother’s Day can often be an emotional experience, but sending a note to your child can be a great way to alleviate some of the more difficult emotions you are experiencing. However, it is important to remember not to include any negative thoughts or feelings about your child’s adoptive parents or the circumstances surrounding his or her adoption, as these could impact their own emotions. While it is okay to express sorrow for not being able to raise your child, there is no need to share the details that led you to make such a difficult decision.
• Have a Video Chat or Telephone Conversation. If you and your child are unable to celebrate Birth Mother’s Dayin-person, a video chat or telephone conversation is a great alternative that still allows you to celebrate your special bond. But before you make any plans to meet with your child, either physically or virtually, you should discuss your wishes with the adoptive parents. Depending on the level of openness in your child’s adoption arrangement, the adoptive parents may not be comfortable with arranging a meeting between you and your child, and it is important that you as the birth mother respect their wishes.
• Celebrate with Other Birth Mothers. Even if your child is in an open adoption arrangement, many birth mothers struggle with the difficult emotions that often arise on Birth Mother’s Day. If this describes you, it is important to remember that you are not alone. There is a whole community of birth mothers just like you who may be struggling as well, and Birth Mother’s Day can be a great opportunity for you to support one another. It is also good to remember that Adoption Choices of Texaswill be with you along every step of your adoption journey, and we are here to support you even after your child’s placement with their adoptive family.

How Will You Celebrate Birth Mother’s Day?

As a birth mother, Birth Mother’s Day can often be a difficult and emotional experience. However, it is important to remember that you are not alone, and you have a number of options to help you celebrate the bond you share with your child.

At Adoption Choices of Texas, we are here to help you throughout your adoption process, and our support will continue even after your child’s placement. Please contact us at any time if you have any questions about celebrating Birth Mother’s Dayor the adoption process in general.

As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. You can call us at 888-307-3340, text us at 888-307-3340, or email us here. If you are hoping to adopt, please visit us here. We look forward to helping you through your adoption journey!

Meet the Author: Jennie Knuppel is a student at the University of Texas at Austin studying English Literature. She is currently enrolled in the English Honors Program, for which she is writing a thesis in comparative literature prior to graduating in the spring of 2022. Jennie has previously taken courses in literature and both creative and technical writing, and she spent four years working in her high school’s journalism department. 

Jennie is also currently working as a barista, and, in her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family and pets.