Emotional Support Resources for Birth Mothers in Texas
For many birth mothers, the journey after giving birth may be just as hard — if not harder — than the adoption process in Texas. The emotions felt during placement — anxiety and stress — can all too often turn into depression and grief and feel like too much to handle. While these emotions are common and natural to experience post placement, it’s important for you to recognize them and reach out before they become too overwhelming. We understand the pain and the need to grieve and have resources to help you, so that you don’t feel alone or cut off from the world.
Even though it might not feel like it, there is hope. You can healthfully grieve, heal and move forward in your life. You can come out happy, encouraged and content with your choice. Throughout Texas, there are plenty of emotional support resources for birth mothers that will help make the grief and loss you feel through adoption easier to deal with.
Emotional Support Resources for Birth Mothers
1) Adoption Counseling
If you have placed your baby for adoption, are considering it or in the midst of placing, adoption counseling offers you a safe, private and confidential way to process your thoughts and emotions. To help you understand the whys and hows behind the emotions you’re experiencing. Whether you are dealing with anxiety, depression, grief or Postpartum Depression (PPD), adoption counselors specialize in all things related to adoption and are trained and fully-equipped to help support you.
Adoption Choices of Texas offers free adoption counseling to all birth mothers who place through our adoption agency. Your child’s birth father and other family members are also welcome to make an appointment. We understand that the adoption process can feel long, stressful and emotional and that having a strong support system or place you can seek encouragement and comfort can make all the difference.
For many birth mothers, counseling post placement is a great option to express your emotions in a safe, understanding and positive environment without fear of judgment. Even long after the adoption is final, you can reach out to us!
2) Support Groups
Another way that birth mothers can gain emotional support is through support groups specifically geared towards helping birth mothers before, during and after the adoption journey. These support groups can come in all sizes. They can be online or in-person, depending on your interest and comfort level. By doing a simple search online or reaching out to your adoption agency, such as Adoption Choices of Texas, will help you to find a group that suits you!
Support groups are a great way for you to connect with other birth mothers who have had similar experiences. While each birth mother’s story is unique, there are certain experiences, feelings, and concerns that you all can relate to and share. Having the ability to voice your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with other women who understand you is a great way to get through both the good and emotional times that come after placing your child for adoption.
3) Family & Friends
If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, you may feel hesitant to let anyone know. With all the unfortunate stigmas still surrounding adoption, it’s natural to struggle with feelings of guilt or shame, despite that there’s nothing shameful about placing your baby for adoption. However, trusted friends and close family members may surprise you. Instead of judgment, you may find an overwhelming amount of support!
You don’t have to tell everyone. Just those who you know you can trust and rely on. Think about the friends and family who you go to in your most difficult moments. Those who have always been there for you. Consider reaching out to them. Talk to them about what you want to do and ask for advice. Ask if they would be willing to be your support system through the good and bad times of your adoption journey. If you have a friend or family member who is adopted or has placed a baby for adoption, talk to them as well.
By reaching out to your trusted friends and family members, you are not only going to be creating stronger bonds with them, but you are also receiving the comfort, encouragement and support you need.
It’s Okay to Ask for Help!
Asking for help can be a hard thing for anybody to do, regardless if you have had to go through a stressful adoption process or not. In fact, asking for emotional support can often leave someone feeling shame and guilt for not being able to deal with our emotions yourself. But, it is important to remember that everyone struggles with something in one way or another. Seeking emotional support from an adoption counselor, birth mother support group, or your friends and family is actually a sign of strength!
It takes a lot of courage to ask for help. Regardless of what the people in your life may think or say, it is incredibly brave to stand up and say that you need emotional support to get through a difficult time. It truly is an act of courage.
By reaching out to the emotional support resources for birth mothers, you are better not only yourself in your present state of mind, but also yourself in the future! It may seem like the way you are feeling may never end, but with the right kind of support, it does get better!
As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. You can call us at 945-444-0333, text us at 945-444-0333, 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: Sarah Henderson can best be described as someone with an eclectic taste in all things related to literacy and writing. She can be found reading a wide array of subjects from true crime novels to the next young adult fantasy series. Because of her love of literature, it has been Sarah’s dream to become a novelist herself.
After graduating from college in 2019, Sarah has been spending her time planning, researching and writing for her first novel.
When she isn’t reading or writing her novel, you can find Sarah out for her early morning run, hiking a three-plus mile hike or cooking her favorite vegan meal. She presently lives in Indianapolis, IN and is waiting for the next chapter of her life to begin!
