Being adopted and being a mother

Abstract

Twenty-one women adopted as infants within the Australian state of Victoria discussed their lived experience as mothers and the impacts of their adoption at this life stage. Sixteen participants took part in semi-structured interviews and the emerging categories were evaluated by a focus group of five additional adopted women. While each of their accounts is unique, reflecting their own individual life histories, partnerships and social networks, shared threads of meaning run through the combined narratives. The women’s descriptions of the values and models of care they bring to motherhood, their view of their children and the hopes they have for their family of procreation are each discussed in the light of their adoption status and experiences. Particular emphasis is given to issues of their adjustments to identity and extended family relationships and experiences of loss. This breaks new ground for a population that remains largely hidden within Australian society and points a way to future research endeavours in this area.

When people adopted from severely depriving institutions become parents: The experiences of young adult mothers from the ERA study and their adoptive parents

“…Second, as in prior research (e.g., Conrick, 2020) our study suggests that that when people with a history of care become parents, they enter into a period of life review about their past experiences and a re-evaluation and updating of their sense of self. For example, the mothers in our sample described how having a biological relative in their lives engendered a greater sense of 'completeness'.…”

“…In doing so, such studies have highlighted several positive and negative experiences related to becoming a parent. On the positive side, becoming a parent as an adoptee can provide an opportunity to reflect on one’s own identity (e.g., Conrick, 2020). In particular, this transition can evoke a new interest in one’s own genealogy (e.g., Pinkerton, 2010) and can provide a deeper layer of meaning whereby adopted parents integrate their biological and adopted origins (Pinkerton, 2010; Battalen et al., 2019).…”

Trauma in midlife adoptees: a qualitative analysis of Adult Attachment Interview narratives

“…In Conrick's (2020) study, adoptee women reported feeling like an outsider in adoptive families and being treated differently than their siblings as children. Children who have experienced loss, neglect and maltreatment are more likely to experience feelings of mistrust and abandonment (Burnell et al, 2009).…”