Birth Mothers’ Options Counseling And Relinquishment Experiences

Madden, Elissa E.; Aguiniga, Donna M.; Ryan, Scott D.

doi:10.4324/9780429432040-16

Cited by 4 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…Similarly, Askren and Bloom’s (1999) metanalysis of English-language published studies from 1978 through 1994 regarding the postrelinquishment experience of birth mothers noted a theme of chronic grief that negatively impacted birth mothers’ health, mental health, and relationships. More recent studies have confirmed the findings of these earlier works, concluding that some birth mothers experience prolonged and ambiguous grief that is exacerbated by the failure of others to acknowledge the mothers’ profound loss (e.g., Coleman & Garratt, 2016; Madden, Ryan, Aguiniga, & Crawford, 2016; Madden et al, 2017).…”

Section: Research On the Impact Of The Adoption Decisionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…This analysis was part of a larger study that sought to understand the decision-making experiences of women who have placed a child for adoption as well as the context in which pregnancy options are discussed with expectant parents by professionals in the adoption community (see Madden et al, 2016, for a complete description of the sample and design). Data for the study were collected between fall 2015 and summer 2016 via Qualtrics, a secure web-based tool for conducting online surveys.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is general consensus among adoption researchers that for many women the experience of relinquishment is often fraught with intense feelings of grief, loss, shame, guilt, remorse, and isolation (Brodzinsky, 1990; De Simone, 1996; Fruendlich, 2002; Livingston Smith, 2006; Madden, Ryan, Aguiniga, Verbovaya, Crawford, & Gobin, 2017; Triseliotis, Feast, & Kyle, 2005; Wiley & Baden, 2005; Winkler & van Keppel, 1984). For many birth mothers, the act of relinquishing a child for adoption is a profound experience that can have life-long emotional and interpersonal effects.…”

Section: Research On the Impact Of The Adoption Decisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the response to relinquishing a child for adoption is highly personal and individualized, findings from prior research suggest that a birth mother’s adjustment and/or satisfaction following the adoption may be impacted by a number of factors. These factors include the circumstances surrounding the relinquishment—that is, whether the birth mother felt pressure to place her child (Cushman et al, 1993; De Simone, 1996; Madden et al, 2017), the availability of a caring support system to help her cope with ongoing feelings related to the adoption (Krahn & Sullivan, 2015; Triseliotis et al, 2005; Wiley & Baden, 2005), and subsequent life transitions and milestones, such as marriage and/or the parenting subsequent children (Henney et al, 2007; Krahn & Sullivan, 2015). More recent research regarding birth mothers’ postrelinquishment adjustment suggests that the type and frequency of contact between the birth mother and her child in the months and years following the adoption may also play an important role (Ge et al, 2008; Henney et al, 2007; Krahn & Sullivan, 2015; McRoy, Grotevant, Ayers-Lopez, & Henney, 2007).…”

Section: Research On the Impact Of The Adoption Decisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The long-term consequences for all members of the adoption triad require that adoption professionals are well-versed in the repercussions for birth mothers, both positive and negative, of placing a child for adoption. However, adoption professionals must be especially attuned to the needs and concerns of expectant mothers who seek their counsel, as many expectant mothers lack a full understanding of their options (Madden et al, 2017). As a remedy, adoption professionals should ensure that expectant mothers are counseled on the full range of options available to them, including termination of the pregnancy, parenting, exploring kin supports, and adoption.…”

Section: Implications For Practice and Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Relationship Between Time and Birth Mother Satisfaction With Relinquishment

Madden

Ryan

Aguiniga

et al. 2018

Families in Society

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Using data from an online survey of 223 birth mothers who had relinquished an infant for adoption during the last 25 years, this analysis examines the influence of the length of time that has passed since relinquishment on birth mothers’ satisfaction with their decision to place their child for adoption. Time since relinquishment, age of the respondent, education level, and income had a significant inverse relationship with birth mothers’ satisfaction to place their child for adoption. Two variables were predictive of increased satisfaction with their decision: having current contact with the child and full-time employment. The findings underscore the importance of agencies and adoption professionals ensuring that birth mothers have access to ongoing postrelinquishment support services throughout the life course.

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Section: Research On the Impact Of The Adoption Decisionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research On the Impact Of The Adoption Decisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research On the Impact Of The Adoption Decisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Practice and Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The Relationship Between Time and Birth Mother Satisfaction With Relinquishment

Madden

Ryan

Aguiniga

et al. 2018

Families in Society

Self Cite

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Birth mothers’ experiences of support before, during, and after adoptive placement.

Lapidus,

Watkins,

Farr

2023

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry

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Birth mothers, or women who have relinquished parental rights of their child, are an understudied and stigmatized population. Prior literature has suggested that protective factors, such as supports (e.g., practical, emotional, peer, informational), are beneficial for birth mothers. This study qualitatively explored perceptions and experiences of support before, during, and after placement among 51 birth mothers whose children were adopted as infants via private adoption in the United States 8 months to 50 years (M = 15.39 years) from the time of data collection. Thematic analysis revealed six overarching themes: (a) impact of lived circumstances, (b) importance of early adequate support, (c) an emotionally complex process, (d) access to timely information, (e) feeling ready to utilize resources, and (f) coping with ongoing adjustment needs. Prevalence of Themes pre-, during, and postplacement were shared among participants. Time since placement and adoption openness (e.g., contact with adoptive families) were also important factors related to these themes. We discuss implications of these results for policy and practice related to birth mothers' well-being and adjustment. Public Policy Relevance StatementBirth mothers who have placed a child for adoption face grief and stigma, so support is crucial to this understudied population. This study suggests the importance of activities and networks that promote peer support (e.g., birth mother retreats, support groups), as well as organizations (e.g., Planned Parenthood), resources, and access related to informational support. In the United States (U.S.), nearly half of pregnancies experienced are unintended, resulting in choices between options of parenting, abortion, or adoption (Finer & Zolna, 2016;Simmonds & Likis, 2005). In the U.S., adoption is generally considered less preferable to having biologically related children Coleman & Garratt, 2016), yet adoption has become a common path to family formation (Claridge, 2014). The adoption process involves stress and coping responses among all adoption triad members (i.e., birth parents, adopted children, adoptive parents; Goldberg & Smith, 2008;Grotevant, 2020). Many birth mothers describe the importance of adequate supports throughout the process (E. Madden et al., 2017;Simmonds & Likis, 2005), yet this has been understudied. Thus, our purpose was to enhance understanding of support needs (e.g., social, emotional, practical, peer) of birth mothers throughout their experiences of parental rights relinquishment: pre-, during, and postplacement.Birth mothers are defined as women who became pregnant, chose to give birth, and then relinquish their parental rights (i.e., voluntarily 1 surrender rights) of their biologically related child to place them for adoption via open or closed adoption contact This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. This artic...

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Birth relatives’ perspectives about same‐gender parent adoptive family placements

2022

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Little research exists about the experiences of birth relatives connected to lesbian and gay (LG) parent adoptive families. Using mixed methods, we examined the perspectives of birth relatives and other adoption triad members (adoptive parents, adoptees). First, from interviews with birth relatives (N = 62) in the USA, we explored openness to same-gender parent adoptive placements. Next, we conducted a thematic analysis from interviews with a subsample (n = 24) whose child was placed with LG adoptive parents about why LG parents were chosen. Finally, eight (of these 24) were connected to seven LG adoptive parent families who were participants in a larger study. Among these adoption triads, we investigated how members described their contact experiences. Results showed that most birth relatives were open to placements with samegender couples, and those who had done so often made this decision intentionally for various specific reasons.Birth relatives tended to be satisfied with adoptive family contact and desired more in the future. Adoption triad members generally reported warm feelings toward each other and commitments to continued contact. These findings provide insight about diverse conceptualizations of kinship, how contact can be effectively navigated across complex family relationships, and implications for adoption practice and policy. K E Y W O R D S adoption openness, adoption triad, birth family, lesbian and gay, same-gender parents | 625 FARR et al.

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Birth Mothers’ Options Counseling And Relinquishment Experiences

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

The Relationship Between Time and Birth Mother Satisfaction With Relinquishment

The Relationship Between Time and Birth Mother Satisfaction With Relinquishment

Birth mothers’ experiences of support before, during, and after adoptive placement.

Birth relatives’ perspectives about same‐gender parent adoptive family placements

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