Support Groups for Birth Mothers in Florida

By Sophia Oden

One of the best ways to begin the healing process and move on from giving up my baby for adoption is by joining support groups for birth mothers. Support groups offer a wide variety of support, counseling, and encouragement to birth mothers and pregnant women considering adoption. 

Our birth mother support groups at Adoption Choices of Florida provide our birth mothers a retreat, quarterly birth mom meetings, and special events around Christmas and Birth Moms Day (celebrated on the Saturday before Mother’s Day each year)

Many birth mother groups (even those not strictly about making friends) offer a holiday card exchange or send cards of encouragement for special occasions like Mother’s Day and the birthdays of the birth children. 

Adoption can be a Roller Coaster of Emotions

Private adoption is often called giving a child up, but the truth is the birth parents loved their baby so much that they chose to place the child with a family that could give the best life to the baby. As a result, adoption gives your baby a chance to grow up in a loving and supportive family, with as many opportunities as the pregnant woman wants. This is one of the biggest reasons that giving up your child for adoption is the best option for so many women; when you know you are not prepared to be a parent or do not believe in abortion, you can choose to adopt to give this precious gift to a person who is desperate to be a parent.

It’s Okay to Accept Adoption Grief

Let yourself experience sadness, loss, and anger as you go through stages of grief following placing your baby for adoption. The emotional upheaval placing a child for adoption can cause birth mothers is a regrettable side-effect of the love and care that went into your decision to put your baby with a family who can take care of them instead of you. Because so much is unknown when beginning your adoption process, the guilt associated with birth mothers placing children for adoption is natural and expected.

Although many potential birth mothers are aware of the possibility of heartbreak following the giving up of a child for adoption, sometimes emotions are overlooked or underestimated in the adoption process. However, one thing that most birth mothers can agree on is that after giving up a baby for adoption, some feelings of sadness, loss, and grief will almost always occur. So, whether you are experiencing sorrow and disappointment throughout your journey or if the grief does not hit you until you are holding your child in your arms in a hospital, it is essential to remember these feelings are normal.

The Benefits of Birth Mother Support Groups

Whether women are expecting a child or having their first child, support groups help birth mothers develop and strengthen relationships between family members and peers, improving social well-being. By attending a support group, women can address any anxieties that might arise from pregnancy or parenthood, which allows couples to bond and work through difficulties that may occur. Whether you are confronting an unplanned pregnancy, dealing with issues surrounding the birthing parents, or simply looking for overall support and a sense of community, these forums are a fantastic resource.

Private counseling and mental health providers are often available to assist with many symptoms that follow an adoption. Furthermore, adoption or birth mother support groups are accessible in most cities and communities. Additional post-adoption support services include a private Facebook group for birth mothers, individual counseling services, support during meetings with foster families, and periodic special events.

Birth mothers, solo adoptive parents, adopted adults from multiracial families, or older child adoptive parents are just some specialized units with unique support needs. Whether women are expecting a baby or just having one for the first time, support groups help birth mothers build and strengthen relationships between family members and peers that enhance social well-being and improve the overall health of themselves and their babies. Adoption professionals may have lists of readings, know about support groups or offer them, have counseling options, telephone numbers for women who chose to adopt their babies, and so forth. The only way to know whether these resources are available is to ask.

Where Can I Find Birth Mother Support Groups In Florida?

Often, birth parents can be shared with potential adoptive parents who have met the birth mother as part of their adoption training or prospective birth parents considering placing a child for adoption. At Adoption Choices of Florida, we provide support and services for birth mothers and adoptive parents before and following the placement. Agencies have prioritized assisting birth parents and adoptive families in their adoption journey, including providing support and assistance post-adoption.

Adoption Choices of Florida is an adoption agency that provides detailed information about adoption and includes support and counseling options for birth mothers and/or pregnant women who are choosing adoption. If you live in or around Jacksonville, Adoption Jacksonville will show you multiple options for support groups in the area. Birth mothers or pregnant women looking for Private adoption services in Florida can go through a step-by-step process. 

While adoption agencies and legal firms provide valuable guidance and legal counsel, birth mothers must receive any emotional and healing support they might need. The adoption journey can be arduous, and each birth mother deserves all the support they need to make the best decision for themselves and their child. Therefore, we provide adoption services before and after placing a child with us. This can include counseling and support after placing the child with birth mothers who might have experienced an unplanned pregnancy.

If you are a pregnant woman in Florida considering adoption and have any questions or concerns about the adoption process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information on adoption, visit us at Adoption Choices of Florida or call or text us at: (833) 352-3678.