Lynn Sollitto

Christine Bauer’s revealing memoir begins when she hears those three words (“You are pregnant”) and faces an unplanned pregnancy, and takes readers through her open adoption decision, and the ensuing three decades as a birth mother and mother. In this excerpt, Bauer relates the complicated emotions that accompanied her second pregnancy, 11 years after placing her daughter for adoption, and the birth of her oldest son.

When an open adoption fades or isn’t possible, adoptive parents find other ways to maintain a connection to their child’s past. Lois Melina has been a voice of wisdom and authority in the world of adoption for decades.

For years, my daughters’ birth mother dropped in and out of our lives as she battled a drug addiction. Now she is back in our lives, back in her own life, and I can’t wait to see what the future will bring for all of us. Subscribe or renew now for exclusive access to this article, future digital issues of Adoptive Families, the full searchable Adoption Parenting Library and much more. Already a member? Log in below. Need help? CLICK HERE