Jessica is an amazing woman with a whole lot of wisdom to share. She's our next contributor to Being A Birth Mom. Meet Jessica... 

Hi There! My name is Jessica; I am a wife, friend, Realtor, sister, blogger and birth mother. While these labels don’t perfectly define who I am, I do wear them oh so humbly! Being a birth mother has been one of my greatest and most favorite “labels” to take on.  

I made an open adoption plan for my son in 2009. Making this choice lead me to some of the brightest and some of the darkest phases of my life.

With that being said, my hope is that, in sharing my story with others, it will impact the life of at least one other woman walking in the shoes I have worn. While making my choice as a young 16-year-old girl, I wrestled with what was best for my son, verses what would be easiest for me. My prayer is that other girls can grasp the bravery and selflessness they are enduring as they make an adoption plan for their child. 

Over these many years I have come to recognize that the choice I made was brave and the choice I made was difficult. I spent years trying to push down the grief and sorrow I had so deep inside of me. I didn’t feel brave, I just felt lost and defeated. People told me to move on, and quite frankly I wanted to just “move on”. I soon realized that moving forward was the only moving that was going to happen. 

My son plays a huge role in the woman that I am, and that’s just never going to change! 

In 2016 I married the man of my dreams and have been blessed with endless love, support and encouragement from him. Eight years after placing my son, and I still desperately need the support and love that Dan so graciously offers to me.

Being a birth mother has shaped me into the woman I am today and I wouldn’t change a single moment of this journey. Here’s to bravery, endless love, pure sacrifice, and to you!

> You'll be hearing more from Jessica soon! Be sure to follow along with her blog 'Brave By Him'. If you are a birth mom, we want to hear from you! If you're interested in contributing to the Being a Birth Mom column check out the editorial guide here or send us an e-mail!