Birth Mom Q&A with Angell
"To the birth mothers and fathers, never lose sight of the dreams you have for the children that you created. Hold on to the hope that you released them with. " - Angell, birth mom #BraveLove
Reunited on Instagram - Gracie's Story
"Finally, after eighteen years of a closed adoption, I decided to reach out to my birthmother, Angell." #BraveLove
An Unknown Triad Within Our Family - Sarah's Story
"I am Sarah, an adoptive mother. I have an open adoption with both of my children’s mothers. I am an advocate for openness." - #BraveLove
Webisode #11 - Where is Jennifer now?
Remember the film (un)Wanted? Jennifer was involved and we're catching up with her. She is both a birth mom and adoptive mom who understands the complexities of adoption. She shares some great advice and encouragement as she talks about hope, competition, and social media.
Webisode #10 - Where is Carmen now?
Remember the film Overwhelming Love? We're catching up with Carmen and her mom Paula so you can hear what's going on in their worlds since it's been over 18 years since Carmen placed her son for adoption.
Not Every Mother
Not every mother can be a mom, and not every mom gets to be a mother. It doesn't seem fair, but life can be like that. And we all just do what we can with the hand we've been dealt. But maybe every once in a while....
Webisode #9 - It's been over six years, where is Sarah now?
Adoption is a lifelong journey, to say the least. We try our best to stay in touch with those who have shared their story with us over the years. That's why we've decided to feature some of those conversations in this special series we're calling Where Are They Now? Remember Sarah's Story? We're catching up with Sarah...
My Incredible Journey from Birth Mom to Adoptive Mom - Adrian's Story
"More than anything, I wanted to honor our son’s birth mom’s sacrifice by being the the most loving mom that I could." - Adrian, birth mom and adoptive mom
Adoption Made Me Who I Am Today - Macy's Story
Although I have my days, I continue to look back and think how grateful I am to have been through that experience as it made me who I am today. - Macy, birth mom
Webisode #8 - Questions to Ask Yourself Before Sharing Your Story
At BraveLove, storytelling is core to our work. We believe stories can inspire and educate. But if mishandled, they can harm and even exploit individuals. Within the context of adoption, there are lots of people involved in a story - the child, the birth parents, the adoptive parents, extended family, etc. So who's story is it to even share?
Webisode #7 - Post Adoption Support for Birth Moms
Gloria placed her daughter for adoption six years ago and worked with Bethany Christian Services. She continues to stay in touch with the agency. But it wasn't until a few years ago when she reached out for help to Lizzie, her counselor. Watch this webisode to discover what followed.
From Love and Back Again — Clay's Story
Clay spent years trying to perform to get people to pick him, because of the fact that at his earliest moment, he fundamentally perceived he wasn’t chosen. As an adoptive father, Clay found a connection point with his son on wrestling with your identity. Years later, when Clay's birth mom Priscilla reached out to pursue a relationship with him, Clay was overwhelmed. Watch to discover what happened next.
Webisode #6 - What's the adoption process like for prospective adoptive parents?
In this webisode, Jennifer Lanter from the Gladney Center for Adoption walks us through the steps for prospective adoptive parents. She specifically addresses the BIG hurdles for a lot of families pursuing domestic infant adoption — like the expense and the wait time. She also shares her personal experience going through the adoption process as an adoptive mom.
Web #5 - What to expect when working with an adoption law firm?
Lauren is an adoption counselor for an attorney in South Carolina. Watch this webisode to learn more about the adoption process for an expectant mom if she were to work with an adoption attorney. Lauren shares some great insight into the process so please watch every bit of this. Towards the end, she shares the inspiration behind why she does the work that she does. Don't miss it.
Webisode #4 - What's the adoption process like for an expectant mom?
Let's be honest — the adoption process can be complicated and overwhelming for anyone involved. One way to make it less confusing... work with someone who knows what they're doing and can help guide you through the process. That's why we wanted to talk to those out there who work directly with women and families who are pursuing adoption - whether they're placing their child for adoption OR hoping to adopt.
A Mother Like You
Being a mom is no small feat. Maybe this year more than ever. We know the past couple of months have been tough on moms, whether you've been home with your kids or not. For Mother's Day, BraveLove decided to create this short film to not only honor birth moms during this challenging time but to celebrate all moms.
Webisode #3 - Why BraveLove Partners with Adoption Agencies
BraveLove is not an adoption agency, but partners with agencies nationwide. In this webisode, you'll learn why BraveLove partners with agencies and what those partnerships can look like. Watch this conversation with an Executive Director of an adoption agency to learn more.
Mother's Day For a Birth Mom
The smallest interaction, even from a stranger, can mean more than you realize. Mother's Day is always a tricky one for me. As I imagine it is for any birth mom without children of her own. I always feel like I'm half of a mother. Like I almost don't deserve this holiday.
Webisode #2 - How BraveLove Can Help Pregnancy Centers
Jill serves at Liberty Women's Clinic, a pregnancy resource center in Liberty, MO. She shares how their clinic integrates BraveLove's adoption resources into their options counseling process. Jill also talks about how her own experience as both a birth mom and an adoptive mom has inspired her work and allows her to empathize with her clients.
Miranda 4 Years Later
As we all know, adoption impacts people forever. The journey isn't over after the decision has been made. That's why we love to stay connected with those who have shared their stories with BraveLove over the years, like Miranda.
All the Hard Parts Are Worth It — Nicole's Story
"I always knew that this would be the start of something so beautiful — so much bigger than myself." - Nicole
Adoption has a stigma behind it; I am not that stigma — Erika's Story
23 years, 5 months, 14 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes and 59 seconds ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He was perfect but he wasn’t exactly mine.
Theresa's Story: A Timeline of Events
"We are anxious/excited to reach out to you to see if maybe you are that baby girl." - Theresa #BraveLove
Cathy | A Birth Mom from Texas
I was not familiar with adoption. I didn't know of anyone who had been through this process.
Conversations on Open Adoption - Kandice and Alex, Part II
It can be helpful to hear how people are navigating this unique family relationship of open adoption. We captured this conversation with a birth mom and an adoptive mom.