adoption

My adoptive mom’s hangups convinced me I was an ugly duckling with noticeable imperfections. Turns out, it was about her, not me, and certainly not about my hair, which isn't the enemy she -- or I -- thought it was, either.

This is part of our Pregnancy Panic Companion. Click here to go back to the beginning. You said you or your partner have taken a pregnancy test, and it gave a positive (pregnant) result. The next step is to see a healthcare provider to verify that result. That person can be a general practitioner...

I'm so sorry to hear about your son's health problems, Faith. It's hard enough being a very young parent without the rights of an adult, let alone doing so when your child has serious health problems. It also seems like you might not have a very supportive family, so from the sounds of things, you...

"Do you have any children…?" It’s such a typical question to ask someone, and for many it’s an easy yes or no answer. For me though, I consistently find myself hesitating to respond. Generally when speaking to strangers, casual acquaintances, and even new friends, I opt to answer “no.” On occasion, I brave the consequences and answer the truth: “Yes, I’m a birthmother.”

When I gave birth, options were discussed with me regarding what to do about the baby. For me, there seemed no choice but adoption. I was now 17. The thought of raising a child was an impossibility. I wanted to finish high school. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to hang out with my friends. I just wanted to continue to be a teenager.

There are a few possibilities. • Maybe she is on the pill, but either doesn't know how to use it properly, or hasn't been using it properly, such as by missing pills, confusing active pills for placebos, or had an interaction with her pill and another medication, like an antibiotic. • Maybe you're...

It doesn't make any sense to presume infertility until you have had fertility tests done. At least once a week or two, I sit in the clinic I also work at counseling someone for an abortion procedure who was told or had the idea that they were infertile, and who didn't get tested to make sure that...

Elydia: I'm so sorry you're having to go through this with so little support. Being pregnant can be scary enough for anyone, even when it's wanted, but it's even more overwhelming when you're going it alone. First of all, understand that NO ONE can force you to abort, or make your reproductive...

Let's do what we can to work this out, okay? I know it's tough -- especially if you're also dealing with trauma in your family -- and it's scary, but it really is workable. I don't know what you mean when you say you're always careful, but there are currently -- sparing men or women who get...